Yacon and Oca
- Thread starter British Red
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Here are my Oca growing on Mary - all looking quite good but they were glad of the rain today
Oca by British Red, on Flickr
I wonder how other peoples are doing? Would love to hear!
You can also see the Yacon from the first post top right!
Oca by British Red, on FlickrI wonder how other peoples are doing? Would love to hear!
You can also see the Yacon from the first post top right!
Looking good 
How much bigger will your's grow ? I'm curious now, because that first pot that I showed in post 13 is now totally swamped and pretty much invisible under the growth of the plants :yikes: and if I didn't think it would upset things, tbh, I think I'd pot it up again. We are sure these are oca and not weird spuds ? I have been munching them too, and so have (we think) some of those enormous snails. We've scattered some of the insect/bird safe ferrous slug pellets around them to curb that though. It's been very overcast today, but even so the plants are awash with those little yellow flowers.
Will that detract from the tubers ? that they're trying to bloom and set seed, I mean ?
cheers,
M
How much bigger will your's grow ? I'm curious now, because that first pot that I showed in post 13 is now totally swamped and pretty much invisible under the growth of the plants :yikes: and if I didn't think it would upset things, tbh, I think I'd pot it up again. We are sure these are oca and not weird spuds ? I have been munching them too, and so have (we think) some of those enormous snails. We've scattered some of the insect/bird safe ferrous slug pellets around them to curb that though. It's been very overcast today, but even so the plants are awash with those little yellow flowers.
Will that detract from the tubers ? that they're trying to bloom and set seed, I mean ?
cheers,
M
They'll be fine Mary - worry ye not
They can, apparently, get enormous when the seasons allow. Indeed some suggest allowing a 3' diameter for them because, in a very good year, they may get that big. I plant them closer than that because, whilst in may reduce my "per plant" yield, in most years it improves my "per square foot" yield. That will limit my plants I think to not much bigger than about 2' maybe 2'6" high. Given yours can spread without bumping into another plant they may get bigger, but it won't hurt them!
If they block out the light, I'll send prince charming around to cut his way in
Mine flower every year - doesn't seem to affect the tubers
They can, apparently, get enormous when the seasons allow. Indeed some suggest allowing a 3' diameter for them because, in a very good year, they may get that big. I plant them closer than that because, whilst in may reduce my "per plant" yield, in most years it improves my "per square foot" yield. That will limit my plants I think to not much bigger than about 2' maybe 2'6" high. Given yours can spread without bumping into another plant they may get bigger, but it won't hurt them!
If they block out the light, I'll send prince charming around to cut his way in
Mine flower every year - doesn't seem to affect the tubers
That's reassuring The ones in the back garden are sitting alongside the gable wall.... the path is 3foot wide slabs there, and I just about can't get past them. Hopefully this is just about as big as they'll grow.
Interesting stuff though
cheers,
M
The ones in the back garden are sitting alongside the gable wall.... the path is 3foot wide slabs there, and I just about can't get past them. Hopefully this is just about as big as they'll grow.Interesting stuff though
cheers,
M
I confess I'm amazed they have done so well there - and delighted. If they form tubers you may hold a record
I've grown it further North than that - but nowhere near as far North as you
Realseeds said:
I've grown it further North than that - but nowhere near as far North as you
It's going to be a long wait though, and we have keeled slugs in our sodden wet garden 
That said, we do manage to grow potatoes in pots, but we don't leave them in near as long as the oca will need.
We'll see; even if we get no real tuber growth though, it's been interesting to try them
If they grow well here, I can't see why they wouldn't do well in Fife, Angus and the Black Isle, too. They have really good soil there and they're much sunnier than we are here in the West.
cheers,
M
That said, we do manage to grow potatoes in pots, but we don't leave them in near as long as the oca will need.
