This year the Andean spud-a-like oca, aka New Zealand yam, is making its debut on our plot. Tubers were chitted and planted alongside our four varieties of potato to compare progress, and we also stuck a single tuber in a tub of rich compost for further amateur analysis.
After a few months growth the plants are looking healthy. They exhibit a similar growing style to the adjacent spuds but have been slightly less vigorous, with the plot plants more compact than their potted pal. They’re a much more attractive crop than the potato, displaying clover shaped leaves akin to other members of the oxalis family and should soon feature bright yellow flowers.
We’ll be tucking into potatoes long before the new oca tubers even start to form and we’ll be digging them after the first autumn frost.
Tubers planted: oca, www.realseeds.co.uk
