Author Topic: Yacon - Has any one grown Yacon and have you any tips? (Read 3484 times)

cjb02 · « **on:** March 28, 2009, 22:53:06 »

I have acquired some Yacon tubers this year, they are in small plant pots (two) at the moment and the tips are just poking through.

Has any one else grown Yacon before and can any one offer any tips? ???

jennym · « **Reply #1 on:** March 28, 2009, 23:39:54 »

Grew some last year. They won't take frost at all, so don't put them out yet. I grew them outside in good well dug soil, and got a fair crop, pretty pleased with it. The tubers taste sweet. They are very much like dahlias to grow, but seem to me to be more tender, and here in the sunny south I wouldn't risk them left in the soil overwinter, so not at all sure about your area. I grew them on to about 9 inches high with many leaves, in pots about a foot diameter before I put them outside around mid June.

Eristic · « **Reply #2 on:** March 29, 2009, 00:14:31 »

I agree with Jenny and would add that the plants get pretty large and the tubers are fragile and snap into pieces easily when digging up. Providing plants are well watered they will grow nicely in a large tub.

I've covered yacon on my website here.

cjb02 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2009, 09:18:37 »

thanks for that. I was not aware of how frost tender they are. I am in Yorkshire. So I will keep them in the Greenhouse till all frost has passed.

I will also take care when digging them up. Eristic, that is a great website. very interesting and well put together.

Can I ask, what do they taste like and are you both growing them again?

I also found this website which I thought was very good

http://users.fulladsl.be/spb19514/www.thevegetablegarden.be/yacon.html

saddad · « **Reply #4 on:** March 29, 2009, 10:23:59 »

I'm trying them for the first time... have one tiny bit in a small pot just poking it's nose up... the Ulluco from Jayb is growing much better, but it was a stronger bit to start with. I will be growing them under glass... :)

Jayb · « **Reply #5 on:** March 29, 2009, 15:28:52 »

I like them, they have a lovely crisp texture and are mildly sweet (sweet like a carrot but without the flavour), a little bland but still enjoyable. I like them best stir-fried and in curries, they soak up the taste of sauces. Also quite yummy lightly boiled with a little butter.

If you harvest the tubers in the autumn, they store well covered in compost in a cool frost free spot.

I'll definitely be growing them again. Just need to remember they take a while to get going but will need space as they do make large plants!

cjb02 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 29, 2009, 18:42:03 »

well Jayb, i can't wait to try them in Autumn. Curried sounds like a great idea.

nextgridgardener · « **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2009, 19:16:22 »

i might try them next season if I have the room.

Eristic · « **Reply #8 on:** March 29, 2009, 20:59:14 »

I intend to make them a regular crop for future years. They store perfectly in plastic buckets kept in the larder kitchen and as they cannot grow, the tubers should keep into the summer when they should be appreciated in salad meals.

cjb02 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 29, 2009, 22:08:40 »

that sounds very positive if you are intending to keep on growing them. I am looking forward to seeing what they turn out like and if they are a success or not.

saddad · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2009, 07:53:13 »

If the main tubers don't sprout Eristic, pardon my ignorance, which bit do I keep back for next years crop? Are they a bit like Sweet Potatoes? :-\

Jayb · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2009, 08:37:14 »

They produce both root tubers, large for eating and stem tubers. Which are smaller and clustered underground around the main growing stem. These grow in a big knobledee mass and produce the new shoots. They seem to store with little problem (frost free)

Eristic · « **Reply #12 on:** March 30, 2009, 14:28:40 »

The big juicy tubers are purely used by the plant for food storage and have no growth eyes. Because they cannot grow they should in theory keep a very long time. I'm using a lidded plastic bucket for storage to stop them dehydrating and the only other storage problem to watch for is moulds which so far are not a problem.

Due to the difficulties I had harvesting them in clay soil I am planning to grow them in large containers in the future. Last year I grew one in a 20 ltr pot which did well and has been shown on the forum somewhere but the plant would do better in something like a 40 litre pot or even larger.

As Jayb said, the plants start off small and grow slowly but once the weather hots up they grow rapidly both tall and wide.

Hector · « **Reply #13 on:** May 02, 2009, 22:34:41 »

How many bits/tubers did you have in your 20ml poot Eristic?

All of you who start them in pots and move into soil, what size pot do you pot them into?
Jackie

cjb02 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 03, 2009, 08:38:12 »

Quote from: Hector on May 02, 2009, 22:34:41

How many bits/tubers did you have in your 20ml poot Eristic?

All of you who start them in pots and move into soil, what size pot do you pot them into?
Jackie

I started mine in a 9cm pot and it still not very big but will be being moved to a bigger pot soon.

saddad · « **Reply #15 on:** May 03, 2009, 09:39:15 »

I've put my best one into the border of the big greenhouse... the ones I got later are just "showing" through the compost...

Ulluco does it matter if I have kept it in the pot so long it is flowering... like a dock.. I've planted them in the border too. Do I need to remove the flower stems?? :-\

Jayb · « **Reply #16 on:** May 05, 2009, 19:21:37 »

It’s best to grow one per pot, as although they are unhurried to achieve full size they need space to develop. Yacon can grow in height to 6 foot + and are quite bushy. They can be started off in smallish pots as they are slow to develop, 9cm sounds fine. You could then either plant them out into the veggie patch or pot on into larger pots. As Eristic has said, ending up in a pot minimum of 20ltrs and preferably 40ltrs. I find it best to give a little support or tie the long stems together later on.

This one is in a 9cm pot and will be planted out as roots fill the pot and conditions allow.

[attachment=3]

They can also be grown on successfully in a poly/greenhouse if you have the space

Ulluco should be fine as long as it is not pot bound. Although I’ve not had one flower this early they freely produce flowers during the growing season but unfortunately very reluctant to set seed. I’ve not found any info that indicates flowering is detrimental to producing tubers, which being day length dependent will not start for some time. I had a couple of Ulluco last year which were in pots too long, they went on to produce good plants once planted out.

Photo of a few ulluco tubers I swapped with Eristic earlier in the year, which are growing on well.
[attachment=2]

Hector · « **Reply #17 on:** May 17, 2009, 12:27:13 »

The 40l pots you use for Yacon are they rigid? Or doesn't it matter if partially sinking in ground? Reason why I ask is that you can get builder-type rubber trugs on ebay that are 45l plus but they aren't exactly rigid. Thinking of drilling holes in them and sinking them halfway in ground? What height bucket/pot are you folk using for final potting of Yacon? (thanks to Jayb for Yacon)

ceres · « **Reply #18 on:** August 03, 2009, 16:49:41 »

Sassymesclunsalad's link contains offensive images.

saddad · « **Reply #19 on:** August 03, 2009, 16:52:33 »

See my comments in Heaviest tom thread Ceres...

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Author Topic: Yacon - Has any one grown Yacon and have you any tips? (Read 3484 times)