Oca Tubers available

[British Red]

Due to the mild Autumn and early Winter temperatures, I find myself with a good crop of Oca this year, so I thought I would offer up some of the tubers here/

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 30 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
30 tubers £18


Red

I can offer 100 tubers initially - after that it'll depend how many we've eaten

 

[Stew]

20 tubers please.

 

[British Red]

Thanks Stew - 30 gone, 70 left

Red

 

[Flav]

10 please, I'll give them a little try up the allotment

 

[beachlover]

Could I also take 20 please?

 

[fishfish]

red can you put 10 back for me till tuesday (payday)?

 

[Macaroon]

I'd like twenty of these please; PM to follow.

 

[Toddy]

I wish I thought they'd grow up here
Do you think I could kickstart them in the greenhouse......we get loooong Summer days that might help compensate for the slow start?

atb,
M

 

[slowworm]

They grow happily in pots/tubs which can then be moved somewhere frost free in the autumn, if required. And yes, they can be started off in pots under cover and planted out later in the season.

 

[British Red]

Just 10 left now - who wants em?

Red

 

[British Red]

Guys,

Please include your BCUK names on any PayPal transactions - its a nightmare guessing who has paid otherwise

Thanks!

Red

 

[Ogri the trog]

Me plea.....

Blast it, any left Red?

Ogri the trog

 

[British Red]

Guys,

Please include your BCUK names on any PayPal transactions - its a nightmare guessing who has paid otherwise

Thanks!

Red

 

[British Red]

Me plea.....

Blast it, any left Red?

Ogri the trog

Just for you OTT

You can have the last of them!

That's it for now guys. I'll get this lot packed up, and if there are any left over I'll start a new thread.

Thanks all

Red

 

[British Red]

Okay they are all packed up for sending. I have packed them boxed in hay. Please store in a cool, dark, frost free location until the Spring

Stew - I need your address for posting

Red

 

[Flav]

Red do I just treat them as I would my potatoes with plenty of manure
Thanks chris

 

[British Red]

Hi Chris,

If the land is fairly fertile, just plant them (I tend to manure beds on rotation). They won't object to manure for certain.

Plant at the same time as your first earlies. The big thing though is you must not harvest until two weeks after hard frost kills all the top growth - tubers only form at this point.

Happy to answer any all questions as we go along!

Red

 

[Flav]

Thanks red, it's on my allotment so manure went down in November and due to be dug in mid February, will make a note in my planting notes about the harvesting times.
Many thanks chris

 

[Stew]

Okay they are all packed up for sending. I have packed them boxed in hay. Please store in a cool, dark, frost free location until the Spring

Stew - I need your address for posting

Red

Just done in with my PP.

 

[British Red]

All posted today second class small parcel. They should arrive next week - please shoot me a PM if you haven't received them by Friday

Would love to see how people cook with them

We generally treat as new potatoes and either boil


Oca in Saucepan by British Red, on Flickr

or roast


Oca in Esse by British Red, on Flickr

But you can mash - or even make Oca salad!

Hope you enjoy guys. We have just checked the stocks and I may have a few more when I've finished processing beyond our needs for food and next years seed. If so I'll post a new thread.

All the best

Red