For the past 2 years I was unable to grow any sweet potatoes from my garden. However, I am not discouraged. This year, not only did I order 12 sweet potato slips from a farm, but I am also trying to start slips myself. You see, growing sweet potato is different from growing potato. You can tak a small potato and plant that in the soil. But you would have to start slips, or small shoots from a sweet potato in water, and then plant these slips in the soil.