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Yacon
Feb 18, 2018 14:03:39 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Feb 18, 2018 14:03:39 GMT -5
Hi all, been working today on the Yacon project. It's in the sunflower family with Jerusalem artichokes.
For more info: www.cultivariable.com/andean-roots-tubers/how-to-grow-yacon/
It grows fleshy underground roots that are said to be sweet and moist. I got some from Amazon. The plants were spindly, but I potted them up last fall, and now they are growing nice new shoots from the base. I've never tried them before, but thought it would be fun to try something new.
There are many videos on YouTube about them. They are said to be best grown in the ground, but I've seen some videos showing them in 5 gallon pots and producing enough. I have a number of squat 15 gallon pots and will try those. I like the idea of growing them in pots in order to more easily harvest them. (I've watched a good number of UK potato 'reveals' grown in pots, and just tipping out the large containers looks relatively easy.)
Most of my plants are still small, but two were large enough to pot up, so I did. Mixed up a batch of rough 'potting soil' which included old used purchased potting mix, screened compost, some soil, and coco coir for water retention. It was quite nice, though a purist would wince. I was able to fill 2 and 2/3 large pots, and transplanted two of the young yacon plants into their new homes.
They are such lush plants. I'm hoping to be able to harvest the yacon over an extended period of time. I'm hoping I like it, lol. And that it is not as gaseous as some report. But many others seem to really like it.
They start easily from cuttings, and they also produce what appear to be numerous rhizomes for reproduction. Once establish, I think Ill be able to grow some of them in the ground and not worry that the gophers will eat them all.
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Yacon
Feb 18, 2018 14:17:34 GMT -5
Post by brownrexx on Feb 18, 2018 14:17:34 GMT -5
It will be interesting to see how it tastes. I think that it seems like the plants will be pretty.
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Yacon
Feb 18, 2018 16:52:42 GMT -5
Post by Laura_in_FL on Feb 18, 2018 16:52:42 GMT -5
Maybe once the plants are doing well, you would consider posting some pictures?
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Feb 18, 2018 19:39:00 GMT -5
Yes Pictures please!
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Yacon
Feb 18, 2018 21:07:07 GMT -5
Post by pepperhead212 on Feb 18, 2018 21:07:07 GMT -5
I grew yakon about 12 or 13 years ago, when a lady from idig out in CA sent me some, along with that curry tree, that I still have in there. The plant was large, about 4 or 5 feet tall, with large leaves, and a generous tuber production (though I didn't weigh them). They were somewhat sweet, with not a lot of flavor. However, they caused more flatulence (at least for me)than even soy beans - usually the worst of the beans for this. After researching this, I found that this was due to fructooligosaccharhides, which are what makes them sweet, as well. These are indigestible to us, but our gut bacteria can digest them, causing the gas.
Maybe, like with beans, people in different regions that eat it with regularity develop a resistance to this, but I wasn't going to see how long that would take with me! lol
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Post by aftermidnight on Feb 18, 2018 21:50:21 GMT -5
I've been growing them for a couple of years, the first year I grew in 5 gal. buckets so I could move them into the greenhouse to finish off if the weather turned before the tubers were ready to harvest. I did get decent sized tubers growing this way. Last year I grew some in buckets but two plants in a raised bed, the two in the raised bed actually flowered and when we dug them the tubers were huge.You have to be really careful when digging the tubers, any jarring the tubers split. Left out on the kitchen counter under a sunny window the tubers continued to sweeten up. The ones in buckets are still sitting in my cool greenhouse, couldn't get at them as I was having health issues. Getting them out of buckets is difficult to do without splitting the tubers. If these have come through I plan on putting the buckets on their sides and taking the garden hose to them in hopes I can get them out without two much damage. First year growing, started in greenhouse in April, this is what they looked like June 10th. This is what the flowers look like. The variety I grew had a crisp texture very much like an Asian pear, flavor, hard to describe, subtle, slightly sweet, somewhere between celery and a pear. Annette
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stone
Pro Member
Posts: 170
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Yacon
Feb 19, 2018 10:32:11 GMT -5
Post by stone on Feb 19, 2018 10:32:11 GMT -5
I have wild smallanthus uvedalius. I haven't seen the varmints bothering it. Last year I ordered yacon from baker creek. They shipped the plants in plastic bags... I received compost. Not purchasing plants there again. When your plants produce babies... Consider sharing. Radix said that yacon crosses readily with wild smallanthus types... Nothing about edibility afterwards. radix4roots.blogspot.com/2010/09/yacon-i-am-spartacus.html
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Yacon
Mar 16, 2018 22:07:26 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Mar 16, 2018 22:07:26 GMT -5
The yacon project continues, though slowly. Life just keeps getting in the way. Thus far I have 7 yacons planted in 15 gallon pots, with 3(4) more planned. That leaves 4(5) to go into the ground. Neither rabbits or ground squirrels have eaten any leaves yet, though snails have taken a few nibbles. Gophers might be a problem with those planted in the ground, but I want to try. If they survive in the ground, I'm hoping to be able to dig around beneath to harvest an occasional root before full harvest later in the year.
