Topic: Yacon

[okra]

Looking to try growing yacon. Has anybody had any success with them?

If anybody has any spare rhizomes for swap or sale would be willing to pay postage and packing.

[Paulh]

Please see other threads.

I have no idea what it is.

[squeezyjohn]

This year was my first attempt at growing them.  They seem very easy - although it's a long growing season.

Planted the bought rhizomes in pots on the windowsill as soon as I got them and planted out (a bit too close together - they get massive) once the risk of frost had passed.  They developed in to plants about 5-6ft tall and about as wide by the time the summer was over.

I haven't finished harvesting even though the frost has got rid of most of the foliage - but the tubers are impressively large!  The flavour when picked is akin to very mild carrot with a very crunchy watery texture ... when stored for a month or so it does indeed become sweeter, more concentrated and more fruit-like in taste.  I'm not sure I have enough culinary uses for it to justify growing a lot - but it's a nice addition to stir fries and very pleasant raw in small chunks or thinly sliced in salads.  Need to investigate more.

This year my spare rhizomes are destined for friends and family who want to give it a try.  But next year I'll probably have spares.

[steveg1966]

This seller has some on ebay I have bought stuff before off him and he good and I have just ordered some yakon and oca off him

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YACON-THE-INCAN-EARTH-APPLE-HUGE-CROPS-OF-CRUNCHY-FRUITY-TASTING-TUBERS-RARE-/390710609855?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item5af82ac7bf

[winecap]

Just a personal preference, but I would probably buy it in spring so you know its definitely made it through winter. Most suppliers don't ship until then. I find it much easier to divide the growing tips successfully once they have started to grow again. All those I divided early on last winter died. All those I did at the end of winter survived. Like I say, personal preference. The downside is if everybody sells out before you place an order. I think its much easier to find these days though.

[okra]

Thanks for all the advice and tips 

[Ian Pearson]

Also, it's well worth cultivating deeply before planting; double digging as a minimum. It makes harvesting so much easier, and you are more likely to get the tubers out in one piece, as they snap easily. Lots of organic matter dug in to full depth helps with this too, and stops the plant getting dry in mid summer.

They want wide spacing - a metre or more - but there's time to get a catch crop between them as the space is only taken up in late summer onwards.

Keep them in the greenhouse in pots until it's warm outside. They don't appreciate cold spring weather. I plant out at the same time as courgettes and tomatoes, to avoid any check to growth.

[aj]

I haven't even harvested the oca yet; will be selling both in the spring once I know they are starting to sprout again. Not worth selling now for the reasons explained earlier.

[gwynleg]

Ian your information about spacing is interesting - I did it much closer and that might be why I am a bit disappointed with the size of the harvest (having seen others say they had a lot). Haven't weighed mine yet but will - would really like to make syrup but not sure i will have enough

[squeezyjohn]

Thanks Ian ... I didn't even think about putting a catch crop in between them this year.  There's plenty of room for lettuce, radishes, turnips or something like that because they only go nuts from about mid-august until october.