Topic: Yacon?

[ed dibbles]

What a great year it is turning out for my yacon. It's just coming into flower which of course means that from now on the tubers are starting to fatten up.

By the time they are in full flower they will be at least head height (5'8")

If all 18 plants produce on average 10lb of yacon each that will be 180lb to use for delicious syrup as well as all the other things you can do with them.

How is yours growing? It can't but be better than last year surely.

You can probably tell I'm rather excited and harvest is still a couple of months off yet.

[goodlife]

My yacon was planted quite early on in May when the weather was still cool and they did show it...veeeery slow to put growth on...and then we had all that heat and dry spell...once we got some heavy down pours they really started put some growth on.
At the moments they are  about 3 ft tall and same wide..looking very healthy
I've got 9 plants on a go and the hole bed is just jungle of leaves.. Time will tell if they like the 'spot' they've been given to grow and I'm really really looking forward harvesting them again. This year I might have a go making small pot of syrup... for a bumper crop!

[lottie lou]

I found it virtually impossible to separate my caudices.  As I was trying to cut them off the main plant they would fly up into the air and disappear.  Will put them in a plastic bag next year to do the job.  I bunged one plant with quite a few caudices on in my raised bed.  Wonder how it will turn out.

[manicscousers]

The yacon you sent me are going great guns, thank you, ed. No flowers yet but they're about 4' tall, really looking forward to seeing how they go 

[ed dibbles]

Glad to hear they are doing so well manicscousers. I'm sure you will rate them a "must have" crop every year from now on once you see how easy they are.

I certainly recognize the jungle of leaves, Goodlife. With the scrambling oca bed right next to the yacon I have to increasingly watch my step.

It will be interesting Lottie Lou to see if your caudices "clump" will produce as good a crop as separated ones. Could save us a lot of trouble if so.

It's only my second year with this crop and while we are told yacon does well in most ordinary garden soils these plants are in my most fertile area and are certainly showing that they are happy there.

[lottie lou]

Don't know what you are complaining about Ed dibbles.  I bunged my two yacon in the bed but it looked rather bare so I stuck my spare toms in as well, plus the oca and a couple of sunflowers and geraniums.  Didn't expect them to do much being such a miserable spring.  Help its a jungle out there.

[manicscousers]

I've got oca and amaranth in there as I didn't know where to put them in the rotation, and they've taken over the bed