What's eating my purple sweet potato?

Purple sweet potato vines are targeted by sweet potato weevil above all else — its larvae tunnel tubers and make them inedible. Hornworms and tortoise beetles shred foliage; wireworms damage storage roots underground. Deer and groundhogs browse the lush vines in summer. Weevil exclusion through certified slips and row covers at establishment is critical.

Adults notch leaf margins; larvae bore into vines and tubers leaving dark, bitter-tasting tunnels; infested roots rot Use only certified weevil-free slips; rotate out of the bed for 3+ years; destroy crop residues immediately after harvest; no effective chemical control in organic plots

Large caterpillars consume entire leaves and young stems, leaving bare vines within days Hand-pick caterpillars (check undersides of leaves); apply Bt kurstaki spray; parasitic wasps (Trichogramma) for biocontrol

Transparent windows in leaves where larvae skeletonise tissue; adults chew irregular holes throughout foliage Hand-pick adults and larvae; neem oil spray; floating row covers during establishment phase

Tunnels in storage roots discovered at harvest; entry points allow storage rots to take hold Avoid planting in former grass; use bait traps; apply beneficial nematodes in late summer before harvest