How to Grow Korean Yams

Select and prepare a bed suited to growing Korean yams. Choose a sunny location with southerly exposure and well-draining soil. Run a rotary tiller across the site to break-up the soil at a 10-inch depth. Work a 6-inch-thick layer of compost into the bed with the tiller until the soil is loose and uniform in appearance.

Install a trellis or other structure along the northern edge of the bed. Choose a stout structure with 4-inch-thick supports, which will be strong enough to hold up the heavy weight of the Korean yam vines.

Dig planting holes 3 inches from the base of the trellis using a slender-bladed garden trowel. Make the holes 4 inches deep and 18 inches apart to provide the vines with adequate room to spread. Plant one Korean yam tuber in each planting hole. Cover them well and firm the soil.

Water the Korean yam tubers liberally after planting them. Run a garden hose over the bed for about five minutes to saturate the soil at a depth of 5 inches. Water again only after the top 2 inches of soil have dried out most of the way.

Watch for the emergence of sprouts in one to three weeks. Lean the sprouts against the base of the trellis as soon as they are able to reach. No additional training or tying is necessary since the vines will vigorously scramble up the trellis without help.