Norton Sweet Potatoes
$13.95 $8.37
Pre-Order Information
Sweet Potato Slips ship in early June, 2024
Ipomoea batatas
An heirloom that dates back to the 1800s with tan skin and bright yellow flesh when cooked. Moist and sweet with a creamy texture. Good yields, fairly uniform tubers, and an excellent long-term keeper. In the right conditions, this sweet potato can be kept without sprouting for well over a year.
This seed stock has been locally stewarded by Yanna Fishman since 2002. Slips are grown locally by The Appalachian Seed Growers Collective. The Appalachian Seed Growers Collective only recommends varieties that have been farmer tested and loved, and this is one of the longtime favorites of our farmer Thomas. Easy to grow and easy to eat!
Due to the perishable nature of sweet potato slips, all orders of sweet potatoes will ship via USPS priority mail or UPS ground. This will help ensure that your sweet potato slips arrive to your door happy, healthy and ready for planting.
Find our Sweet Potato Growing Guide here!
Out of stock
- Pre-Order Information
- Planting Information
- Growing Information
- Seed Saving
Product Availability: Sweet Potato Slips become available to pre-order beginning January 1st each year and are available until sold out. Sweet Potato Slips are limited and can sell out prior to their shipping date so we recommend ordering early for the best selection.
Shipping Schedule: The exact shipping dates of sweet potato slips are dependent on delivery from our growers and may vary slightly but we generally ship out sweet potato slips in early June. We will send order and shipping updates to all customers via the email address on file, please keep an eye out as we get closer to June (be sure to check your spam folder).
NOTE: We do not ship based on the customer's growing zone or individual preferences. We cannot hold sweet potato orders, please ensure our estimated shipping window works for your growing zone and your schedule prior to placing your order. Once an order is placed it cannot be canceled or changed, please be sure to review your order carefully prior to placing it.
Shipping Method: Due to the perishable nature of sweet potato slips, all orders of sweet potatoes ship via USPS priority mail or UPS ground. This helps ensure your sweet potato slips arrive healthy and ready to plant.
Local Pickup: If you live in close proximity to Asheville, NC you may choose to pick up your sweet potato order from our garden shop at 243 Haywood St. Asheville, NC. We are open seven days a week from 10am - 5pm. You will be notified via email when your order is ready for pickup. Due to the very perishable nature of sweet potato slips, you must pickup your order within 5 days of that notification. If your order is not picked up within that 5 day window, your order may be donated to a local community garden, no refunds or replacements will be provided.
| Average Seed / oz | Plants / 100' Row | Avg Yield / 100' Row | Days to Harvest |
| N/A | 100 slips | 100 lbs | 90-120 |
| Planting Season | Ideal Soil Temp | Sun | Frost Tolerance |
| After Last Frost | 70-90°F | Full Sun | Frost Sensitive |
| Planting Method | Planting Depth | Plant Spacing | Production Cycle |
| Transplant | 3-5" | 6-12" | Annual |
Bed Preparation
Sweet potatoes do not like weed competition, so lightly till the bed once or twice starting 2 weeks prior to planting. The slips may be planted directly in the ground or in raised ridges of soil 8” high to help them warm up faster and to improve drainage.
Planting
Plant after the danger of frost has passed, when the soil is as least 65°F. Place slips 3” deep, spaced 12” apart. For vining varieties (the most common), rows should be about at least 3’-4’ apart. Rows can be closer for bush varieties. Slips will often arrive wilted or show significant transplant shock. Don't worry! Plant as normal and after a week or so they'll perk up.
Cultivation
Sweet potatoes can be slow starters so keep the field weeded until the plants begin to spread. Otherwise, leave them alone. Extra fertilizer tends to promote leaf growth but not increased root yields.
Harvest
Greens can be harvested throughout the season with light clipping from each plant. Stop watering 3 weeks prior to root harvest to keep mature tubers from splitting. Dig up potatoes where the slip was originally planted. Harvest can begin in early fall until no later than first frost.
Curing and Storage
Sweet potatoes should be cured to convert the starch to sugar and to toughen the outer skin for long-term storage. Store them in a warm room at 80°F to 85°F with high humidity for 10 days. Afterwards, keep them in a dark, cool location in a ventilated mouse-proof container.
Pests
Deer and groundhogs enjoy eating the young greens while wireworms and nematodes can affect the tubers. Rotating crop location can reduce soil-borne pests.
Sweet Potatoes, Ipomoea batatas
Pollination, vegetative; Life Cycle, perennial grown as annual; Isolation Distance, n/a
Collecting seeds from sweet potatoes is a true challenge, and in fact almost impossible in zones 9 and above, so the majority of gardeners propagate their new plants as clones of the previous year's harvest. It is best to create slips from the roots of multiple plants to ensure healthy genetics moving forward.