Pruning guide
How to prune sweet potato
Best time
Midsummer if vines are spreading excessively
How often
As needed, once or twice during the growing season
Technique
Snip rooting secondary runners cleanly back to the main plant crown. For ornamental varieties, cut stems back by up to half to maintain a compact mound.
More sweet potato care
Pruning sweet potato — FAQ
When should I prune sweet potato?
Midsummer if vines are spreading excessively. Snip rooting secondary runners cleanly back to the main plant crown. For ornamental varieties, cut stems back by up to half to maintain a compact mound.
How often does sweet potato need pruning?
As needed, once or twice during the growing season. Sweet potato vines grown for tubers need very little pruning. Trim back any excessively long vines that are rooting at nodes away from the main plant — those rooted nodes compete for energy that should go to the primary tubers. Ornamental sweet potato vines can be cut back hard at any point to control size.
How do you prune sweet potato?
Snip rooting secondary runners cleanly back to the main plant crown. For ornamental varieties, cut stems back by up to half to maintain a compact mound.