How to Grow Ornamental Sweet Potato Vines in Containers

Select a planting container large enough to accommodate the tubers of the ornamental sweet potato vine. Choose a half-barrel container or another broad planter with a volume greater than 5 gallons.

Place the container in a sunny spot that gets light to moderate shade during the hottest part of the day. Avoid areas with baking hot, direct sunlight since the leaves will wilt from the heat of the day and may not recover.

Fill the container with a mixture of 4 parts potting soil, 1 part coarse sand and 1 part milled peat moss or acidic compost. Leave 2 inches of space between the soil surface and the top of the container.

Moisten the soil before planting the ornamental sweet potato vine. Run water over the surface until the top 4 inches feel moderately wet. Let the excess moisture drain away for 10 to 15 minutes before planting the vine.

Plant the ornamental sweet potato vine in the center of the container if it is going to be the only plant in the container, or plant it toward the front edge if planting others with it. Leave at least two inches of space between the plant and the edge of the container.

Maintain soil moisture at a depth of 3 inches for the first week after planting the ornamental sweet potato vine. Decrease water so that the soil dries to a depth of 2 inches between each watering.

Feed ornamental sweet potato vines twice during the growing season. Apply 5-10-10 ratio fertilizer to the plant in spring and midsummer. Follow the label directions precisely when applying the fertilizer.

Prune the ornamental sweet potato vine as needed during the growing season to control its size. Trim off up to half the length of the vines using pruning shears. Discard the vines or use them to propagate new plants.

Cut back the ornamental sweet potato vine to ground level in autumn before the first frost. Remove the tubers for winter storage, or leave them in the soil at temperatures above 55 degrees Fahrenheit until spring.