Growing oca

[lin]

Hi I have just ordered some oca from ebay to try out. I keep seeing it on Real Seed but decided to buy more economically to start, might try the other types on Real Seed if it is successful.

Just wondering though how far north this will grow well. I am in Manchester and have checked all the growing tips online and I know it has to go through November to get a good harvest. Site says to cover when there is liklihood of frosts and dig in late Nov to early Dec...

Has anyone else grown successfully up here? Lin

[lin]

[winecap]

Hi Lin
Absolutely no problem here in Sheffield. I have grown it for four years now (I think). This last season was best with hardly any frost til after Christmas, but even the year before they grew well. I have one picture on my blog
http://jonsallotmentadventures.blogspot.com/2011/12/have-you-tried-oca-yet.html
I grow three sorts which all came from eBay. I think they taste different when raw, but to be honest I find the varieties hard to tell apart when cooked, The biggest difference in varieties seems to be the depth of the pits on the surface which make it harder to clean out the dirt. If they have black eyes its sometimes hard to tell where the dirt ends and the eye starts. The one in the picture is my favourite - pinky red with white eyes, though this one is much slower to start growing in spring.