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Yacon
Jul 10, 2018 19:08:40 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Jul 10, 2018 19:08:40 GMT -5
The yacon experiment continues. Weve had some searingly hot weather here - 105 for a couple days. And after a month or so of thick coastal marine layer and little sun, things got really scorched. Including the yacon, though not horrible. But there were a couple in pots (out of 10) that looked worse, so I decided to turn one out to see if there were tubers. And, yes, there were. Not large ones since this is months before the usual harvest but enough to try. So I washed and peeled two small tubers and ate them. Really like them. Crispy, sweet but not too sweet. Not unlike and Asian pear. I would have eaten more, but decided to see if the yacon is going to agree with my intestines. It's been 90 minutes and nothing of concern yet, lol.
I have 10 yacon in 15 gallon pots. I have to water them almost daily, even with saucers that hold water as a reservoir. I also planted 5 or 6 in the ground. I lost 2 of those, but if I get a good enough crop from the ones in the ground, next year I will plant more there since they would be easier to keep watered. That soil is sandy/silty and easy to dig in.
edit... more than 24 hours later, no intestinal problems at all. Very pleased about that!
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Yacon
Jul 15, 2018 12:36:59 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Jul 15, 2018 12:36:59 GMT -5
Yacon!!!!! I love these things. They are like underground fruit. Very very happy after the work of growing them that they are working out. I think they would be great in a salad, and perhaps in stir-fries like water chestnuts. They remain crisp when cooked. I tried sautéing them in a bit of butter. I liked the texture, but prefer them raw. After harvesting that first plant, and replanting it whole in it's large pot, I decided I wanted more plants and re-dug up that plant and divided it. Got 6 that are now recovering in 2 gallon pots. When they are more established, I'm goiong to put them in the ground in front. The soil there is more sandy so the roots should grow well. I've read in areas with little to no frost, yacon can be grown year-round - which is now the plan. They seem to use lots of water, so I'm going to have to mulch deeply. I'm thinking of also starting some from cuttings, which is supposed to be easy. Though maybe not. Don't want to get too carried away. The adventure continues.
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Yacon
Jul 17, 2018 21:49:53 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Jul 17, 2018 21:49:53 GMT -5
I'm keeping this thread as my yacon journal so I'll remember what happened when...
Today I set up 4 air layers on the yacon in pots. Nor sure if this will work so I didn't get carried away. They seem to root easily at the nodes, so this should work.
I also partially prepared the bed where new plants will go. Broke up the soil somewhat, then watered it, then covered most of the area with 2-3 inches of screened compost (mulch pile that decomposed). Just a bit more compost there, and then I can work it in lightly. The soil there has been 'no till' for a couple years and is nicer than expected. But I'm thinking it could use some extra organic material to be better water-holding for the greedy yacon. After I work that in, I'll lay the soaker hose, cover it with more mulch, and when the new plants are ready for transplanting, the bed will be well-settled.
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Yacon
Jul 18, 2018 7:46:37 GMT -5
Post by bestofour on Jul 18, 2018 7:46:37 GMT -5
Never even heard of yacon. You eat them raw?
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Yacon
Jul 18, 2018 8:06:49 GMT -5
Post by brownrexx on Jul 18, 2018 8:06:49 GMT -5
So glad that this has worked out for you. I had never heard of yacon before either.
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Yacon
Jul 19, 2018 15:27:40 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Jul 19, 2018 15:27:40 GMT -5
Never even heard of yacon. You eat them raw? I've eaten most of mine raw. And that's not very many. But to my tastes, they are wonderful - the most exciting new thing in the garden in years. Much like the excitement of the first sugarsnap peas. The yacon root seems more like a fruit than a vegetable.
HOWEVER.... some people do have a negative intestinal reaction to them, like beans I've read. But I've also read if you start cautiously eating small amounts, your gut will adapt. I personally have had zero problem with them... beans are more of a 'problem' to me, though even beans aren't a big deal.
I have sautéed a few without other ingredients, and, meh, nothing special though the texture did remain pleasantly firm. But I think they would be grand in a stir-fry which I have not tried yet.
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Yacon
Jul 19, 2018 15:35:02 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Jul 19, 2018 15:35:02 GMT -5
So glad that this has worked out for you. I had never heard of yacon before either. I only heard about it about a year ago and was lucky enough to find a reasonable source on Amazon. The plants I got were in bad shape, but these things are very hardy. I put them in plant ICU and most survived and seem to love this climate (coastal SoCal). Unfortunately they do seem to need a lot of water when in pots in full sun. But then, what doesn't?
