pruning ornamental sweet potato

19 years ago

Approximately 3 months ago we planted 24 ornamental sweet potato plants along a path in our front yard . Since then they have grown beyond our wildest imagination and are overtaking everything in their path . My question ,can we prune the vines to keep them within the area we wanted then to take over and if so is there a certain time of the year that needs to be done ? Thanks for all responses.

Featured Answer

Ina Plassa_travis

18 years ago

24?!

that's not a path, that's a country mile!

every year, I buy ONE of the black-leaf varieties.

one. in a 4" pot.

plant it the very end of april in the protected corner of the back garden.

the third week of may, it's usually put out enough growth that some of it's starting to root itself.

I snip off these little bits, pot them up for a week, and plant them elsewhere.

the second round of pruning gets given to friends for their hanging pots.

a single rooted cutting can easily cover a 5x5' plot.

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Comments (6)

lindac
19 years ago
Of course....cut back what is in the way.
Westview
19 years ago
LOL---Prune???!!! We weed eat and mow the boogers. They have to be kept back or they go kudzu on you. At least a freeze kills them. They are really useful in many places but aren't particular about how you chop em back. Also if wanted, a little sprig of sweet potato vine, put anywhere and kept watered, will grow into a big one quite quickly. I get one plant going and then put cuttings in my big pots to underplant my roses.
Betsy
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hpykmpr
Original Author
18 years ago
Another question about the sweet potatoes ,about a week ago they got hit fairly hard by a freeze here in Florida, if I cut all of the leaves off will they grow again or are they an annual and normally die off after one season?
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
18 years ago
They really are a potato. If there are eyes on the tuber they should come back.

tj
hardin
18 years ago
Here in Oklahoma, in the fall I cut away all the foliage and leave the tuber (potato). In the spring, about April, they send up new shoots. They also make a great addition in container gardening. I usually only buy 1 or 2 plants in the 4" pots, and after they start putting off long trailers, I cut what is in the way and put them in water and those root and therefore I have more to spread around. Saves money.