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Annual Biennial

Ipomoea batatas Solar Power Black ('Balsolablack')

sweet potato [Solar Power Black]

Twining climber usually grown as an annual foliage plant to 30cm tall, with a compact, mounded and trailing habit, densely branched with tapering, 5-lobed, dark-purple leaves

Synonyms

Ipomoea batatas 'Balsolablack'

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Loam

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Drought resistance

Yes

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1C

Botanical details

Family: Convolvulaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Trailing, Bushy
Genus: Ipomoea can be annuals or perennials, often twining, or evergreen shrubs, with simple, lobed or dissected leaves and tubular or funnel-shaped flowers which may be solitary or borne in racemes or panicles
Name status: Trade

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow outdoors in the summer months in well-drained soil in full sun with shelter; overwinter or grow in containers under glass in peat-free, John Innes No.2 compost in full light with shade from hot sun, watering freely in growth and use a general fertiliser monthly; water sparingly in winter

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in spring or summer, or by semi-ripe cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
hanging basket
Patio and container plants
Bedding
Conservatory and greenhouse
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pinch out tips to keep the plant bushy and compact

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite if grown in a conservatory or greenhouse

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus and powdery mildews

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