Sweet Potato in Zone 11a & 11b

Ipomoea batatas

When to plant sweet potato in zone 11b

Zones 11a and 11b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Start indoors: Start indoors from seed, then transplant outside. Sweet Potato needs a head start most zones can't give it by direct-sowing alone.

Start indoors	Nov 6–Nov 13
Direct sow / transplant outside	Jan 22–Jan 29
Estimated harvest	May 12–May 19 (~110 days after transplanting)

Spacing: about 4 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 0.5-1 ft.

Sweet potato isn't related to the regular potato at all. It's grown from slips, which are rooted sprouts started from a mature sweet potato, rather than from seed or a cut tuber. It also wants more heat and a longer season than most gardeners expect, which is why an early indoor start matters even though the plant itself is a vigorous, sprawling vine once it's established.

How sweet potato fits zone 11's season

Zone 11b is frost-free in this dataset, so frost is not what limits the calendar here. What you can plant, and when, comes down to summer heat and daylength instead.

Good companions

Bush Beans: Beans fix nitrogen that heavy-feeding sweet potato vines use.

Where to buy sweet potato seeds

See why we recommend these suppliers →

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