Here we go. The netting had blown off some of my oca and caught the frost a bit so I just had to dig one up to see what is happening.
(http://david-frary.com/images/oca_nov.jpg)
Pity about the heavy frost forecast for tonight as I reckon another 7-10 days is required for a bumper crop. It seems that apart from the cluster of tubers around the base of the plant, it makes one or two more whereever the stems rest on the ground but as yet these were quite small. Still the proof will be in the eating as they say.
That looks like a good harvest Eristic. Have you tried them yet? Be curious to know what they taste like.
That looks exciting! The frost has caught the tops of mine, but I haven't lifted any yet. I seem to remember that they have to left for a few days once lifted before eating - must try and remember where the info is.
I have grown Oca for the first time and I am going to lift them this weekend. Has anyone tried them yet?? A bit worried re the instructions sent with them - mature for a few days on a sunny windowsill or may be bitter! :-\
But those you have look really good. :)
As I have a trayfull of Jerusalem's already in the kitchen I tried just one last night raw and it was sweet and crunchy. This plant definitely has potential but more consideration should be given to frost protection as just one more week would probably have doubled the size of the tubers.
I had a firkle at mine under glass and found some small tubers where the plant had flopped over and touched the ground. Was going to dig them out this weekend, might leave it a little longer then..
:-\
Well I harvested the Oca yesterday and got about 50 tubers from 5 plants - not sure whether this is good or not, but I would have been happy if they were new potatoes.
I'll give them a wash and then start trawling the net for recipies. I think I will save some just in case I think they are lovely and want to grow again next year. If I hate them I think they are going in the next seed swap !
I was doing some reading about oca and apparently they are a popular domestic crop in New Zealand. There they are roasted like potatoes for roast dinners. From what I can gather, you can treat them as potatoes except for making chips/french fries - their water content is too high for this.
Apparently Suzanne they are like JA's and regrow from the smallest bits... so eat the best ones!
:)
I've seen these in the Real Seed pages, and they look interesting. Having seen the results, I think I'll give them a go.
Do they have large foliage and take up a lot of space like a PSB? I grew JA's in large tubs this year and have harvested some good-sized tubers. Would it be worth trying ocas in tubs?
Tricia
QuoteDo they have large foliage and take up a lot of space like a PSB?
The foliage is very small but lots of it. They all grew to a little over a foot tall before giving us all a heart attack by flopping down on the ground. The plants are more of a spreader than anything else. I planted mine at 1 foot intervals in one row that finally became one mass of foliage at least 4 ft wide.
To the best of my knowledge no one has grown them in pots but I do not see any reason why they would not do well. Growers in districts prone to early frosts would get the advantage of portability to move the pots into cover when frost was likely. I think it is worth a try but bear in mind they need lots of water.
Thanks Eristic maybe I'll try that. If anyone has two or three small tubers they can spare please pm me. I'll be glad to advance the postage costs.
Tricia
PM me with your Addy Tricia I can see I will have several small spares after I dig them out at the weekend!
;D
We call them yams in New Zealand....I didn't know they had another name.
Hi, I'm new.
Just came back from Peru, last week, where I picked up a bag of oca with the intention of growing them here. I read somewhere that they are completely resistant to blight, which is partly what interests me.
I'm quite surprised it is such a late harvest.
When should they be planted? Any tips?
In Peru the tubers are left out in bright sunshine for a few days, this is considered important to make them nice and sweet.
Any tips on storing them over winter?
Also got a kilo of maize morado - purple maize seed. If anyone is close by to Shoreham By Sea I would be happy to share.
regards
The blight resistance is because they are from a completely different family of plants... I understand about the sunlight. The Purple Maize sound interesting..
Nice Picture... Oh and Welcome to the site!
;D
Hi and welcome to the site.
We are all learning about the best ways to grow these plants so the best I can do is share my methods and observations. I planted mine in 1ltr pots indoors on 8th Mar 07, visible growth from 1st Apr and planted on the allotment on 6th May. Growing area kept weed free as per normal cultivation, top dressed with manure in Sept and loose netted in Oct. They pretty much looked after themselves.
Slugs and snails had a little nibble at emerging shoots in the spring but otherwise there was no trouble. Some of the tubers show signs of nibble, probably by woodlice but nothing serious.
So far I've only dug a few roots because I'm nosy so not sure of the yield as yet but expect somewhere around 50 tubers per plant. When I dug them up I noticed the ground was very dry so maybe next autumn I will have to stand out in the rain and water them a bit more.
I've grown the pink and red versions and want to get the white and purple colours for comparison. As soon as I've completed the harvest I will write it up with all the photos on my website.
Hi Sean and welcome to the madhouse. :P :P ;D ;D ;D
Welcome to A4A, lots of good ideas from members and they are a friendly lot so pull up a chair.
