How to Grow a Sweet Potato Into a Houseplant

Sweet potato in a jar

Growing a sweet potato is a great science experiment for kids. A sweet potato can also be grown into a wonderful houseplant for everyone to admire. Rooting a sweet potato is an easy project for even the most green thumb deprived.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Sweet potato
• Jar
• Toothpicks
• Water

1. Get your jar and a sweet potato. Put your sweet potato over the mouth of the jar, to check the size and see whether you will need toothpicks. If it can sit comfortably on the mouth of the jar, with part of the sweet potato in the jar and part out, you will not need toothpicks.

2. If you need toothpicks: Push in about 4 toothpicks all around the middle of the sweet potato. The toothpicks should be sticking out of the sweet potato.

3. Fill the jar part of the way with water. The amount of water may depend on how far your sweet potato sits inside of the jar.

4. Sit the sweet potato on the mouth of the jar. If you used toothpicks, the toothpicks should be sitting on the mouth of the jar. Both ways the sweet potato should be part in the jar and part out.

5. Check the level of water. Add more if necessary, till the sweet potato is partly in the water. It can also be grow without being immersed in the water. Just make sure it is very close to the water.

6. Keep the sweet potato in a room with light. A sunny window is not necessary. In a week or 2 you should notice some growth.

7. When the stems reach about 6 inches, you can plant it in a planter pot. Fill a pot about 3/4 full, with soil. place the sweet potato on top of the soil. Fill the pot the remaining way with soil, covering the sweet potato.

8. Water as needed. Keep the soil moist, but not wet. Enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

• You can keep the sweet potato as a plant in water and not plant it in soil. This is a really good option for someone without a green thumb.

• The sweet potato will vine. So, make sure you have room for it.