Sweet Potato variety

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Bonita

Root

100 days to harvest

Full sun

What's special about Bonita

White-fleshed, tan-skinned — mild and creamy, less sweet than orange types.

Growing this variety

Bonita follows the same growing basics as Sweet Potato. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Sweet Potato family.

Season

Long warm season — 100+ frost-free days

USDA zones

Annual 5–11 (tuber tender)

Sun

Full sun

Start indoors

Grow slips from a tuber 6–8 weeks before planting out

Direct sow outdoors

Set slips out 2 weeks after last frost, soil ≥ 65°F

Days to harvest

100 days

Germination

Germination time

N/A — grown from slips, not seed

Soil temperature

N/A

Spacing & depth

Sow depth

Bury slips up to top 2 leaves

Seed spacing

12 in

Mature plant spacing

12–18 in (30–45 cm)

Row spacing

36–48 in (raised ridge)

How to plant

Sweet potatoes are grown from rooted stem cuttings called slips, not seed. Suspend a supermarket tuber half-submerged in water on a warm sill; when 6-in sprouts appear, twist them off and root in water for 1 week. Plant slips into loose ridged soil after nights are warm. Dig gently before frost.

Grower's tip

Cure dug roots at 80–85°F and 85% humidity for 10 days — that converts starch to sugar and heals nicks. Then store at 55–60°F for months.

Soil preferences

Soil type

Well-drained soil with steady moisture at the root zone.

pH range

6.0–7.0

Amendments

Compost at planting; go easy on nitrogen or you get all leaf and no flower or fruit.

Watering

Frequency

Even moisture through flowering and fruiting; vines dry out fast on a sunny wall.

Method

Soaker or drip at the base — never onto the canopy.

Over vs. under

Overwatered: yellow lower leaves, mildew. Underwatered: curled tips, dropped flowers.

Top-water or bottom-water?

Prefers top-watering — Top-water at the base. Wet foliage spreads late blight and early blight; keep leaves as dry as possible.

Temperature tolerance

Ideal daytime air temp

70–85°F (21–29°C) for annual vines; hardy woody vines are much broader

Ideal nighttime air temp

55–70°F (13–21°C)

Frost sensitivity

Annual vines are frost-tender; woody perennial vines are hardy to their rated zone.

Container growing

Container-suitable?

Possible with the right cultivar

Recommended pot size

5–15 gal (19–57 L) with a trellis anchored to the pot or wall

Notes

Potted vines dry out daily in heat — plan for it before you plant.

Detailed harvesting

Train and tie in new growth weekly during the growing season; prune woody vines while dormant.

Post-harvest storage & preservation

Not applicable for ornamental vines; fruiting vines follow their species.

Culinary, medicinal & other uses

Vertical screening, shade, flowers and fruit in a footprint the size of a dinner plate.

Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.

Seed saving

Pollination

Insect-pollinated for most species.

Isolation needs

Isolate or bag flowers to keep a strain true.

How to save

Let pods or fruit ripen fully on the vine, then clean and dry the seed.

Your zone's planting calendar

Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for sweet potato in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.

USDA zone