Tiger nuts

[goodlife]

It was my first year growing these..and I'm not sure if I did do well or not..don't know what to expect really.. :-\
One thing I'm sure that I like them..reeeally nice...like eating coconut but perharps slightly sweeter.
Vine weevils like them too.. >:(..so out of two planters one didn't do as well as the bleeders were muching the roots away.
I was wondering..are tiger nuts hardy enought to survive the winter alive in UK..I've read that across the pond they are very 'weedy'..and they do produce 'millions' of tiny 'nuts' that one just cannot pick up from soil.
So I'm better off keeping growing them in containers rather than in soil?
From 2 plants I got about cupfull of 'nuts'..is that average? Majority were small peanut size or smaller..only some was about half a monkeynut size..those I've now saved for to grow again next year.
When do you start yours off again? ..do they need dormancy period..or could I plant them already into pot and perharps devide into larger containers in spring?

[goodlife]

[Vinlander]

I wish I could answer your questions about growing them because they seem very unpredictable for me - sometimes they sprout so late I get nothing, sometimes they don't sprout at all.

It's infuriating because they are most delicious as a drink (horchata de chufas) and if you make it at home there is enough flavour left in the residue to add a wonderful nutty taste to bread-making - much better than coconut (but indescribable).

You must try this as it's the best way to avoid the 'mouthful of dry dust' effect you get from eating them raw - which I think is at the bottom of their loss of popularity.

It's even more infuriating that they are so hard to buy in the shops - especially at any sensible price (they should be a similar price to raw peanuts and pumpkin seeds - or less, but it's hard to find them below hazelnut prices).

Hopefully someone will come up with answers.

Cheers

[goodlife]

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You must try this as it's the best way to avoid the 'mouthful of dry dust' effect you get from eating them raw I will..once I have enough nuts make it from.
How do you grow yours? planted in ground or containers?
As for the  'dust' effect..I can't say that I really noticed..but then again I think I've only had about dozen of them so far..and they were almost straight from the ground so they were moist and plump yet.
I've noticed that they tend to dry quite quickly..well, start shrivel a bit.
I read from somewhere that they have  kind of natural coating on that stops/slow them germinating..so they are recommended to be soaked and gently rubbed and rinsed before sowing...and for storage they should not be washed.
I haven't tried..so cannot tell..but this year it was first time that I got some to germinate. Previous attempts from various sources never did...and they did germinate in very different rate..some few weeks apart.
I had 10 good size nuts to start with..and only 4 of them did germinate..so they are very hit and miss.
How in earth they are supposed to be such a major thugs in weed wold if I'm not even able to get odd few to successfully to germinate.. ::) Well suppose it only takes one and 'hundreds' of tiny off spring to keep them carry on.
I got PM warning about their ability to over winter over here..so I'm going to trial it. I've left loads of 'tinies' in container within the compost that they were growing earlier on..and we'll see what will happen next summer. If you see me here flogging them off..they've over wintered successfully.. ;D

[Ian Pearson]

Good luck with them Goodlife. I'd love to scrounge a few from you if they do well.

[Jayb]

I love them, I've been growing mine in pots and they have given ok results. Once they start growing they are no trouble at all. Last year I tried overwintering in just damp compost in the greenhouse. Big faliure, pesky mice took a real shine to them!

[willsy]

I love Tiger nuts. When I lived in Spain we ate them all the time. I like roasted sunflower seeds to. Its many years ago since I bought or even saw them in the U.K. I last got them in Blackpool years ago. My son was only saying the other day how he would love some Tiger nuts to eat.How do you get them to grow? do you just soak the nut? and what does it look like when it starts to grow? anyone got any photos to post? Ann

[Vinlander]

Considering my poor success rate I can't give any suggestions apart from planting in moist but well drained compost in moderate heat - perhaps to replicate the conditions of springtime in the marshes around Valencia.

They are basically a marsh grass that makes a tuber (so I suppose there's a genetic link to coco palms).

It makes sense to grow in pots so you can find the nuts without digging up the whole plot - also pots warm up quicker if they are in sun.

Cheers.

PS. it is possible to buy them from anglers' supplies (though they will try and sell you pre-boiled ones).

Unfortunately a) the raw ones are only sold in wholesale quantities and
                     b) I always have a sneaking feeling they might be lower quality.

so I've never actually followed this up.

As I said earlier, you can buy them from mail order nut suppliers at an obscene price (considering they are a weed where they are grown).