Should I still protect my Oca?

[zazen999]

They don't go green; but chuck some compost on them if it makes you feel better.

Mine have also collapsed.

Now, you need to wait a FULL MONTH - so at the start of Jan.

If any of the foliage is still pickuppable; then it is too soon. The foliage has to go to pretty much sludge before they are ready. Proper ready.

[sarraceniac]

They don't go green; but chuck some compost on them if it makes you feel better.

Mine have also collapsed.

Now, you need to wait a FULL MONTH - so at the start of Jan.

If any of the foliage is still pickuppable; then it is too soon.

Reckon we'll be having oca for our mid-summer barbeque. Went round the area they are in today hoping that they would have finished and I could steal a few for Christmas day. The way they are going i won't get any seed tubers for next years crop, why is Scarborough so tropical when you want frost? Ours are still looking like a field of tall clover, oxalis or shamrock. We're having leprechaun pie for Christmas dinner though.

[zazen999]

It's bonkers isn't it!!!

[chriscross1966]

Mine all went down in the last batch of proper frost here in Oxford.... hoping I'll see some over Xmas/New Year..... family becoming more accepting of my produce now ... got them to try a squash that wasn't a butternut yesterday (roasted Bon-Bon).... I barely had enough left to make a soup for my tea this evening and a Bon-Bon is a decently sized lump, plenty bigger than the average butternut round these parts....

chrisc

[sarraceniac]

Yippee (sort of)! Took the dog out this a.m. and the first thing I met was a brass monkey looking for a welder. That should do it. We may have a few Oca for New Year's day if we cheat just a tad.

[Flummery]

Have a look at the soil at the top. Mine has had a knock back from frost a week or so ago and I can see small tubers near or on the surface. I grubbed a couple up yesterday and tried one raw. Very nice - mild and juicy with a citrus edge. I'm sure the ones below are even bigger!

[womble]

Anyone dug their Oka up yet?

I'm almost scared to look, not sure what the cold weather will have done to them!

[sarraceniac]

Anyone dug their Oka up yet?

I'm almost scared to look, not sure what the cold weather will have done to them!

We've eaten all ours with the exception of those held back to re-seed. Do'nt think the frosts will have done yours much good womble.

[womble]

Just dug them up and had a look, they're fine, just a little small still, just what I was worried about.
They'd only just died off when we had all that terrible snow and freezing temps.
I wondered if that might have stopped the tubers swelling so much.

If in doubt, blame the weather

[Flummery]

Eaten half of ours. Still got a couple of plants to dig up. Dratted soil keeps freezing though!

[northepaul]

Sorry to jump in here, but seeing this thread reminded me, a very generous grape gave me some oca to plant out a while ago, and just wondered if they go in at the same time as spuds or different time?
I have googled but got nowhere.... (nearly put gurgled then )

Thanks

[sarraceniac]

I put ours in at the end of April, after the last real frost. Bit later than tatties but give them a lot longer growing season.

[northepaul]

Thanks Sarraceniac

[Izi]

I also was kindly given some oca by a lovely grape and was wondering like Northepaul when to put them in, so thank you from me too for that info Saracenaic.

Can I pick your brains a bit more and ask am I right to keep them cool and in the dark till then ?

Do I chit them like tatties ?

And how do I plant them ? Like tatties on muck or just straight into the ground?

And finally whereabouts in the garden do you have yours? Sun or shade, shelter or exposed?

Thanks for any input you can give me. Like Northepaul I googled them but came up with less than nothing. I guess Real Seed give you the info about growing them when they send you some.

Izi.

[sarraceniac]

They are not really 'fussy' things to grow Izi. Don't bother chitting, they don't go green so even the light is no real problem. I keep my seed Oca in a dry box in dry sand in the cold greenhouse (a shed would be even better but we don't have one) over winter and then just shove them straight into the ground with a bit of any old fertiliser (I throw in a few chicken or seaweed pellets. not even sure if that is essential) in a fairly (but not very) sunny spot. These really are very easy. The main thing is to give them as long as possible in the ground.