There is a lot of interest in growing oca – the post back in April https://annisveggies.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/growing-oca/ is one of the most visited ones on the blog – so I thought it was time for a quick update on how it is getting on. The first photo below is from May when the young plants had just been planted out and the second has just been taken. The plants currently stand at about 50 cm tall and some have pretty yellow flowers. If I remember correctly from last year they will grow bigger yet.
There are oca plants growing in diverse pockets around the garden; the photos below show plants in what was once a flower bed in the front garden. They share this with self seeded borage, peas, broad beans and chives. Other ocas are growing in polycultures with perennial roots and greens and some are in pots with beans or other nitrogen fixing plants.
So far it looks as though the plants in the deepest soil are happiest, but the proof will be in the yields at the end of the season.
gardens of delight 