How not to grow sweet potatoes in

There are a few possible reasons why your sweet potatoes may not have grown well in San Antonio:
*Planting time:* Sweet potatoes are a warm-season crop, and they need long, hot days to grow well. San Antonio has a long growing season, but it can also be quite hot in the summer. If you planted your sweet potatoes too early in the spring, they may not have had enough time to mature before the weather got too hot. Conversely, if you planted them too late in the summer, they may not have had enough time to grow before the first frost. The best time to plant sweet potatoes in San Antonio is typically from April to June.
*Soil type:* Sweet potatoes prefer well-drained, sandy soil. San Antonio has a lot of clay soil, which can hold too much water and cause the roots to rot. If your soil is heavy clay, you can improve drainage by adding compost or sand. You can also plant your sweet potatoes in raised beds.
*Watering:* Sweet potatoes need regular watering, but they don't like to sit in soggy soil. It's important to water deeply, but less often. Aim to water your sweet potatoes about once a week, unless the weather is very hot and dry.
*Fertilizer:* Sweet potatoes don't need a lot of fertilizer, but they can benefit from a light application of balanced fertilizer every few weeks. Avoid over-fertilizing, as this can promote top growth at the expense of root development.
*Pests and diseases:* Sweet potatoes can be susceptible to a number of pests and diseases, including sweet potato weevil, whitefly, and fusarium wilt. If you see any signs of pests or diseases, treat them immediately to prevent them from spreading.
Here are some additional tips for growing sweet potatoes in San Antonio:
Choose a sunny spot in your garden. Sweet potatoes need at least six hours of sunlight per day.
Amend your soil with compost or sand to improve drainage.
Plant your sweet potatoes in rows that are 3 feet apart. Space the plants 12-18 inches apart within the row.
Water your sweet potatoes deeply, but less often. Aim to water about once a week, unless the weather is very hot and dry.
Fertilize your sweet potatoes every few weeks with a balanced fertilizer.
Mulch around your sweet potato plants to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Harvest your sweet potatoes when the vines start to yellow and die back.
If you follow these tips, you should be able to grow a bountiful harvest of sweet potatoes in San Antonio.

[@jcweld]

Did you start them from slips? Are they getting enough sun? I just moved here, so I'm curious what the root cause is. When I grew these in Virginia, I definitely did harvest later than you, though. But even if you harvested early, I'd expect to see more than what you have there.

[@sanantoniogardening]

Thank you for the comment. I did start them from slips and planted them in early summer. Most of them were in full sun. I had great luck last year with the few that I grew. Not sure what happened this year. I expected more as well.

[@everydaydad2618]

I definitely identify with the frustration of not getting nearly the harvest you thought you would - happens to me all the time. Just based on my own experience growing sweet potatoes, it looks like you had very little green foliage. Until you get an overwhelming growth of vines and leaves that densely cover a huge area (at least 10x as much as you have here), I don’t think you’ll get many sweet potatoes - or at least that is my experience. The vines basically need to feel like they are taking over the entire garden.
You may also want to wait until late Oct or early November before picking them out of the ground. Good luck next year - the roots left from this year will certainly spring up next year and hopefully lead to lots of sweet potatoes in 2024.

[@sanantoniogardening]

Thanks for the comment. I will try your advice next year and see what happens.