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Yacon
Jul 19, 2018 15:41:46 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Jul 19, 2018 15:41:46 GMT -5
I started with 10 yacon in 15 gallon pots. A few days ago, I tipped one out to see what was going on, and divided the rhizomes. With the goal of being able to harvest these things year-round, I've decided to tip out another one in order to start more new plants growing. It would be better to wait another couple months, but that's not going to happen. I'm also going to cut the stems into maybe 3 node cuttings and try to root them. They do seem to root readily. Already got my little plant bands filled with moist soil. Just waiting till it gets a little cooler outside. Nothing to lose but time - the cut stems were going to get tossed anyway.
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Yacon
Jul 19, 2018 21:12:39 GMT -5
Post by bestofour on Jul 19, 2018 21:12:39 GMT -5
Gianna, you're thinking you'll be able to grow them year round? So they can take the heat and the cool? Are you growing them instead of something you would normally grow? Lots of questions but this has gotten me curious.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 20, 2018 0:07:06 GMT -5
Gianna , you're thinking you'll be able to grow them year round? Yes, I think I can grow them year round here. I've read reports of people in Southern California doing just that.
I don't know how much heat they can take, nor for how long. While we did have a couple days of 105* weather a couple weeks ago (the yacon survived, but did lose some leaves), that is very unusual for us - most years we don't make it into the 100s. And only a few days in the 90s. Though with climate change, who knows?
As for cold, in my area we've had one light frost in 25 years. I still have a tomato plant I planted about a year ago. Im pretty sure the yacon could survive that. And if we did get a frost, the roots and tubers underground should not be affected.
Not really. I usually grow much more than we need, and I'm trying to do that less. Too much water used, and we are still very dry here. This summer, for various reasons, I have at least 3 big beds I have planted nothing in. And I still have more produce than we can use.
It's quite an interesting crop. Only problem that I can see is getting your hands on them to start. After that, I think they can be grown seasonally (summer/fall) in many parts of the country, perhaps with a greenhouse assist. I've seen videos/articles of people successfully growing them in the Midwest, and Vermont even. I would assume the south and most of the westcoast would be a piece of cake.
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Yacon
Jul 26, 2018 14:06:51 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Jul 26, 2018 14:06:51 GMT -5
A week or so ago, I tipped out another large pot of yacon. They should go longer for more production, but wanted a.) to eat more of it, and b.) to start more plants to get a jump on next year.
As for eating, I just am loving these things. I love tipping over a pot to see if there has been a good return, and really enjoy eating them. It's going to take serious restraint to not tip out more pots in the near future. They really should go till maybe October.
With respect to propagation, I was able to divide the crown from the newly harvested pot into about 12 divisions. And I also started many cuttings - 48 - in plant bands with used planting mix/compost. The cutting material varied from young tips to sturdier stems. Some with only one node, but most with more. I have no idea what makes the most successful cutting material with these. I'm keeping the bands with cuttings in Rubbermaid type containers, covered with clear plastic film, and aired/misted daily. I'd be very happy to get 10 rooted plants from these. They are said to root easily.
I have 4 yacon in the ground in front, and the other day one started to wilt badly - figured there must be a ^%&#@ gopher, dug around, found a good run, set a trap, and voila... the next day, rip. I'm afraid I'm going to have to be more vigilant with respect to gophers in the future yacon beds. Sweet, succulent roots - what's there for them to not like?
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Yacon
Jul 27, 2018 7:10:51 GMT -5
Post by brownrexx on Jul 27, 2018 7:10:51 GMT -5
It sounds like growing potatoes. I just love seeing what the plants have made below ground. It is so much fun.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
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Yacon
Jul 27, 2018 10:34:53 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2018 10:34:53 GMT -5
Kind of like a surprise package with the plant acting as the ribbon and bow!
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Yacon
Jul 27, 2018 15:29:16 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Jul 27, 2018 15:29:16 GMT -5
It sounds like growing potatoes. I just love seeing what the plants have made below ground. It is so much fun.
Exactly! I was thinking just that when I was digging up the yacon. Since I'm now eating low-carb, I've stopped growing potatoes, and have missed that end of season surprise harvest.
On YouTube there are many fun UK allotment videos about harvesting their potatoes grown in containers, and then weighing their spuds. Not so many about container yacon, but some. I wish there were more to distract me. I suspect I'm not going to be able to wait till the end of August to dig up another.
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Yacon
Jul 29, 2018 22:28:04 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Jul 29, 2018 22:28:04 GMT -5
Yesterday I put into 15 gallon pots six of the divisions from the first yacon I harvested. They had been in 2 gallon pots, not all that long, but the rootball hung together pretty well. Some roots had made it out to the edge, so they were growing well.
I put these 6 pots adjacent to each other, and intend to try to string a soaker hose between them for easier watering. Not that 6 pots would take that long.
