North Carolina growing guide
When to Plant Sweet Potatoes in North Carolina
Last reviewed by GardenSproutly against the sources listed on this page.
- Days to harvest
- 95–125 days from transplanting[4]
- Spacing
- 10 in. in the NC State calendars; 16–18 in. in rows 3–4 ft apart in Franklin County Extension's guide[2],[4]
- Soil pH
- Around 6.0[2]
Sweet potatoes planting dates by region
Outdoor planting windows from NC State Extension's regional calendars[3],[4],[5], with indoor seed-starting dates and harvest estimates worked out from them. Adjust for your local frost dates and weather.
Eastern North Carolina
Coastal Plain
- Set out transplants
- May 1 – Jul 1Estimated harvest: Aug 4 – Nov 3
Days to harvest: T = 95–125Spacing: 10 in.
Transplants are slips (rooted vine cuttings) rather than seedlings, so there is no indoor seed-starting date.
Central North Carolina
Piedmont
- Set out transplants
- May 1 – Jul 1Estimated harvest: Aug 4 – Nov 3
Days to harvest: T = 95–125Spacing: 10 in.
Transplants are slips (rooted vine cuttings) rather than seedlings, so there is no indoor seed-starting date.
Western North Carolina
Mountains
- Set out transplants
- Jun 1 – Jun 15Estimated harvest: Sep 4 – Oct 18
Days to harvest: T = 95–125Spacing: 10 in.
Transplants are slips (rooted vine cuttings) rather than seedlings, so there is no indoor seed-starting date.
Getting slips
Sweetpotatoes are grown from vine cuttings called slips, which are cut from seed roots. You can buy slips at garden centers or by mail order, or grow your own from saved sweetpotatoes.[2]
Choose a vegetable variety. Varieties that do well in Franklin County, in central North Carolina, include Covington, Beauregard, Porto Rico, and Murasaki, a purple variety. Ornamental sweetpotato vines grown for colorful leaves rarely produce good edible roots.[1],[2]
Planting slips
- Sweetpotatoes are frost-sensitive, so plant after your last frost.[1]
- Choose full sun and well-drained loamy or sandy soil. Raised beds work too, as long as the vines have room to spread.[2]
- Franklin County Extension, writing for central North Carolina, gives a planting window of May 1 to July 15. Set slips in raised mounds or rows 3 to 4 feet apart, spacing them 16 to 18 inches apart and 3 to 4 inches deep, with several nodes below ground.[2]
- Water after planting to settle soil around the slips. Don't worry if they look wilted; sweetpotatoes are very hardy.[2]
- At planting, apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet (for example, 10 pounds of 10-10-10). About 25 days later, side-dress with another 10 pounds of 10-10-10 per 1,000 square feet.[2]
Summer care
Harvesting, curing, and storage
- Harvest about 90 to 120 days after planting. The only way to know whether roots have reached the size you want is to dig some up and check.[2]
- Dig roots before frost and avoid bruising or scratching them, because damaged sweetpotatoes rot easily in storage.[6]
- Cure freshly dug roots at 80–85°F and 90% relative humidity for about 10 days to develop sweetness and aroma.[2]
- Store cured roots at about 55°F and 85% relative humidity. A basement or crawl space may work.[6]
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- [1]Ipomoea batatas (Sweetpotato) — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension. Checked October 11, 2026.
Supports: Sweetpotato naming, frost sensitivity, site preferences, and edible versus ornamental cultivars. Scope: North Carolina.
- [2]Sweetpotatoes in the Home Garden — N.C. Cooperative Extension, Franklin County Center. May 8, 2025. Checked October 11, 2026.
Supports: Sweetpotato soil, pH, fertilizer, slips, spacing, planting depth, harvest timing, curing, storage, and varieties. Scope: Central North Carolina (Franklin County).
- [3]Eastern North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-02) — NC State Extension. Published June 15, 2016. Checked October 11, 2026.
Supports: Outdoor planting dates, planting methods, days to harvest, and plant spacing for eastern North Carolina. Scope: Eastern North Carolina. The publication does not define county boundaries.
- [4]Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-01) — NC State Extension. Published July 8, 2016. Checked October 11, 2026.
Supports: Outdoor planting dates, planting methods, days to harvest, plant spacing, and the 6–8 week transplant-starting rule for central North Carolina. Scope: Central North Carolina. The publication does not define county boundaries.
- [5]Western North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-03) — NC State Extension. Published August 4, 2016. Checked October 11, 2026.
Supports: Outdoor planting dates, planting methods, days to harvest, and plant spacing for western North Carolina, plus regional pest-timing advice. Scope: Western North Carolina. The publication does not define county boundaries.
- [6]Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening — NC State Extension. Published February 1, 2022. Checked October 11, 2026.
Supports: Cool- and warm-season crop groupings, seed-sowing depth, transplant growing times and temperatures (Table 16-3), soil preparation, succession planting, and harvest indicators. Scope: Written for North Carolina and the southeastern United States.