Topic: Oca

[Robert_Brenchley]

What are peoples' crops like this year? I just lifted mine; it's very variable, with some plants doing well, and others producing nothing. I planted three varieties, and lifted two. One had disappeared. At least I got a crop this time!

Has anyone found any difference between the results from planting large and small tubers? Has anyone managed to get seed, and if so, with what result? I may try hand pollination, maybe even growing under cover, just to get some. I could do with more varieties as well, as there are three different types of flower, and they don't all pollinate each other.

[saddad]

I lost mine last Winter... but am considering trying again this New Year..  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

I lost mine last year as well, and had to start again. I still need to keep collecting different varieties in the hope of getting seed.

[Ophi]

I have just bought some to plant and would appreciate advice.

[saddad]

They hate frost... but like a long season... I would start them off in pots before planting out...  :)

[winecap]

I was amazed at the oca this year , with a bumper harvest, but strangely other people on our site that grow it got quite a mixed bag. Not sure why that might be, but I start mine in March in pots in the greenhouse and then plant out. The tops never died off this year because we didn't have any hard frost, but I couldn't wait any longer and dug them all up in December. Very few small tubers - lots of big ones. I did make a mistake though, growing different colours in the same row. the two varieties which grew fastest swamped the third, but fortunately I had another row on another allotment. Tried it roast with fennel, peppers and ginger the other day and that was great.

[goodlife]

I lifted my oca today.. ;D I really don't have anything to compare about the size of the crop other than I've got some and its more than last year and last year was my first time growing them. Today's result was, out of 6 plants I got collander full of tubers.
As for the size of tuber vs crop size..no idea. Ian Pearson sent me some good size tubers to start with this year(thank you) + I had one plant that sprouted from some little thing from previous years crop. The 'self sprouted' pink&white one did well resulting good amount of rather good size tubers and relatively few little ones...thanks Jayb.. ;)
As for the different colours from Ian..white one did smallest crop..red one did loads of small ones and only odd larger ones..orange one did best and the plants almost took over the bed in GH.
Last spring I started with good number of large tubers..but for some reason not all tubers started any growth.. ??? They looked fine just wouldn't do anything.  I wonder if our weird spring weather had something to do with it..too hot too early.. ???
I just had some oca for my dinner... ;D ahhhh...loovely... ;D

[goodlife]

Some of my 'big' beauties..

[pigeonseed]

I got a big harvest this year, really very many from each plant. It was better than last year, but the soil might have been in better condition - I bunged them in a freshly cleared patch last time, not very well-dug.

When I lifted them too early (I thought I had to avoid frost) they were small, but those I left to be knocked back by frost, and dug today - some are as big as normal potatoes. I should take a picture but I can't be bothered to get up and find me camera!

I only planted small ones (not really tiny like blueberries, but like a fat grape), and still got a good haul, so I think you can perhaps eat the big ones! I planted them direct after the last frosts, I think around April.

I've only got pinky-red ones, so can't compare colours. They look amazing in the soil - really luminous!

I will definitely have some for sharing as seed in Spring.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I got a very mixed bag; a few plants produced a lot of decent tubers; a lot of plants had nothing but tiny things. You'd have thought any given variety would be genetically identical, but they don't act that way.

[Jayb]

Lifted some of mine yesterday and was pleasantly surprised with how well they have done. I was late planting them out and they have had little attention from me, mice on the other hand have been troublesome.

[Ophi]

They are very pretty goodlife.  How did you cook them?

[goodlife]

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How did you cook them? I've started eating the smaller ones first..those didn't take much cooking so I just chucked handfull into dry cous cous and poured boiling water over. While the cous cous soaked over gentle heat the small oca softened enough in same time. Easy peasy.. ;D
I'm not sure what to do with the large ones yet..I've taken the thinking hat is out of wardrope ::).

[Ian Pearson]

I'm still holding back from harvesting my main batch; they're still swelling.
http://oca-testbed.blogspot.com/2011/12/oca-harvest-wait-for-it-wait-for-it.html

[pigeonseed]

Interesting - some of my plants are still in too - mainly because I haven't got round to lifting them! But as you say in your blog - the stems are still alive, definitely. Not like when potatoes die back. So maybe some of them will get even bigger. Slug damage starting to get bad though.

Here are a few from the plant I dug up last weekend, from tiny to large.

[saddad]

Had an e-mail from "Jungle-Seeds" who are offering this and hopefully some Yacon plants...  :)