[Potty Plotty Lotty]

Does anyone have a view on whether planting larger oca tubers could result in a harvest with larger tubers?

Having finally dug up my oca from last year, I'm trying to decide whether to eat or save the larger tubers. I'm keen to get larger tubers if I'm going to keep growing oca as I'm not a fan of cleaning root veg! I deliberately bought Dylan Keating Oca but I can't remember which the tuber size was when I received them last year. I also have an unknown pink variety which are very small.

[Trikidiki]

I would think they would work pretty much the same as potatoes. If you want larger tubers then 'rub out' some of the shoots before you plant. When I grew them they produced masses of foliage but the tubers produced were plentiful but quite small. If I were to grow them again I think I would plant the smaller tubers, but I wasn't over impressed with them as a vegetable.

I would think soil fertility would have a very profound efect on the tuber size as well.

[sunshineband]

I have found that smaller tubers grow a decent crop of large ones. Leaving harvesting until a few weeks after the foliage has been cut down by frost helps too, as does a mid season feed of chicken manure pellets and a good soak occasionally if there is an extended period of dry weather.

[surbie100]

I tried planting larger tubers last year. The ones in the ground on average produced consistently large tubers, but the ones I grew in a tub were much smaller. Having them in a sunny position in autumn is also important given that they are still day-length sensitive in terms of tuber formation. Lots of the tuber growth comes in the weeks after the killing frost. There's an Oca Breeders Guild working on developing a variety that is day-length neutral, which would mean we wouldn't have to dig them up in the freezing cold.

[sunshineband]

I did like your idea of growing them "earthed up" to make it easier to harvest tubers when the soil is really cold and wet, Surbie.

If anyone finds they do not have space for Oca, try growing them as an undercrop with cordon tomatoes -- works well for both crops I find