Tropical Guest in Khabarovsk: How Local Gardeners Grow Sweet Potatoes in a Cold Climate

Despite being a tropical crop, sweet potatoes (batat) are increasingly being cultivated in the Khabarovsk Territory, where local gardeners have developed effective techniques for sprouting, planting, and harvesting this heat-loving vegetable. According to experienced gardener Lyubov Nepshekueva, the key to success lies in proper sprouting and the use of warm raised beds. For mass sprouting, gardeners use boxes lined with film and filled with a mixture of soil and sand, keeping the tubers moist. Once sprouts appear, they are transplanted into individual cups to produce strong seedlings.

The garden bed itself must be raised and loose, ideally covered with transparent film that retains heat and prevents roots from anchoring too early. Seedlings are planted in May in light, nutrient-rich soil mixed with ash and leaf humus, and watered weekly directly into holes made in the film. Harvesting takes place in late September, and thanks to the film covering, the tubers grow clean, stay close to the surface, and are easy to dig out with a pitchfork. Sweet potatoes rarely suffer from pests and require no additional feeding. For storage, a cool basement won’t work — the optimal temperature ranges from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius.