I haven't although its on the "interesting" list. We are fooling around with Cardoon which is a dramatic plant 
Chitted Oca Tubers
- Thread starter British Red
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Haha, the 'interesting list'. I have one of those, skirret and yacon are on it for next year.
Cardoons look fab, that family of plants (artichoke?) are really dramatic....another one for the list! In my mind they seem to relate to thistles in the same (dramatic) way that gunnera relates to rhubarb, although obviously you can't eat gunnera! I did think I'd found a patch of cardoon on a wild patch of garden at work, not sure though- will post a pic if I get a chance.
Would love to see a picture of your whole garden in full flow, cheers, Joab
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Cardoons look fab, that family of plants (artichoke?) are really dramatic....another one for the list! In my mind they seem to relate to thistles in the same (dramatic) way that gunnera relates to rhubarb, although obviously you can't eat gunnera! I did think I'd found a patch of cardoon on a wild patch of garden at work, not sure though- will post a pic if I get a chance.
Would love to see a picture of your whole garden in full flow, cheers, Joab
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Be careful what you wish for
Restoring our cottage thread
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43729
Beekeeping
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95267
Theres a whole thread on building our raised beds too - but I can't find it
Beekeeping! Now you're talking! We've just established a wild flower meadow ( over the last three years) as part of habitat creation where I work- my grand plan is to introduce several beehives to take advantage of the wild flowers and hopefully help with the pollination in the vegetable garden. It's funny how quickly these things spiral! Many thanks for the links, I'll have a look. Cheers Joab
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Just had a proper look - most of the stuff on the garden, greenhouses and outbuildings is in this link . Its long and dull - you have been warned!
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43729
. Its long and dull - you have been warned!http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43729
PRC - I'm growing a load currently so will have some you can have gratis if you remind me in January.
No, I don't.
They were fun to grow, interesting, tasty
but for me, the long growing season meant that I literally had to mind them for nearly ten months and that became a kind of hmmmm. They took over my kitchen windowsill in early Spring, and that left no room for other plants. In the garden they spread out in their pots to over a metre in diameter, big and vigorously sprawling like a kind of manic spud My garden isn't huge, and it's surrounded by walls and woodland. I lifted the last potful in very late December and I think they could have done with a bit longer, but everything here was sodden wet and bitter cold. Hard frosts were coming but not there yet, but we were down to really less than eight hours of daylight.
If I had space, good easily used space, then yes, I would grow them again though.
They were a tasty alternative to pototoes, neeps, etc., They keep well too, are easily cooked and versatile.
In the end I think of them as an interesting thing, feasible to grow, might try again one year, but not a year on year staple, not in this garden.
Would I encourage others to try them ? Yes
and my best advice would be to really start them really early indoors. Get them going before you plant them out, and plant them out in big pots. My best results came from pots less than two handspans wide. Keep them watered in the heat, they don't seem to mind semi shade, which was kind of a surprise, but we live and learn. Give them time, they'll take it and they'll give you bountiful layers of sausage sized tubers.Soil wise I just planted them in the stuff we dig out of our compost heap, I didn't feed them otherwise.
British Red has an awful lot more experience growing these than I have though.
M
No, I don't.
They were fun to grow, interesting, tasty
My garden isn't huge, and it's surrounded by walls and woodland. I lifted the last potful in very late December and I think they could have done with a bit longer, but everything here was sodden wet and bitter cold. Hard frosts were coming but not there yet, but we were down to really less than eight hours of daylight.
If I had space, good easily used space, then yes, I would grow them again though.
They were a tasty alternative to pototoes, neeps, etc., They keep well too, are easily cooked and versatile.
In the end I think of them as an interesting thing, feasible to grow, might try again one year, but not a year on year staple, not in this garden.
Would I encourage others to try them ? Yes
Soil wise I just planted them in the stuff we dig out of our compost heap, I didn't feed them otherwise.
M
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Yours are far larger than anything I've so far grown - which considering my and your locations is interesting to me.
I agree its a long growing season and the foliage is very effective ground cover.
@British Red
BR's original thread was this one (my photos of the stuff coming out of the pots are on pages 4 and 5)
bushcraftuk.com
BR's original thread was this one (my photos of the stuff coming out of the pots are on pages 4 and 5)
Yacon and Oca
I thought I would separate this post out for those who bought Yacon and Oca. I planted out my Yacon today as I don't think we will see a frost here now Yacon Roots by British Red, on Flickr Planted Yacon 2014 by British Red, on Flickr The Oca planted a while ago is already showing 2014 Oca...
bushcraftuk.com
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BR's original thread was this one (my photos of the stuff coming out of the pots are on pages 4 and 5)
Yacon and Oca
I thought I would separate this post out for those who bought Yacon and Oca. I planted out my Yacon today as I don't think we will see a frost here now Yacon Roots by British Red, on Flickr Planted Yacon 2014 by British Red, on Flickr The Oca planted a while ago is already showing 2014 Oca...
I'm going to take a guess that they may well produce more wet weather than fair weather.
We're certainly wet here, but when it was hot and sunny, we did keep them well watered. I don't think I'd have fussed so much if they'd been in the ground, but our sodden wet soil is full of keel slugs, and they devour root crops. I grow all of those in pots, and I clear the pots out every year.
If my garden was South facing, open and not so shaded, then the Oca would be something I'd try often.
If my garden was South facing, open and not so shaded, then the Oca would be something I'd try often.
I think you've already gifted me some fishing kit so this would be more payback - In a nice way.
I've grown oca and yacon every year for well over a decade now.
I tend to grow the oca to keep it ticking over as I've not really had the time and space to see how well it does. It does need room and possibly some extra protection to get a good crop. I grow it in the ground and along with slugs mice and voles can be a bit of a problem.
I doubt it would ever produce enough to replace potatoes but I like it as a crunchy vegetable in stir fries.
Yacon on the other hand is very productive, although I don't like it enough to eat it in a great quantity.
How do you use the Yacon? I've grown it once as an experiment but I never really could see how to get the best use from it.
I can't beat that price
Sorry Red!!! I didn't realise you were still knocking around. Just trying to be a good egg.
Mate its fine and a lovely gesture. I produce all manner of seeds these days, but mostly just to savemoney
