My Buddy's brother grows sweet potatoes outside Harrisburg...
He starts his like you do Tree Mouse...
He doesn't plant his in hills, he shreads news paper, puts the shoots down on top of the ground and then covers them with some shreadded news paper and Straw....they grow prety good for him and when he goes to harvest them, all he does is lift the straw up and pick up the sweet potatoes!
no digging for his 75 year old back!
I've tried for 2 years to grow them.....they started out Really Good...then along comes Mr. and Mrs Rabbits, Mr. and Mrs. Deer and ate them all up.....
Like the Dang ***** in the sweet corn field!