When to plant sweet potatoes in Bend and Redmond, OR

Plant sweet potato slips in Bend and Redmond Jun 16 – Jul 7.

Tricky here Plant rooted cuttings (slips)

Difficulty: Tricky here
Sun: Full sun; the hottest spot you have
Spacing: 12 to 18 inches apart in a raised row
Planting depth: Bury slips up to the top few leaves
Frost: Killed by frost
First harvest: About 100 days after planting

Why these dates

Bend and Redmond's typical last spring frost is June 9. Frost kills sweet potatoes, so planting starts once frost risk drops, around June 16. It also needs warmer nights than tomatoes, so it goes in a little later. A late frost is still possible until about June 26 (that's when frost is over in 9 years out of 10), so keep row cover or a frost blanket handy for the first couple of weeks. The season here is short for this crop: use young plants rather than seeds, choose the fastest variety you can find, and cover plants on cool nights.

High desert and mountains. Central and high eastern Oregon. Frost is possible almost any month. Use row covers, wall-o-water or cloches for warm crops, and choose short-season varieties.

How to grow sweet potatoes in Bend and Redmond

Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant sweet potato slips Jun 16 – Jul 7, 12 to 18 inches apart in a raised row. Bury slips up to the top few leaves.
Water well for the first two weeks, then only in dry spells: too much water and fertilizer grow vines instead of roots. Black plastic mulch keeps the soil warm all summer.
Harvest: Dig before soil temperatures drop below about 55°F in early fall, and before frost. Cure the roots somewhere warm and humid for a week or two, then store them at room temperature, never in the fridge.

Key numbers

Above 65°FSoil to plant
90–120Days to harvest
1–2 weeks at 80–85°FCuring
Cool summersBiggest risk

Growing notes

What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.

Can you grow them here?

Sweet potatoes are a tropical crop, and they grow roots only when soil and nights are warm. The hot valleys east of the Cascades grow good crops without much fuss. West of the Cascades and on the coast, harvests are smaller and less certain, but a short-season variety in the warmest spot you have, on black plastic, often gives a worthwhile crop in a warm summer.

Slips and planting

Sweet potatoes are grown from slips, rooted shoots sprouted from a stored root. Buy them from a nursery or mail-order supplier in spring, or sprout your own from a store-bought root about two months ahead. Plant them deep in loose, raised rows once the soil is truly warm, usually a week or two after tomato planting. Water well for the first two weeks, then water less; too much water and nitrogen give you lush vines and small roots.

Harvest, curing and storage

Dig carefully with a fork before the soil cools in early fall, since cold soil damages the roots. Freshly dug sweet potatoes are starchy and bland. Curing them somewhere warm and humid (around 80 to 85°F) for one to two weeks heals skin wounds and turns starch to sugar. Store them at about 55 to 60°F. The fridge gives them a hard core and an off taste.

Common questions

When is the last frost in Bend and Redmond, OR?

Typically June 9. In 9 years out of 10, frost is over by June 26. These are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for Redmond Roberts Field.

Is it too late to plant sweet potatoes in Bend and Redmond?

The spring planting window runs through July 7. Later plantings may not have time to produce before the first fall frost, which usually arrives around September 14.

How long until I can harvest sweet potatoes?

About 100 days after planting. Dig before soil temperatures drop below about 55°F in early fall, and before frost. Cure the roots somewhere warm and humid for a week or two, then store them at room temperature, never in the fridge.

Can I grow sweet potatoes in Portland or Seattle?

Yes, in a warm summer with the right variety. Use a short-season type like Georgia Jet, black plastic mulch and your sunniest spot, and expect a smaller crop than east of the Cascades.

Can I plant a sweet potato from the store?

Not directly. Sprout it in water or damp soil to grow slips, then plant the rooted slips. Store roots are sometimes treated to stop sprouting, so organic ones work best.

Why are my sweet potatoes not sweet?

They need curing. Keep them warm and humid for a week or two, then wait a few more weeks in storage; the flavor keeps improving.

Also plant in Bend and Redmond around the same time

Planting dates for sweet potatoes in nearby areas

Klamath Falls, OR Jun 16 – Jul 7
Burns, OR Jun 18 – Jul 9
Prineville, OR Jun 8–29
Madras, OR Jun 5–26
Lakeview, OR Jun 11 – Jul 2
Baker City, OR Jun 5–26

Full planting calendar for Bend and Redmond · Sweet potatoes in every city