Chitted Oca Tubers

[British Red]

All Gone


Oca is one of the 'Lost Crops' of the Incas and still eaten widely in South America.


Seed Oca by British Red, on Flickr

Its grown just like potato and tastes like potato with lemon on. It is though unrelated to the potato and completely immune to blight.

Another advantage over spuds is that you eat the foliage - the nearest I can come is wood sorrel (which it resembles although much larger and bushier)

The combination of blight immunity and edible foliage make it, for us, a far better crop than potatoes. However they are unfortunately more expensive than seed potatoes. However small Oca tubers can be kept back and replanted, so you only have to buy them once



Oca PLants by British Red, on Flickr

The tubers start to form in short days (November on), so if you are in the far North, skip it. I have grown it for several years in Lincolnshire without a problem so I would say you should be okay in the Midlands or South of the Midlands.

You plant it 1 foot apart (rows and plants) after the risk of frost has passed (I usually risk it in March). You can chit like spuds, but I have planted without and they all grew.


Planted oca by British Red, on Flickr


Red oca by British Red, on Flickr

You cannot harvest though until two weeks after frost has killed the top growth - which was January this year


Frosted Oca by British Red, on Flickr


I get about a pound of bulbs per square foot. Keep a few back and plant next year.


Lifted Oca by British Red, on Flickr

Real seeds charge £8 for 5 or 6 of these (plus postage)

http://www.realseeds.co.uk/unusualtubers.html

I will happily supply 10 tubers for £5 plus p&p of £3.

If you want more than 10 tubers, this is not a problem, the £3 (small parcel) can hold up to 20 tubers.


If you want some, put a post on here with how many you want then shoot me a PM with how many you need and we'll sort it out.

Payment by PayPal only please

So
10 tubers : £8
20 tubers: £13



Red

 

[Toddy]

Mine are coming along like a house on fire and you're right, the foliage is lovely
They're now between 6" and 8" high and I'm going to pot them up into final pots this week.

This is going to sound silly, but they're happy wee plants The kind you look at and just know that that's dinner growing there

atb,
Mary

 

[British Red]

Thats great to hear Mary. Plant them in the biggest pots you have - I heard about someone who uses 3' spacing and gets great results! I only use 1' spacing because they close out all weeds early on and become zero maintenance - but I'm sure more space would improve the "per plant" yield - if not the "per square foot" yield. Some "earth up" like potatoes as well....I can see that working.

They certainly are happy plants If you watch the foliage, you can tell when they are content. When those sorrel like leaves droop they are thirsty or too hot - give them a spritz of water and they perk right up!

 

[tom.moran]

i want some of these last time you sold some, but i dont have a garden

 

[British Red]

You can certainly pot grow them if you have a yard or balcony?

 

[kaiAnderson]

Thanks for the heads up. Can I take 20? i'll send half to me mums allotment and we'll grow the rest here. we grow a lot of Peruvian food.

 

[steve111]

Can i take 10 please

 

[HillBill]

I'm using them in place of squash in the 3 sisters system. The ocas are going in next week. They will be the first planted, out of the 3.

 

[SteveW]

Can I take 20 Please if you have them, I'm going to try them in pots.

 

[ADz-1983]

Sorry I'm not really green fingered. Do these need any special soil or feed etc? Or can I just bung em in garden and leave them?

Been thinking of growing some edibles

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[British Red]

Thanks gents - payments received from all. I'll pack up and send the tubers early next week

Still some available and good for planting any time in the next few weeks if anyone fancies having a go at an unusual food stuff?

 

[British Red]

Packed them all up this afternoon and will pop them up to the Post Office as soon as I can.

Does anyone else want any whilst I have the packing boxes out?

 

[Shewie]

I'll take 10 please Hugh, can i sort out payment later, just feeding the wrinklies at the moment

 

[British Red]

Of course Shewie - PM me your full name and address when you get a minute and I'll pack them up for you.

 

[Coldfeet]

I'll take 10 please

 

[uncleboob]

Hey, could I have 10 please. Might sound a bit thick but where in the rotation would these go?...in place of / alongside the spuds?

Many thanks

Joab

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[MarvTommo]

Whats the best way to eat these?


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[Jazz006]

Can I have 10 please

 

[British Red]

Hey, could I have 10 please. Might sound a bit thick but where in the rotation would these go?...in place of / alongside the spuds?

Many thanks

Joab

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Hi Joab. These have a long season so you can't catch crop them. They aren't too fussy about manure so I have used them on freshly manured soil, but they aren't as hungry as potatoes so you can put them anywhere in your rotation I find. I'll PM you about delivery.

 

[British Red]

Whats the best way to eat these?


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Treat the tubers as small spuds - so boiled, mashed, roast etc. I like them lightly boiled like new potatoes



or parboiled and roast



The foliage is fantastic raw in a salad - really zingy