South Queen

Family: Convolvulaceae Root Vegetable

Sink your spoon into South Queen’s richly sweet, honeyed orange flesh—silky and velvety, with a tender bite that feels almost custard-soft.

This 90-day orange sweet potato forms smooth, well-shaped roots that roast to a caramel-kissed depth, while their naturally sweet character shines in mashes, pies, and savory-sweet sauces. Grow South Queen for a dependable harvest of vibrant color and irresistibly comforting flavor from garden to table.

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	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	80
Min Soil Temp (°F)	65
Min Night Temp (°F)	55
Harden Off (days)	Not Required

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

South Queen’s orange flesh turns velvety and custard-soft, so it behaves like a puree ingredient—great for roasting into caramel edges, then crushing without going stringy. Its honeyed sweetness plays beautifully with butter, smoke, and acid (lime), which keeps every spoonful from tipping cloying.

Best Uses

roast and then smash for spoonable, caramel edges
mash with butter and a splash of cream for a custardy finish
sweet potato pie-style puree with warm spices
savory-sweet glaze for roasted meats or sheet-pan vegetables

Flavor Profile

honeyed sweetness silky, velvety texture caramel-kissed roast flavor tender, custard-soft bite

Kitchen Pairings

brown sugar butter cinnamon pecan lime smoked pork or bacon

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease is most likely on Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato) “South Queen,” and how can I manage it?

Watch for sweet potato weevil (bore/entry holes in roots) and foliar diseases like sweet potato leaf blight under warm, humid conditions. To reduce weevil damage, plant clean, disease-free slips and avoid replanting in the same spot; harvest promptly and cure roots after harvest to harden skins. For leaf blight, improve airflow by spacing plants properly and remove badly spotted leaves; if conditions stay humid, consider an appropriate garden fungicide label for sweet potatoes and apply early when spotting begins.

How often should I water Ipomoea batatas during the main growing phase (after slips establish)?

During active growth, keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged—aim for watering whenever the top 1–2 inches of soil dry out. In general, this often means deep watering about 1–2 times per week in warm weather, more if you have sandy soil and less if it’s regularly rainy. Reduce watering in the final 2–3 weeks before harvest to help prevent watery, poorly cured roots.

How can I tell when South Queen sweet potatoes are ready to harvest?

Harvest at about 90 days from planting (sweet potatoes are ready when the vines start to yellow and the roots fill out). For best flavor and skin quality, dig after a light cool period but before hard frost, since freezing damages roots. When you lift a plant gently with a fork, the tubers should be firm and well-sized with skins that don’t rub off easily.