This morning I put up shade cloth over them to prevent wilting for a few days. And I still have to mulch them.
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Yacon
Jul 30, 2018 6:18:06 GMT -5
Post by brownrexx on Jul 30, 2018 6:18:06 GMT -5
Since I'm now eating low-carb, I've stopped growing potatoes, and have missed that end of season surprise harvest. I don't know anything about yacon. Obviously it must not be starchy?
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Post by Gianna on Jul 30, 2018 14:50:42 GMT -5
Since I'm now eating low-carb, I've stopped growing potatoes, and have missed that end of season surprise harvest. I don't know anything about yacon. Obviously it must not be starchy? It's not starchy at all. The part of yacon you eat are storage roots, and what is stored is a type of carb that humans don't metablize. Inulin (artichokes, sunchokes, chicory - all related to sunflowers) and FOS (which is a long word I can't spell, but will post it when I find it again, lol). These pass right through our systems and are fermented/consumed in the lower intestines by our gut bacteria - like beans. And why some people have trouble with them.
There have been many health claims about them - help with weight loss, lowering blood sugars, prebiotics, promotes satiety, etc. But I'm not sure what I believe, if anything. Yacon was supposedly hyped on Dr Oz (quack, quack, quack...) I'm going gung-ho on them now because I really like them, and here they are so easy to grow. Any health benefits would just be a bonus.
What was a most pleasant surprise about them were the combination of sweetness (but not too much), and tenderness and crispy. Just a great texture. Did I say 'great texture'? I have read in a couple places that some people find them blah tasting. But that could be variety or culture. Don't know.
Edit: I've decided to dig up another perhaps later this week. Not just to have more to eat, but to have more plant starts. The first one I dug up I got 6 divisions. The second, more ruthless, I got 12 divisions. I'm finding too many places to plant them in the yard - and friends who want to grow them too....
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Yacon
Aug 2, 2018 12:01:28 GMT -5
Post by bestofour on Aug 2, 2018 12:01:28 GMT -5
Interesting. I would have thought they'd be starchy.
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Post by Gianna on Aug 9, 2018 22:42:25 GMT -5
It's been about two weeks since harvesting a yacon in a pot, and making cuttings from the vegetative material. I made 48 cuttings, and of those, the uppermost, softer cuttings (11) have failed. Just too soft I guess. The stems rotted. Of the remaining 37, the leaves still look perky, and there are a few roots emerging from the bottoms of some pots, so I know some are rooting. We'll see how many.
About 10-12 days ago, I decided to start some cuttings in water from snapped off side shoots about 6 inches long. Put them in aerated water, misted, and covered with a cut-off clear plastic gallon bottle, and put in the shade. I've been changing the water every two days or so. Many of them put out root primordia in less than a week. And 3 others have put out roots at the nodes. Yacon seems to root easily.
I really want to dig up another to eat as well as divide, ...but will try to wait as long as possible.
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Yacon
Aug 17, 2018 0:11:54 GMT -5
Post by Gianna on Aug 17, 2018 0:11:54 GMT -5
Just harvested another pot today. This was about 3 weeks after the last one, and this plant had noticeably more sizable roots. Just a tick over 4 pounds. Not bad for growing in a pot. I've got 7 more large pots to go of the same age. I'm thinking I can now harvest a pot whenever I need to.
I also repotted 4 divisions in other 15 gallon pots. I could have broken the divisions into smaller pieces, but decided I'd get better results from leaving them larger.
The 15 gallon pots are rather cumbersome for this old broad, so I'm thinking of putting a few into 7 (or so) gallon pots to see if I get a good enough harvest. I've seen several videos of people growing them in 5 gallon pots, successfully. And over the winter, there would be less pressure to water them all the time.
I also now have rooted cuttings to increase the herd. I separated the 15 definitely rooted ones (with visible roots coming out the bottoms) from the humidity chamber, and have started transitioning them into the sun. No sun damage yet, but I was watching carefully.
There are others from that batch that have rooted with the tops now growing, but they are not showing bottom roots yet. No reason to rush - better to stagger new plants anyway.
I saw a video this morning of a yacon farmer in the Andes. He said he planted new starts every 2 weeks. It was a small commercial outfit. I'm thinking planting a few new plants every month might be a good goal for here.
Sure did enjoy eating the fresh raw roots this evening.
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Yacon
Aug 17, 2018 21:10:48 GMT -5
Post by bestofour on Aug 17, 2018 21:10:48 GMT -5
Sounds like you're going to end up with a lot.
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Post by Gianna on Aug 18, 2018 11:29:05 GMT -5
Sounds like you're going to end up with a lot. Yes, I'm thinking so too. But I'd rather have too many. I want them available all year, and have no clue how they will produce over the winter. I also have been 'talking it up' and friends want to try it too.
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