AgriAuditor

Regional production overview · France

Growing sweet potatoes in France

Sweet potato growing conditions vary across France. The linked mainland guides use named farms in Gironde and Tarn-et-Garonne, where growers publish their own planting periods, rather than one national climate point.

Named mainland grower locations

Growing for a home garden? See the general sweet potato guide.

Sweet potato field rows prepared for planting

Regional crop context

Sweet potatoes in France

The French Ministry of Agriculture reports increasing mainland production in Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, alongside separate tropical production in overseas territories.

The local pages below use named mainland grower locations. Their published farm calendars describe those operations, not every French field; tropical overseas territories use a different climate.

Step 1 of 7 · Assess

Check the field and production system before ordering slips

Coordinate clean slip supply, field preparation, planting water, setter capacity, weed control and digging space before committing acreage.

6 topics still to verify· planning aid only, not a suitability score

Local crop-planning checks

Walk low spots after rain. Confirm the bedder can make stable rows and that water can leave the field.

Not reviewed

Check previous sweet potato, grass or pasture history, nematode results, wireworm pressure and known disease patches.

Not reviewed

Confirm variety, slip quantity, delivery date, setter capacity, water at planting and a plan for keeping slips shaded before setting.

Not reviewed

Match variety and expected root size to the buyer’s fresh-market or processing specification, delivery timing and grading equipment.

Not reviewed

Confirm curing-room volume, airflow, pallet-bin handling and storage space before planting the acreage.

Not reviewed

Map the crop sequence and equipment-cleaning route so infested soil and plant material do not move between fields.

Not reviewed

Selections stay in this browser tab and are not saved or sent anywhere.

Need a field-specific review? Run a coordinate-level farm audit for localized conditions.

Read the field history before selecting slips

Root-knot nematodes, wireworms and other soilborne pests affect marketable roots. Soil sampling, clean planting material, crop rotation and equipment sanitation are the first decisions; chemical treatment depends on current field results and product labels.

Step 2 of 7 · Plan

Choose a transplant window in France

Choose a named mainland growing location. Each page pairs its local planting reference with 1996–2025 climate data for that location.

Bourideys · Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

A south-Gironde sweet-potato grower describes open-field production and publishes a May planting period.

Planting reference: May · grower practice

View local climate and growing guide

Saint-Sardos · Tarn-et-Garonne, Occitanie

A local farm identifies its sweet-potato crop and publishes April–May planting with autumn harvest.

Planting reference: April–May · farm practice

View local climate and growing guide

Step 3 of 7 · Prepare

Build an aerated bed and keep the crop sequence clean

Sweet potatoes develop best in a loose, well-drained root zone. Shape beds to the field soil and drainage pattern, and keep saturated ground out of the planting plan.

The bed does several jobs

  • Improves aeration and drainage around developing roots.
  • Warms the crop zone for a warm-season transplant.
  • Gives the setter and digger a consistent row to follow.

Keep bed height and shape consistent with soil texture, water movement and the equipment used on the farm.

Cross-section of a crowned sweet potato bed with arrows showing surface runoff moving down the shoulders.
A crowned, loose bed gives developing roots an aerated zone and can shed surface water down its shoulders. Shape the row for field soil, drainage and equipment; schematic, not to scale.

Set fertility from the field test

Base pH and fertilizer rates on representative soil tests. Avoid excess nitrogen, which can favor vine growth over marketable storage-root sizing.

Step 4 of 7 · Establish

Plant slips, not seed, and calculate the stand

Sweet potatoes are established from vegetative vine cuttings called slips. Buy clean, healthy slips in the target variety and quantity, and keep them shaded and moist until planting.

Sweet potato slip set diagonally with its shoot and leaves above the soil, at least three buried nodes, new roots and a 3–4 inch depth mark.
Set the slip so at least three nodes sit below the soil while the growing tip and leaves remain above. The 3–4 inch (7.6–10.2 cm) depth is a practical guide; node position is the key. Leaf shape varies by cultivar. Water after transplanting.

Regional starting pattern

Between rows
80–100 cm (field reference)
Within row
20–30 cm (field reference)
Transplant depth
3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm), with at least three nodes covered

The calculator uses the published European field-trial envelope of 80–100 cm between rows and 20–30 cm between plants as a crop-level starting pattern.

Planting calculator

Estimate slips for your field

Spacing-based count

Estimated slips

44,444

at 90 × 25 cm

Estimate = field area ÷ row-by-slip spacing. Keep values within the published bounds, then match the starting pattern to equipment and target root grade. Headlands and replant allowance are not included.

Step 5 of 7 · Manage

Protect the establishment period and the root grade

The first weeks determine how evenly slips establish and how the crop competes. Protect the crop from early weed competition and scout for wireworms, flea beetles and root-knot nematodes. Use field history, clean planting material and equipment sanitation to reduce avoidable risk.

Get water onto the slip at planting

Water immediately after setting and maintain enough moisture for root establishment. Track rainfall and soil moisture; avoid keeping beds saturated.

Keep the field clean while the crop closes rows

Scout early and maintain a weed-free start through canopy closure. Choose current control methods for the farm’s production system.

Scout below the canopy as well

Wireworms, flea beetles and root-knot nematodes can downgrade roots. Keep field history and scouting records tied to each harvest lot.

Keep tools and planting stock clean

Use certified or otherwise clean slips, avoid carrying soil on slips, and clean equipment after infested fields to limit movement of nematodes and soilborne disease.

Step 6 of 7 · Harvest

Dig at the planned size, cure quickly and protect the skin

Use the local warm-season length and variety cycle to plan digging before cold soil. Protect the skin during harvest and cure promptly.

A tractor lifting sweet potatoes during field harvest
At harvest, protect the skin and move roots promptly to curing; equipment and handling systems vary by region.

Harvest period

Plan around the local frost-free season and the selected variety’s crop cycle.

Plan by variety, market size, planting date, field condition and frost risk.

Cure

80–85°F · 85–90% RH

A crop-level curing reference is 7–10 days with airflow; use the facility and buyer protocol for the harvested lot.

Store

55–60°F · about 85% RH

Maintain stable temperature, humidity and ventilation after curing.

Step 7 of 7 · Reference

Evidence behind the France guide

View references (5)
  1. 1. French Ministry of Agriculture — La patate douce, la plus tropicale des pommes de terrePublished 18 September 2025

    French production areas, including mainland Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and PACA, and overseas territories.

  2. 2. Szarvas et al. — The effect of plant density on the yield of sweet potatoPublished 23 May 2019; three field seasons in southeast Hungary

    European field trial comparing 80 × 20, 80 × 30, 100 × 20 and 100 × 30 cm row-by-plant spacing. Used as a crop-level spacing reference, not a local calendar.

  3. 3. Washington State University Extension — Sweetpotato Production PracticesPublished January 2026

    Crop-level soil-temperature context, bed preparation, equipment-led row spacing and the relationship between plant density and root size.

  4. 4. University of Missouri Extension — Growing Sweet PotatoesReviewed March 2026; originally published September 2017

    Crop-level transplant establishment, slips, frost sensitivity and raised-bed practice. Missouri calendar dates are not applied to other regions.

  5. 5. Texas A&M AgriLife — Sweet Potato commercial crop profileOlder technical profile; undated PDF

    Shared crop-level reference for curing and storage conditions. Its Texas planting calendar is used only on the Texas page.

Photo authorship and licence information are recorded centrally. View photo credits.

Explore other regional guides (25)