It’s a Pity You Don’t Know This Method of Growing Sweet Potatoes in Pallets: How to Harvest Very Many Tubers

Sweet potatoes are often underestimated in home gardening. Most people plant them in raised beds, directly in the soil, or in containers. But there’s a little-known method that is revolutionizing how gardeners grow this nutrient-packed crop: using wooden pallets as vertical or horizontal growing systems. Not only does this technique save space, but it also produces an abundance of tubers with minimal effort.

Let’s dive deep into this clever method, why it works so well, and how you can try it in your own garden.

Why Sweet Potatoes Are Special

Before getting into pallets, it’s important to understand why sweet potatoes are so rewarding to grow:

• Nutritional powerhouse: Packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
• Versatile crop: Used in savory dishes, desserts, fries, and smoothies.
• Resilient: They thrive in warm climates, tolerate poor soil, and resist many pests.
• Storage champion: When cured properly, sweet potatoes can last up to 6–8 months.

In short, one crop can feed your family for months.

We The Pallet Method Explained

Instead of planting sweet potatoes in the ground, you use wooden pallets (the kind used for shipping). Pallets create a structured growing system where vines climb upward, and the tubers expand in loose soil inside the pallet frame.

There are two main styles:

1. Vertical Pallet Growing

• A pallet is stood upright, lined with landscape fabric, and filled with soil.
• Sweet potato slips are planted in pockets cut into the fabric.
• Vines cascade downward or climb upward while tubers form inside.

1. Horizontal Pallet Box

• A pallet is laid flat and used as a frame.
• The pallet is filled with loose, sandy soil or compost.
• Sweet potatoes grow under the slats, and the open bottom allows for deep root expansion.

Both methods encourage aeration, drainage, and root spread, which leads to higher yields.

Step-by-Step: How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in Pallets

Materials You’ll Need

• 1–2 wooden pallets (untreated wood only, marked HT for heat-treated)
• Landscape fabric or burlap
• Rich, loose soil mixed with compost and sand
• Sweet potato slips (young rooted cuttings)
• Mulch (straw, leaves, or wood chips)
• Watering can or drip irrigation

Instructions

1. Preparing the Pallet

• Choose a strong pallet with wide gaps.
• If using vertically, stand it upright and secure it with stakes or a wall.
• If using horizontally, lay it flat on the ground or on bricks for airflow.

2. Lining the Pallet

• Staple landscape fabric or burlap along the inside to hold soil.
• Leave small planting holes for slips if vertical.

3. Filling with Soil

• Use a mix of 50% compost, 30% sandy soil, 20% garden soil.
• Sweet potatoes love loose, well-draining soil.

4. Planting Slips

• Insert slips into holes (for vertical pallets) or plant directly in soil (for horizontal).
• Space slips about 8–12 inches apart.
• Water thoroughly after planting.

5. Caring for Your Crop

• Watering: Keep soil moist but not soggy.
• Sunlight: Place in full sun (6–8 hours daily).
• Mulching: Add mulch on top to retain moisture.
• Training vines: Guide them up trellises or let them trail.

6. Harvesting

• Sweet potatoes are ready in 90–120 days.
• When leaves begin to yellow, carefully dismantle the pallet or dig under it.
• You’ll find tubers clustered in the soil pockets!

History of Pallet Gardening

Pallet gardening originated as a solution for urban growers who had limited ground space. Over time, innovative gardeners realized that crops like strawberries, lettuce, and herbs thrived in vertical pallets. When applied to root crops like sweet potatoes, the results were surprisingly abundant.

This method spread through homesteading communities, urban gardens, and eco-farming projects, making food production more accessible worldwide.

Benefits of Growing Sweet Potatoes in Pallets

• Space-saving: Perfect for small gardens, patios, or balconies.
• Higher yield: Loose pallet soil reduces tuber deformities and increases growth.
• Pest control: Raised structure discourages ground pests.
• Easy harvesting: No heavy digging required—just dismantle the pallet.
• Eco-friendly: Reuses old pallets that might otherwise go to waste.

Formation of Tubers in Pallets

Sweet potato vines produce adventitious roots at every node. In pallets, these roots penetrate loose soil pockets, expanding into large tubers. Because the soil isn’t compacted, the roots spread freely, resulting in more and bigger sweet potatoes compared to traditional planting.

Who Will Love This Method?

• Urban gardeners with no access to large land.
• Homesteaders aiming for maximum yield in small plots.
• Eco-friendly gardeners who love recycling materials.
• Families who want fresh, organic food grown right at home.

Nutritional Value of Sweet Potatoes (per 100g)

• Calories: 86
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 1.6g
• Vitamin A: 283% DV
• Vitamin C: 4% DV
• Potassium: 337mg

A single harvest from one pallet can provide months of nutrient-rich meals.

Conclusion

Growing sweet potatoes in pallets is one of the smartest gardening hacks you’ll ever discover. It’s simple, sustainable, and incredibly productive. Instead of battling compact soil or worrying about space, you let the pallet structure do the hard work.

It’s truly a pity if you haven’t tried this method—because with just a few pallets, you can enjoy very many tubers, enough to feed your household and still have extras to share.