Have you ever spotted those classic orange-fleshed sweet potatoes at your local market and wondered how to grow them at home? You’re in the right place!
If you’re a fan of nutrient-rich comfort food, Beauregard Sweet Potatoes are probably already on your radar. These bright orange tubers are among the most popular sweet potatoes in the U.S., loved for their high yields, delicious flavor, and versatility in cooking. From garden to table, they’re a rewarding crop that offers both beauty in the soil and endless options in the kitchen.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know to successfully plant, grow, and enjoy Beauregard sweet potato plants.
What Are Beauregard Sweet Potatoes?
If you’ve ever picked up a sweet potato at the grocery store, chances are it was a Beauregard. Developed at Louisiana State University in 1987, this variety quickly became the most widely grown sweet potato in the United States—and for good reason.
With their copper-colored skin and moist, bright orange flesh, Beauregards are as beautiful as they are delicious. They’re loved not just for their naturally sweet flavor but also for their consistency, high yields, and adaptability to different growing conditions. Whether you’re a commercial farmer or a backyard gardener, Beauregards are a reliable choice that delivers big harvests with minimal fuss.
Nutritionally, they’re a powerhouse—packed with beta-carotene, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, making them a staple for both health-conscious eaters and comfort-food lovers. From baked sweet potatoes to pies, fries, or casseroles, they shine in both savory and sweet recipes.
Unlike Irish potatoes, which are grown from seed tubers, Beauregard sweet potato plants start from slips, vine cuttings that develop roots and sprout into new plants. Once planted, these slips grow into vigorous vines above ground while forming clusters of plump, sweet tubers below.
Why gardeners love them: Beauregards mature quickly (about 90–110 days), adapt well to different soil types, and store beautifully for months when cured properly. That means you’ll enjoy their flavor long after the growing season is over.
Key Features:
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Scientific Name: Ipomoea batatas ‘Beauregard’
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Mature Size: Vines can trail 8–10 feet; tubers vary from medium to large
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Cold Tolerance: Best in USDA Zones 9–11; thrives in warm, frost-free climates
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Ideal Planting Time: Late spring, once soil warms above 65°F (18°C)
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Days to Maturity: 90–110 days for harvest-ready tubers
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Flavor & Texture: Moist, tender, and sweet—perfect for baking, roasting, or mashing
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Growth Habit: Fast-growing, trailing vines with lush foliage
Planting Beauregard Sweet Potato Slips
Choosing the Right Location
Beauregard sweet potatoes are sun worshippers! To give them the best chance, choose a location that receives 6–8 hours of direct sunlight each day. The more sunshine, the sweeter and bigger your harvest will be.
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In cooler climates, consider planting in raised beds to warm the soil faster.
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Another trick: use black plastic mulch to trap heat and encourage quicker root development.
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Make sure your spot also has good air circulation to reduce pest and disease pressure.
Soil Preparation
Beauregards thrive in loamy, well-draining soil with a pH between 5.8–6.2. Avoid clay-heavy soil to prevent root deformities. Mix in compost for nutrients and sand for aeration.
Planting in the Ground
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Place slips 12 inches apart in rows that are 3 feet apart to give vines room to sprawl.
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Plant slips deep enough to bury the roots and lower stem, leaving leaves above the soil.
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Gently press soil around the slip to stabilize it.
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A thorough soak right after planting helps reduce transplant shock and encourages roots to establish quickly.
Growing in Containers
No big backyard? No problem! Beauregard sweet potatoes do beautifully in containers.
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Choose a 10–15 gallon container at least 12 inches deep, with plenty of drainage holes.
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Fill it with a nutrient-rich, well-draining potting mix blended with compost or aged manure.
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Plant slips just like you would in the ground—bury the roots and lower stem, keeping the leaves above the surface.
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Place the container in the sunniest, warmest spot you have, such as a south-facing patio or balcony.
Container tip: Because pots dry out faster than garden beds, check moisture levels regularly. Keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy.
You may like:
- Okinawa Sweet Potato Slips: The Ultimate Guide to Growing, Caring & Harvesting
- From Slip to Harvest: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Sweet Potatoes at Home
Caring for Beauregard Sweet Potato Plants
Watering
Beauregard sweet potatoes are heat-loving plants, but they thrive best when their roots receive consistent, deep watering. Aim to soak the soil once a week, allowing moisture to penetrate down to the developing tubers. Between waterings, let the soil dry slightly—this balance keeps roots healthy while preventing rot.
Gardener’s tip: During especially hot or dry weeks, increase watering to twice a week. Mulching with straw or shredded leaves helps the soil retain moisture and reduces weeds, giving your sweet potatoes a stress-free environment to grow.
Fertilizing
Feeding your Beauregards is like giving them a little extra energy to power tuber growth. A balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) applied every 3–4 weeks works wonders. However, be cautious with nitrogen-rich fertilizers. Too much nitrogen = vigorous vines but tiny or underdeveloped tubers.
Potassium is your best friend here, it encourages strong root and tuber development. Consider adding wood ash, kelp meal, or a potassium-focused organic blend to give your crop that extra push.
Pruning & Training Vines
Beauregard vines are energetic growers and can quickly spread across your garden. Light pruning helps keep them manageable while redirecting energy underground to tubers. Snip back excessive runners if they start invading neighboring beds.
