Growing Sweet Potato Bulbs

Find a glass container with a mouth that is about a half-inch bigger than the sweet potato.

Insert four toothpicks into the middle of the sweet potato. Space each toothpick an equal distance apart. Place the pointed end of the sweet potato into the jar first. The toothpicks will hold the sweet potato up so it does not rest on the bottom.

Pour water into the jar until the bottom section of the sweet potato is submerged under the water.

Find a sunny window to grow your sweet potato. In less than seven days, roots will form and grow in the water. Change the water at least once a week if it starts to smell or become green. Add water to keep the bottom section under water. It takes two or three weeks before the top part of the sweet potato will have stems and leaves emerging.

Grow the plant in the water container for one or two months.

Transplant the sweet potato into a 6-inch pot.

Cover the pot's drainage holes with rocks or pieces of shard.

Fill the pot with 1 1/2 to 2 inches of potting soil -- there should be that much room between the bottom of the pot and the roots. Be careful when transplanting the sweet potato because the roots and stem are easily damaged or broken.

Remove the sweet potato from the jar and remove the toothpicks. Insert the rooted section into the center of the pot. Fill in with soil around the sweet potato and firm in the soil with your fingers. Place the pot in a sunny window.

Water the soil well and keep it moist but not soggy, or the bulb will rot.

Fertilize once a month with fertilizer that is 20-20-20. Mix and apply according to label directions.

Prune the potato vine back 2 to 4 inches throughout the growing season to keep it bushy.