Did you plant the whole potato? If so, they are rooting and when they are 6 inches long, you can break off the shoots [slips] with the roots and plant them in a ridge about 10 inches high....don't mulch them as they love heat on the soil...like melons.

You should nplant them on a hill or ridge. Don't hill around them after you've planted the slips. It's best to plant the slips in thhe late afternoon so they can get set in before a long day in the sun. Do not fertilize the sweet potatoes. They will grow large tops and few roots. In poor soil they will grow smaller tops and large potatoes. They also don't like sandy soil.

Ahh crud. I did not plant them on a hill/ridge. theyre on sloped ground, but probably not enough to make a diff... Is that imperative? and so just let the leaves grow? no mulching.. gotcha! Will they be fine, despite the fact that i did not plant on hill? Thanks, Austin

no hilling needed for us we just plant them once they establish we mulch them rather heavily as they grow, this keeps in the moisture and stops ground drying out around them, they grow like weeds thereafter. lots of mulch also protects the tubers in the ground over winter so they all grow back the next season.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens growing sweet potato's & pineapples page