But don’t go overboard; leaves are essential for photosynthesis, which fuels tuber growth. If you’re gardening in a smaller space, you can train vines along trellises, fences, or even let them spill beautifully from raised beds or containers.
Bonus idea: Try pinching off vine tips occasionally to encourage bushier growth. This can make your plants more compact and easier to manage.
Seasonal & Winter Care
Beauregards love warmth and sunshine, so gardeners in cooler climates need to plan ahead.
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In-ground plants: Apply a thick layer of mulch (straw, dried leaves, or pine needles) in late summer to help insulate roots as temperatures drop.
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Container plants: If frost threatens, move containers indoors or into a greenhouse. Sweet potatoes dislike temperatures below 50°F (10°C).
In cold regions, many gardeners grow Beauregards as annuals, harvesting all tubers before frost. But you can also save a few tubers indoors to sprout slips for next year’s planting.
Propagating Your Own Beauregard Sweet Potato Slips
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Choose a healthy tuber. Pick an organic Beauregard sweet potato—store-bought ones are often treated to prevent sprouting.
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Prepare the potato. Insert toothpicks around the middle and suspend it half-submerged in a jar of water, pointed end down.
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Provide warmth & light. Place the jar in a sunny, warm location (ideal: 70–80°F) such as a kitchen windowsill.
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Wait for sprouts. In about 2–3 weeks, you’ll notice leafy green shoots (slips) emerging from the potato.
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Harvest the slips. When slips are 5–6 inches long, gently twist them off or cut near the base. Don’t worry—more slips will continue to form.
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Root the slips. Place each slip in a glass of fresh water, submerging the lower half. Within days, white roots will appear.
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Plant your slips. Once roots are 1–2 inches long, transplant them into a garden bed or container filled with loamy, well-draining soil. Keep the lower stem and roots buried, but ensure the leaves remain above the surface.
Harvesting and Storing Beauregard Sweet Potatoes
When to Harvest
Beauregards usually take 90–110 days after planting to reach maturity. A good sign that your sweet potatoes are ready is when the vines start yellowing and naturally dying back.
Quick check: Carefully dig around one plant with your hand or a small trowel and feel for tuber size. If they’re large enough, it’s harvest time! Don’t wait too long, though—leaving them in cold, wet soil can lead to rot.
How to Harvest
Harvesting sweet potatoes requires a gentle touch:
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Loosen the soil with a garden fork or spade, working a good distance from the plant base to avoid slicing into tubers.
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Lift gently by hand, brushing away excess soil. Beauregards bruise easily, and cuts shorten storage life.
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Handle with care. Avoid tossing them into a bucket or dropping them onto hard ground—the skins are delicate when freshly dug.
Choose a dry day to harvest. Wet conditions make tubers more vulnerable to damage and disease.
Curing for Longer Storage
Freshly dug Beauregards are tasty, but they need a little post-harvest TLC to reach peak flavor and storage potential. Curing is the process that toughens their skin, heals small scratches, and allows natural sugars to develop.
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Place tubers in a warm, humid spot (80–85°F with 85–90% humidity) for about 7–10 days.
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An indoor greenhouse, warm pantry, or even a closet with a space heater and humidifier can do the trick.
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After curing, move them to a cool, dark, and well-ventilated location (55–60°F).
Properly cured and stored Beauregard sweet potatoes can last up to 6 months, giving you homegrown goodness well into the next gardening season.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
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Misshapen tubers – Soil is too compact. Fix: Add sand or compost to loosen the soil. Raised beds work wonders for straighter, uniform tubers.
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Excessive vines, few tubers – Too much nitrogen in your fertilizer. Fix: Cut back on nitrogen and boost with potassium-rich amendments like wood ash or kelp meal.
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Rotting roots – Caused by poor drainage or overwatering. Fix: Improve aeration by amending with organic matter and water only when necessary.
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Pests (weevils, aphids) – Sweet potato weevils can tunnel into roots, while aphids suck sap from leaves. Fix: Use crop rotation, neem oil sprays, row covers, or beneficial insects like ladybugs to keep pests in check.
Beauregard Sweet Potato Recipes You’ll Love
Once harvested, the fun part begins – cooking! Here are some delicious Beauregard sweet potato recipe ideas:
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Classic Baked Beauregard Sweet Potatoes – Roast whole for a caramelized, naturally sweet flavor.
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Mashed Beauregard Sweet Potatoes – Creamy and buttery, perfect as a side dish.
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Sweet Potato Fries – Crispy, golden, and slightly sweet, a healthier alternative to regular fries.
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Sweet Potato Pie – A Southern favorite that highlights the rich, moist texture of Beauregards.
Final Thoughts
Growing Beauregard sweet potatoes is a rewarding journey—from planting hardy slips to harvesting delicious, versatile tubers. Whether you’re filling your garden beds or trying container gardening, these plants are forgiving, productive, and deeply satisfying.
And when it’s time to cook, you’ll find that Beauregard sweet potato recipes bring warmth and comfort to any meal. So, are you ready to plant your first crop? Happy gardening! 🌱
References
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Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. “Beauregard Sweet Potatoes.”
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National Gardening Association. “Growing Sweet Potatoes in Home Gardens.”
