Watering sweet potato vine plants

Sweet Potato Vine Growing in a Hanging Basket

Sweet potato vines are beautiful ornamental accents to a pot or hanging basket, but you need to make sure it’s properly watered.

Many gardeners enjoy growing sweet potato vines as a hobby and to benefit from the beauty of the plant. If you are growing your own sweet potato vines, it’s important to keep in mind how to properly care for your plant.

In this article, we’ll be taking a look at how often to water your sweet potato vines. The answer will vary depending on a bunch of factors. We’ll analyze those factors and how they affect your sweet potato vine plant’s watering needs.

How often to water sweet potato vine plants

When it comes to how often to water sweet potato vine plants, the answer depends on a variety of factors. For example, is the sweet potato vine plant planted in a pot or in the ground? Is it in direct sunlight or does it only get a partial day of direct sunlight? What has the weather been like recently?

Generally speaking, the best way to determine how often to water your sweet potato vine plant is to check the top half-inch of soil for dampness. As a rule of thumb, if it’s dried out, give the sweet potato vine plant some water. If it’s still damp or moist in the top half-inch, then no need to water the sweet potato vine plant.

Watering sweet potato vines seedlings

When it comes to how often to water sweet potato vine seedlings, you want to make sure you give your young sweet potato vine plant the water it needs for its early growth.

Sometimes sweet potato vine plant seedlings are grown in bunches. These may soak up moisture faster, so keep tabs on the dampness of the soil for these seedlings.

It’s best to water them lightly more frequently than watering them a lot less frequently. Seedlings are more susceptible to “drowning” when they are overwatered. Too much water at once can also cause the plant to uproot itself, as soil washes away easier when the plant doesn’t have a solid root structure in place.

Plan on watering your sweet potato vines seedlings every few days, or even daily. Keep an eye on the surface level dryness of the soil, and give the seedlings a sprinkle if it doesn’t look moist.

Sweet potato vines seedlings are faster to show it if they don’t have enough water, so if the plant is wilting and the soil is dry, not enough water is probably the problem.

Watering an established sweet potato vine plant

Established sweet potato vine plants should be watered when the top half-inch of soil is dry. Below are specific growing scenarios and information on how often to water the sweet potato vine plant for each.

When to water sweet potato vines that is planted outside

Sweet potato vine planted outside is often healthier, as there’s more chance of direct sunlight, and airflow generally helps to protect it against disease.

Plan on watering your established sweet potato vine plant a few times a week when it’s planted outside. If you’re not sure whether it needs to be watered, you can check if the surface level soil is moist, or if the sweet potato vine plant is wilting.

When to water sweet potato vines that is planted inside

Sweet potato vine plants that are planted inside may not need as much water, as direct sunlight is normally not available. Be extra careful that you aren’t overwatering the sweet potato vine plant inside.

If the sweet potato vine plant is wilting, that could be a sign that it is under or over-watered. Keep track of how moist the soil is to know the difference before watering the sweet potato vine plant more.

When to water sweet potato vine planted in the landscape

Sweet potato vines that are planted in the landscape are able to pull up some moisture from the ground, so it won’t need to be watered as much as sweet potato vine plants are grown in a container.

When to water sweet potato vine planted in containers

As mentioned previously, sweet potato vines that are planted in a container will need to be watered more frequently since they don’t have natural water in the ground as a source of hydration.

Things to consider

There are numerous factors to consider when determining how often to water your sweet potato vine plant. Factors like weather, sunlight, the season of the year, and spacing all play a rule.

Weather

Spring weather is generally rainier in some areas, so you may not need to water your sweet potato vine plant as much. Be careful that you don’t overwater your sweet potato vine plant in a season with a lot of rain.

Sunlight exposure

Most sweet potato vine plant varieties grow great in full sunlight, but in the heat of the summer, you’ll need to keep these plants watered well. 

Sweet potato vine plants that are grown in full sun will dry out fast, especially if they are getting direct sunlight during the noon of the day.

Keeping the sweet potato vine plant well watered in these seasons ensures that they’ll be able to produce healthy new shoots of fresh sweet potato vines in the future.

Season

Depending on the season, you may not need to water your sweet potato vine plant as much. In the fall, when the sweet potato vine plant is more established and the cooler weather sets in, you may only need to water the sweet potato vine plant once a week.

Spacing

Sweet potato vine plants that are planted close together will compete for the same water, and as a result, you’ll need to water them more.

Tips for watering your sweet potato vine plant

Here are some tips for watering your sweet potato vine plants.

Your sweet potato vine plant may wilt with too much water or too little

Keep in mind that a sweet potato vine plant that is wilting does not necessarily always need water. Sometimes sweet potato vine plants wilt when they have too much water.

Always check the soil dryness to determine if you should give the sweet potato vine plant some water.

It may not be a watering problem, but a fertilizing problem

If the plant is wilting or looking yellow, it may not be your watering that is the problem. You may want to check the fertilizer level of the soil it’s planted in to see if that’s the problem.

Make sure your pot has adequate draining

If you are planting your sweet potato vines in a pot, it’s very important that the pot has proper drainage. Sweet potato vines are susceptible to root rot if water does not drain through the soil, so well-drained soil is essential.

Repotting

If the sweet potato vine plant needs watering a lot, you may want to re-pot the plant so that it has more soil to spread its roots in.

Recap: watering your sweet potato vine plant recap

In conclusion, there are many factors that will affect how often you’ll need to water your sweet potato vine plant. The best and most simple thing to do is check the moisture level in the top half-inch of soil to determine if it needs some water.