We'll see; even if we get no real tuber growth though, it's been interesting to try them
If they grow well here, I can't see why they wouldn't do well in Fife, Angus and the Black Isle, too. They have really good soil there and they're much sunnier than we are here in the West.
cheers,
M
I reckon with that much top growth they will do well - I'd bet on it in fact - but time will tell I'm tipping my pots of early spuds out right now - can't beat a new potato with a knob of butter and a sprig of mint - awesome - fresh new peas with them too
I'm tipping my pots of early spuds out right now - can't beat a new potato with a knob of butter and a sprig of mint - awesome - fresh new peas with them too 
Ours are doing well still, I do water them every night though. We've not had much rain for a couple of weeks, both water butts have been empty since last Thursday.
I'll get some pics one night, since I took that piccy in the middle of May they've tripled in size, almost as big as Marys in post #13 but not quite.
No sign of any flowers yet
I'll get some pics one night, since I took that piccy in the middle of May they've tripled in size, almost as big as Marys in post #13 but not quite.
No sign of any flowers yet
It has been very dry huh? Always surprises me how you can get through water - one hour of the sprinkler on each veg bed uses 4,000 litres - one reason why we harvest so much rainwater
... The only issue I can foresee is rust ~ we've had it in the past with a couple of different oxalis
Well, we've not had any sign of rust ... well not that I've seen
BUT ... they seemed to quickly develop a passion for straggly lateral over horizontal growth
:yikes: Big tubers seem to be forming well in advance of any real frosts though ~ to the point where some seem to be trying to leave the pots :theyareon:sadwavey:
I still can't see the soil under the stems and leaves of mine. Good to know that there's potentially a crop though
M
M
Well, we've not had any sign of rust ... well not that I've seen
BUT ... they seemed to quickly develop a passion for straggly lateral over horizontal growth
Big tubers seem to be forming well in advance of any real frosts though ~ to the point where some seem to be trying to leave the pots :theyareon:sadwavey:
Earth them up if you can - cover them with grass clippings or whatever - you don't want those tubers exposed to light i you can avoid it.
They will get MUCH bigger when the frost takes the top growth (well, you need to leave them about two weeks after that).
Yacon is getting close to harvesting here though!
I still can't see the soil under the stems and leaves of mine. Good to know that there's potentially a crop though
M
If you get a decent crop, realseeds would like to hear about it I'm sure
It's so wet here just now, and we have so many slugs and snails that frankly I'm going to be astonished if I find anything when I empty out the pots.
We've had one night of near freezing, but the garden's kind of sheltered and nothing was bitten. The shorter days are really coming in fast though, and things are struggling just because there's just not enough light.
I think if I ever grow them again, I'd need to plan for them to be as big as spuds. The shaws are individually small but in a mass they're enormous.
Been interesting though, and they're a tasty munchy too
M
We've had one night of near freezing, but the garden's kind of sheltered and nothing was bitten. The shorter days are really coming in fast though, and things are struggling just because there's just not enough light.
I think if I ever grow them again, I'd need to plan for them to be as big as spuds. The shaws are individually small but in a mass they're enormous.
Been interesting though, and they're a tasty munchy too
M
The thickest stems are well over half an inch thick :yikes: I'm pretty sure it's a combination of growing in blustery conditions and the stems coming on to being three foot long ~ and a three foot long half inch tapering leafy watery sack is always going to try to lay flat and look like a straggly ragged mess anyway (True or not that and what looks like an inkling to a half decent crop, makes me feel better 
).
).
Thanks. I shall do so tomorrow, I've a half bag of compost sitting ready
Some of the Oca I had went to my mother in Law ... and recently, we think, to slugs. It might be a potential issue with container growing
Mine have had a flat, straggly habit this year - far more than in previous years. I honestly don't know why? I'm hoping or a decent crop still!
I'm determined that you will get a crop Mary - you really should do!
I'm determined that you will get a crop Mary - you really should do!
Mine definitely straggled, but like a bushy straggle, iimmc.
Honestly they're enormous things
Spuds; next time we grow them, think spuds.
M
Honestly they're enormous things
Spuds; next time we grow them, think spuds.
M
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