Choose healthy sweet potatoes with visible sprouts or buy sweet potato slips
Place the sweet potato in water with toothpicks or in a warm, moist area until slips form
Let the slips grow several inches long
Twist or cut the slips off the sweet potato
Place the slips in water until roots develop
Prepare loose, well-draining soil in a sunny location
Plant the slips 12 to 18 inches apart
Bury the roots and part of the stem, leaving leaves above the soil
Water thoroughly after planting
Keep the soil evenly moist while the plants establish
Mulch around the plants to retain moisture and reduce weeds
Provide full sun for best growth
Avoid overwatering
Fertilize lightly if needed, using a low-nitrogen fertilizer
Watch for pests and remove weeds regularly
Harvest after the vines yellow and the tubers have matured
Dig carefully to avoid damaging the sweet potatoes