Blackie

Family: Convolvulaceae Root Vegetable

Sink your senses into Blackie’s velvety, near-black foliage—an ornamental sweet potato that turns the garden into a living tapestry.

At maturity, its tubers develop a dramatic, dark skin with a rich, earthy presence, while the vines spill and trail with a lush, glossy texture that looks spectacular in containers or as a groundcover. Grow Blackie for its show-stopping color and sculptural vine form—an eye-catching centerpiece that brings instant drama to beds and borders.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 90 DaysHabit: Vine

Planting schedules and alerts are optimized for Columbus (Zone 6b).

Crop Dates

Milestone	Date
Start Indoors	Direct Sow
Last Frost	Apr 25th
Transplant / Sow Outdoors	Apr 25th
Harvest Begins	Jul 24th
Harvest Ends	Oct 16th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	90
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Vine
Support Needed	Trellis
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	80
Min Soil Temp (°F)	65
Min Night Temp (°F)	55
Harden Off (days)	7

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

This is marketed as an ornamental sweet potato (“Blackie”), and the profile you provided emphasizes foliage and tuber appearance over flavor. Only eat the tubers if you can confirm they’re from a food-cultivar and have been properly identified as safe/culinary-grade—otherwise treat it as decorative, not dinner.

Flavor Profile

No reliable culinary flavor data for this specific ornamental variety Edible status conflicts with ornamental positioning—tubers should only be used if confirmed as food-grade

Frequently Asked Questions

Blackie plants—how do I manage early blight if leaves start getting brown spots?

Check Blackie (a tomato-type crop) leaves weekly for early blight: small dark brown spots that expand into concentric rings, starting on lower leaves. Remove and discard the affected leaves immediately, increase airflow (thin foliage if needed), and water at the soil line to keep foliage dry. Spray a labeled fungicide for early blight and restart the schedule if new spots appear (especially during humid stretches).

During Blackie’s main growing phase, how often should I water and what soil moisture target should I keep?

From transplanting through fruit set, water deeply about 1–2 times per week, aiming for consistently moist (not soggy) soil at 2–4 inches down. When temperatures are high, you may need water more often—only increase frequency if the top inch dries out while the deeper soil still feels slightly moist. Avoid frequent light watering that keeps the root zone shallow and encourages blossom-end rot and stress.

How can I tell when Blackie is ready to harvest?

Harvest when Blackie fruits reach full color (deep, mature color for the variety) and feel slightly firm but not hard. If you gently twist, ripe fruits should detach easily without tearing the stem. For best flavor, pick in the morning and leave fruit on the plant until it’s fully colored rather than harvesting early.