How to Plant Air Potato Vine Seeds

Air potato, or Dioscorea bulbifera, is a species of perennial vine native to tropical areas of Africa and Asia. The slender, twining vines emerge from a collection of subterranean tubers and will quickly reach 40 feet in height if left unpruned, with each stem lined by a profusion of heavily ribbed, heart-shaped leaves. Most cultivated air potato vines are produced using vegetative methods of propagation such as root division since the seeds have a low rate of viability, but seed-growing will work if the seeds are kept under extremely warm, moist and bright conditions for long enough.

3-inch peat pots
Potting soil
Peat moss
Perlite
Nursery tray with dome lid
Medium-grit horticultural sand
Spray bottle or plant mister
Propagation mat with thermostat control

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare rooting pots for the air potato vine seeds in late spring. Fill 3-inch peat pots with a mixture of 2 parts potting soil, 2 parts peat moss and 1 part perlite.
- 2
  Arrange the peat pots on a nursery tray before sowing the air potato vine seeds. Place the pots close together near the center of the tray.
- 3
  Pour 1/4 cup of water into each pot to thoroughly saturate the rooting mix before sowing the seeds. Let it drain for five or 10 minutes.
- 4
  Sow one air potato vine seed in each peat pot. Press the seed into the soil until it is halfway buried. Cover the seed with a very thin layer of medium-grit horticultural sand. Mist the sand lightly with a spray bottle or plant mister.
- 5
  Cover the nursery tray with a clear plastic domed lid. Place the nursery tray on a propagation mat with the thermostat set to 85 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 70 degrees at night.
- 6
  Provide a source of extremely bright light for at least six hours each day, either near a window or beneath a set of grow lamps. Mist the peat pots daily to maintain even moisture in the soil to a depth of 1 inch.
- 7
  Watch for air potato vine seedlings in 20 to 25 days. Keep the seedlings indoors until they reach 4 inches in height, then plant them out in a permanent bed with full to partial sun and rich soil.

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