Newly planted sweet potato slips.

What many folks call yams in the South are actually sweet potatoes, a morning glory relative. True yams are a tropical root crop not related to sweet potatoes. Healthy, nutritious sweet potatoes by any name belong in every Texas garden and on every Texas table.

Sweet potatoes are a warm season crop that cannot tolerate frosts or freezes. The vining plants thrive on heat, so they should be planted well after the last frost, generally between April and June. Sweet potatoes are planted from slips (rooted cuttings) pulled from sprouted potatoes. These are available from mail-order nurseries or can be produced at home from potting potatoes from your last year’s crop. Plant the slips 12 to 16 inches apart.

Sweet potatoes require at least eight hours of direct sun each day for maximum yield. They do best in well-drained sandy and loamy soils and are best planted in raised beds or rows at least 6 to 12 inches high. They can also be produced in large, whiskey-barrel-sized containers. Ideally, till in several inches of compost and incorporate 1 pound of a complete lawn fertilizer (15-5-10, etc.) per 100 square feet of bed or every 35 feet of row before planting. In smaller plantings use 1 teaspoon per square foot or foot of row or ½ cup of slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote per whiskey-barrel-sized container.

Plant sweet potato slips in raised beds or rows 36 inches apart. Using a trowel, make holes for the slips every 12 to 18 inches down the row. Place the rooted cuttings in the ground with only the upper leaves above the ground. Water them in with a half-strength water-soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro before covering them with well-cultivated soil. Water them again to eliminate any air pockets.

Sweet potatoes have few problems and are easy to grow if they have heat and sunshine, and regular irrigation. About four weeks after planting, side-dress with a complete garden fertilizer (13-13-13, etc.) at ½ pound per 35 feet of row. Apply to both sides of the row, work the fertilizer into the surface of the soil, and water lightly.

Sweet potatoes are generally ready to dig in 90 to 110 days. Dig them when they reach a usable size, not when they are overgrown. It’s always best to inspect the base of a few plants to check their size before digging them. If they are too small, leave them so they have more time to grow. When the soil is dry, use a shovel to carefully lift the entire root system. Be careful not to damage the sweet potatoes. Cut the roots away from the plants and allow them to dry for three to four hours in the shade before placing them in a warm, humid area to cure for two weeks.

Use your garage or shed; and place them in containers covered with moist burlap or shade cloth.

They will then store for months if they’re kept in a cool, shaded place.

Recommended sweet potato varieties for Texas include “Beauregard,” “Centennial,” and “Jewel.” Sweet potatoes originated in Central and South America and can be white, cream, yellow, salmon, orange, red or purple fleshed and were known as potatoes before “Irish” potatoes were.