Yacon

[bluebellParticipant]

I was interested to find that where as your Yacon has produced long sort of carrot shaped roots, mine has produced round bulbous, potato like roots and was wondering if there are different varieties or is it that the growing conditions are different?

[charlesModerator]

Good question, mine vary a bit but are mostly like long, fat sausages in shape, incredible roots and easy to harvest. I guess there is genetic variation, then once you have a plant, keeping the shoots means you get more of the same.

[Adrian58Participant]

Hi bluebell and charles

I have Email Charles a pic of 1 of my Yacon . I have put the small root in 4in pots of compost
In a shed with not a lot of light but that have started to sprout. Will that be ok for summer 2016
?

Adrian

[charlesModerator]

You have a great harvest Adrian. The sprouting tubers must be kept frost free. I break them off the stem in pieces (some get damaged but there are lots) then put them in a large pot with compost on top, in the shed. So they are not growing any green over winter, mostly dormant and putting on some white sprouts/roots in milder weather (in my shed) then I pot them on properly in March.

[bluebellParticipant]

Hi Adrian58
I had difficulty in finding somewhere frost free last year and ended up with it on a window sill. However it grew rather well and I had to put it out a little early as it had reached the top of the window. It did result in the leaves being singed with a cold wind but I have got a good bucket full of roots from it.
This year I will be keeping it in the garage until frost have passed.
Hope this helps

[Adrian58Participant]

Thank you Charles and bluebell . I have about 30 Yacon in pot anyone in Bridgwater Somerset area need any for free ?

[KarenParticipant]

Omg Omg! I just ordered myself some yacon plants…. there seems to be several varieties available in a rare few gardeners in Germany. There´s the usual “white” ones and I just ordered a NZ variety and Morado and a rose coloured one.

I just had to try as lots have raved about it! Errrrmmmm… think perhaps I may have gone a wee overboard with a wee too many plants?

Has everyone been so far happy with their Yacons?

ps: ordered 2 oca plants too… but I gotta say I think I had them in our beds with our parsley…. the leaves looked so similar to the ones I have seen on the internet. Plus we had these reddish looking tubers… I honestly had no idea what they were and kinda threw them away!

[bluebellParticipant]

Hi Karen
I have not seen the rose ones – sound pretty!
I have found Yacon to be good eating and a welcome addition to winter salads. Good job really as I have a lot of shoots in damp compost in the garage and even without light many are shooting, so it looks as if I will be growing a Yacon hedge this year.

[KarenParticipant]

Showed the hubby videos of the Yacon plant over the weekend and he says he cant wait to eat them! Ha! looks like he is more EXCITED about! Fingers crossed and hopefully it will be successful and we can harvest some at the end of the year. We have already plonked some piles of horse manure at the spots we are planning to plant them when they arrive possibly in April. 🙂

[KarenParticipant]

Heya all,

Finally was able to enjoy our yacon harvest! We had 2 varieties of yacon, the normal light brown skin and the red-skinned Morado.

The husband and I loved it! Definitely will grow them again next year…. texture is similar to that of nashi pear! One of our favs too.

I have somewhat of an embarrassing question to ask though…..

Does anyone have a problem with flatulence and/or bloatedness when eating it raw?

We both seem to have a problem with the former and somewhat the latter.

[charlesModerator]

Karen that is nice to hear apart from issues of digestion!
I have read that yacon contains inulin which is the same as Jerusalem artichokes.
However Steph and I eat them without falulence.
I wonder, could it be from eating them so fresh? I have the ones from my first harvest on a sunny windowsill, which sweetens them, perhaps improves the digestibility. I have not eaten any yet.

[KarenParticipant]

Heya Charles,

Haha! We both were too excited and impatient and just wanted to savour our very first taste of this wonderful ´fruity´ veg.

Will wait a while more for the rest of the yacon to sweeten a little more and hopefully will improve our digestibility a little better.

Looking forward to next year´s planting already.

[Author]

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