You can grow sweet potatoes in containers and get great results from them on a patio or deck. Use pots that hold at least 15-20 gallons of soil for the best tuber size. Smaller pots work but your harvest will be much lighter at the end of the season.
I grew container sweet potatoes on my patio last summer using 20-gallon fabric grow bags. Each plant gave me about 1.5 pounds of tubers, which matched what I pulled from my raised beds in the ground. The best part was zero vole damage since the bags sat up off the dirt. That alone made containers worth the effort for me.
Containers give you three big perks over garden beds. The soil warms up faster in spring and drains better too. Pests can't tunnel up from below either. Illinois Extension says pots keep digging animals out of your crop. If voles or gophers cause you trouble, sweet potatoes in pots are your best fix.
Grow Organic suggests 15-20 gallon containers with compact vine types. Bush Porto Rico and Vardaman are two great picks. These short-vine plants don't sprawl far and fit better on a patio or balcony. You still get full-size tubers without vines taking over your space.
Best Container Types
- Fabric grow bags: Grow bag sweet potatoes thrive because the fabric lets air reach the roots and prevents overwatering damage.
- Plastic pots: Use dark colored pots with drain holes at the bottom and set them in your sunniest spot all day long.
- Half barrels: These hold 25+ gallons and fit two plants each, giving you a big harvest from a single container.
Soil Mix Recipe
- Base mix: Combine 60% potting soil, 20% compost, and 20% perlite for a blend that drains fast and feeds your plants well.
- Avoid garden dirt: Heavy soil from your yard packs down in pots and chokes root growth, so always use bagged potting mix instead.
- Feeding plan: Add a low-nitrogen fertilizer like 5-10-10 every 3-4 weeks to push tuber growth without extra vine.
Daily Care Tips
- Watering: Check soil every day in summer heat since pots dry out much faster than garden beds do in hot weather.
- Sunlight: Place your containers where they get 8-10 hours of direct sun for the biggest tubers at harvest time.
- Vine training: Tuck vines back toward the pot or drape them over the edge to keep your patio tidy and walkable.
Water your container sweet potatoes every day once summer heat kicks in. Pots dry out much faster than ground beds and even one day of dry soil can stunt your tubers. Stick your finger 2 inches into the mix. If it feels dry, give the pot a good soak until water drains out the bottom holes.
I've also tried growing sweet potatoes in 5-gallon buckets as a test. They grew fine but the tubers came out small and thin. The jump from 5 gallons to 20 gallons made a huge difference in tuber size. Spend the extra money on big grow bags and your harvest will be worth it.
Container growing is perfect if you rent your home or have no yard at all. Set up a few bags on a sunny patio and you can pull a full sweet potato harvest in 90-120 days. You don't need a farm or even a garden bed to grow your own food this way.
I plan to double my grow bag count this coming season after seeing how well they worked. My patio setup took up about 6 square feet total and gave me enough sweet potatoes to last through November. You can do the same with just a few bags, some good soil mix, and a spot that gets full sun.
Read the full article: Growing Sweet Potatoes: Full Guide
