Question about sweet potatoes

[lilcee]

I planted sweet potatoes for the first time this year. They are shooting out vines and getting their roots into the ground quit nicely. They are spreading all over the place. My question is, should I trim them back to keep them from goiing everywhere? Also, do they get flowers? Someone said that we wouldn't see the flowers on them because they are so small. How will I know when they are ready to dig up? I know it will be awhile yet but I would like to know what to watch for.
Thanks

[TWC015]

I would try not to trim the plants since the more leaves = more potatoes. Maybe you could try to redirect the vines instead? The vines would lay on their side for a few hours after you move them but they will quickly grow back normal. Their vines are much easier to move than pumpkin - they don't break as easy, they are not prickly, and they don't have tendrils stuck to everything.

This is my first year growing sweet potatoes as well. I planted mine in May and now have vines all over. I have not seen flowers but I read that they rarely flower outside of the tropics and need daylength to be around 11 hours. (My daylength is currently around 14.25 hours.)

I also found out that the plants should grow for 4 to 5 months to get the best yield from sweet potatoes (though many varieties say 3 month maturity).

[Gary350]

I never trim my sweet potato plants. I keep turning the vines and making them grow in a circle. The vines get pretty deep but the plant does not seem to care. I did 4 plants like this last year and harvested about 25 to 30 potatoes. About a dozen potatoes were very large.

[garden5]

At certain spots where the vine touches the ground, it will send out roots. These will become potatoes (eventually). Instead of cutting the vines, why not just coil them up? This way, the plant will still be able to undergo photosynthesis.

[engineeredgarden]

I grow mine in containers, and do exactly what Gary said - keep turning the ends of the vines toward the center...

EG

[lilcee]

Thank you all for your tips. Happy Gardening

[rkunsaw]

When sweet potato vines start to make roots at the joints, cut them off and plant them separately.If left on the original plant they will only make small thin roots that do not fully develop when the growing season is over.
Sweet potatoes have beautiful flowers (they are kin to morning glorys).