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Local exploratory-trial guide · Köln-Auweiler · North Rhine-Westphalia

Growing sweet potatoes in Köln-Auweiler · North Rhine-Westphalia

A sweet potato exploratory field test at Köln-Auweiler was planted on 10 June and harvested on 6 October after 118 days. The trial produced marketable roots, but its non-replicated design limits wider conclusions.

North Rhine-Westphalia · Köln-Auweiler trial site

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

Sweet potato field rows prepared for planting

Regional crop context

Sweet potatoes in Köln-Auweiler · North Rhine-Westphalia

The 2016 NRW report documents a successful local exploratory test for two cultivars. It records large within-row yield variation and explicitly states that the test was not randomized or replicated.

This is one trial site and one season, not a regional production census or a full-state planting recommendation.

Step 1 of 7 · Assess

Check the field and production system before ordering slips

Use the 2016 test as evidence of local potential, then verify variety maturity, slip availability, market demand, field drainage and harvest timing for the farm.

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

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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 Köln-Auweiler · North Rhine-Westphalia

The local trial date was 10 June. The month strip marks June as the tested planting month and shows the 1996–2025 climate context at Köln-Auweiler.

Exploratory trial planting

10 June · 2016 trial date

The Köln-Auweiler test planted on 10 June and harvested on 6 October; the report describes the trial as exploratory.

Historical regional climate

Monthly soil and air temperature context

1996-01-01 to 2025-12-31

Green tiles are months whose mean soil temperature is in the 77–86°F root-development range; all other tiles are neutral and show the value. Early, main and late badges mark the 10th, median and 90th-percentile dates for reaching 18.3°C for 4 consecutive days. Bar height shows the mean.

Early soil-warming date

May 14

10th percentile

Median soil-warming date

June 10

median year

Late soil-warming date

June 28

90th percentile

  • Early · 10th percentile
  • Main · median
  • Late · 90th percentile
  • 77–86°F root range
  • Cooler or warmer than the root range

June: regional monthly means

Modeled soil temperature
17.9°C · 0–7 cm model layer
Mean air temperature
17.3°C

Months whose historical mean soil temperature reaches the 65°F reference: July, August. Months in the 77–86°F root-development range: none in the available record. These are monthly regional averages, not planting dates or a frost check.

Open-Meteo · era5_land · 1996-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · Reference point 50.99°N, 6.86°E. Soil-temperature values are modeled at 0–7 cm model layer; the 65°F (18.3°C) transplant reference comes from a 4-inch field measurement. Use the regional calendar above with a current field reading.

Set the field date from a real soil reading

Sweet potato slips establish best after frost risk has passed and the soil is at least 65°F (18.3°C) at 4 inches. That is a field measurement; the climate strip above shows regional history.

Match the date to variety maturity

Use the regional crop duration and expected fall cutoff to choose a variety and harvest date. Confirm market grade, digging capacity and curing space before planting.

Step 3 of 7 · Prepare

Build an aerated bed and keep the crop sequence clean

Prepare a loose, well-drained root zone and plan the bed around the field’s soil texture, irrigation and digging equipment. The local trial date is a reference point, not a guarantee of the same result elsewhere.

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 (European field-trial reference)
Within row
20–30 cm (European field-trial reference)
Transplant depth
3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm), with at least three nodes covered

Use the 80–100 × 20–30 cm European field-trial envelope as a crop-level starting range; set final spacing to the planter and root grade.

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

The 2016 exploratory test harvested on 6 October after 118 days. Select a cultivar and field date that fit the planned harvest period.

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

6 October in the 2016 test · 118 days after planting

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 Köln-Auweiler · North Rhine-Westphalia guide

View references (5)
  1. 1. North Rhine-Westphalia organic horticulture trials — Versuche zum ökologischen Gartenbau in NRW 20162016 trial report

    Köln-Auweiler planting on 10 June, harvest on 6 October, commercial root results and the study’s exploratory non-replicated design.

  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.

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