Lorna
Yes, welcome Sean and make sure that chair is really comfy - this site is just sooooo addictive ;D. Lovely family btw.
Tricia
To bring this thread back - has anybody actually eaten any yet? ??? If so, what's it like?
At last! people who talk about allotments!
Many thanks to everyone for the warm welcome, much appreciated, and special thanks for the advice.
I have eaten plenty of oca and mashua, mainly with chuño, a naturally freeze-dried potato (picture here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawkey/1840846705/in/set-72157602872026496/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawkey/1840846705/in/set-72157602872026496/)
they aren't very like spuds, not as creamy or floury, they a slightly more watery and at the same time can be a bit fibrous especially towards the tip, and some people spit out this little hard tip.
What do they taste like - and have you any good recipes?
Quote from: seanhawkey on November 23, 2007, 21:49:18
Many thanks to everyone for the warm welcome, much appreciated, and special thanks for the advice.
Redclanger - I have eaten plenty of them, mainly with chuño, a naturally freeze-dried potato (picture here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawkey/1840846705/in/set-72157602872026496/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawkey/1840846705/in/set-72157602872026496/)
At last! people who talk about allotments!
Oooh - that looks good. :)
Just spotted - Real Seeds have their Oca stock in now. Just ordered mine!
Right then, form an orderly queue!
;D
As promised I've finally done a web page covering the growing of oca this year http://david-frary.com/Plot/oca.php (http://david-frary.com/Plot/oca.php) available here.
Not done a lot of cooking with them yet but a pan of damaged ones were turned into a very nice mashed oca. May be too sweet for some of you but I believe there is a future with these.
I have been waiting for this.
Excellent article Eristic. Just one question - what about initial ground preparation?
The plants have a mass of fibrous roots that go down about one spade depth so I do not think any special preparation is required other than the removal of perennial weeds. This was my first season with them and I was more concerned about keeping my investment alive. One mistake was to plant far too close to the path. I planted the row along the border just over a foot in but they eventually spread right across the two ft path. The initial growth is erect and dignified but end up as a ground hugging mass of foliage.
Next year with lots more tubers to play with I will be able to experiment with different methods of culture, including containers. As for fertiliser, again this needs experimentation and possibly mine had far too much manure making all the foliage lush. Time will tell.
Great article, I just got round to ordering mine today, and this will come in useful next year. I like your thoughts on interplanting.
Cheers Eristic, great info, and nice to see your experience step by step. My order arrived the other day, so I'll be keeping your link as a reference.
Mine are still in the main greenhouse and I know there are loads of tiny bits from surface rooting so send us a pm and I should be able to mail you some before Xmas...
;D
hiya, are these as bad as ja's for people with irritable bowel..if not, I'll give them a go ;D
Not another trumpet involuntary!
;D
I'm new here, and have been growing oca for years now:
(http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/5181/pict0056pi1.jpg)
Frank
And the orange ones:
(http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/2607/ocaoranjel1.jpg)
The red and the orange come from realseeds, they obtained the white one from me,
Frank
Welcome aboard Frank... great looking tubers...
;D
I bought some white ones from Real Seeds.
Blimey, that means I'm having Frank's babies...
;D
Many thanks Saddad - tubers arrived today. When should I plant them? I can put them in pots in my GH till the Spring if that would be good.
Tricia
I would put them in compost but keep them cool, or they will sprout, but not in the greenhouse as they are frost sensitive.... the tops would be killed off in this weather in a cold greenhouse..
;D
They can be stored the way potatoes are stored, a cellar or other storage room, not hot, I can keep them for eating until half of May ( I put the tubers for growing in pots in the greenhouse from about 1-15 april on). I don't keep them in compost or other ground, just dark, a bit humid , although dry is tolerated as well, and temperatures between 2 and let's say 8 degrees.
Frank
Orflo, how do you grow good size tubers. I grew oca for the first time this year in a well manured raised bed, but most of the tubers were really quite small and we will only get about one decent meal from 8 plants. Advice please ....and a good recipe for our one meal!!!!
It's not really that difficult, but there is a major rule: tuberisation begins only after September 21. Due to the fact the foliage doesn't stand frosts, you have to protect them whenever there is a frost announcement. Harvest them (and protect them) as late as possible, my harvest begins at the earliest around 20 Nov. And you have to upearth them, the same as potatoes.
There is a trick to have an earlier harvest: from mid August you can cover the plants with a black plastic or something simular, and thus giving them a reduced daylight(I tried giving them 9 hours of daylight) for a period of two weeks, everyday covering and uncovering, and tuberisation begins far earlier, which makes also an earlier harvest.
Frank
I think they didn't have enough time to form tubers - we had an early frost which knocked them back a bit. Perhaps I will try them on my top allotment next year as it doesn't get so much frost.
Right I'm going to dig ours from the big greenhouse today, and start some Chicons now the ground has thawed enough to dig out some roots!
;D