Mystified by Yacon Inka Red

[bazzaboy]

Last year I bought 6 Yacon Inka Red tubers which duly produced tall daisy-like flowers. In the autumn I removed all the top growth, protected them with a thick mulch and fully expected them to repeat the process this year. But no new sprouts appeared so today I decided to re-purpose the space and started to dig them out. I was surprised at the very large conglomeration of tubers under each one, some of which had been drilled by insects but many seemed perfectly viable. But no sign of growth on any of them. Am now thinking I shouldn’t have left them in over Winter but treated them more like dahlia tubers? I’ve retrieved about 30 of the most intact tubers, will placing in a pot of compost prod them into life? And is it now too late this year?

[MelanieSW]

Hi, this is my first year growing yakon, but I was advised that they should be taken out over winter, put in a pot indoors late winter when they are sprouting, and only planted out after risk of frost has passed.
I'm in London and the friends I got the tubers from are in Scotland, so I was pondering leaving one in over next winter as a test, but I wouldn't risk all of them.

[bazzaboy]

I was advised that they should be taken out over winter, put in a pot indoors late winter when they are sprouting, and only planted out after risk of frost has passed.

Thanks Melanie, I think you're right, I'll do that this year if I can prompt any into life again! The substantial stems (they grow upright without support to 6 foot!) become hollow and I did wonder if winter damp prevented re-sprouting. I don't grow dahlias but know that practitioners store them upside-down to drain hollow stems etc so might try that this year. I have yet to taste them - thought I was doing them a favour letting them get established the first year, live and learn..... bb.