'Yacon' or 'Peruvian Ground Apple'
Smallanthus sonchifolius
betwixt and between the 24th February and August 2018.
Yacon is a new plant to me and, 'the allotment garden of Nowhere in particular'. As a neophyte ground apple grower I am trying it out in a raised bed in the polytunnel and outdoors in one of the raised beds in Plot B. I sourced the new yacon growing tips (or sets) from, The Real Seed Catalogue. The generous folk at 'Real Seed' promised 3 growing tips with a guarantee of at least one of them growing into a full and productive plant. I'm happy to report I received 4 growing tips and I have managed to cultivate all 4 of them into plants.
Yacon growing tips - potting up
24th February 2018.
I left the potted growing tips undercover in a cool, well lit conservatory - and kept the compost slightly moist until the tips became well rooted - at which point I moved them to the warmer polytunnel up at the allotment.
Yacon plants (left) in polytunnel
6th May 2018.
I planted out the yacon plants in raised beds, both outdoors and in the polytunnel. James Wong, in, Homegrown Revolution, recommends planting yacon in thoroughly dug soil with plenty of compost and grit to a depth of 40cm. I haven't gone quite that deep and did not add any grit. Otherwise I have followed James Wong's advice of keeping the plants well watered and fed. I have variously applied nettle manure tea, comfrey manure tea and seaweed extract.
Planting out 2 yacon plants - B8a - 17th May 2018
- cloches were used to provide protection against slugs.
B8a - full sun, south facing and sheltered
Planting out 2 yacon plants - P1 (middle of raised bed) - 19th May 2018.
The yacon plants are accompanied by nicotiana, sweet pea, watercress, a grapevine and cucamelon.
P1 - indoors, full sun, south facing, warm and sheltered.
If yacon prefers moist growing conditions then this growing season has probably been challenging for the plant - the raised beds have dried out very quickly in the continuous hot dry conditions we have experienced this summer in the UK. It has been challenging for me to keep the raised beds well watered while abiding by the allotment rule of watering can use only.
P1 - 23rd August 2018
Yacon growing with nicotiana, cucamelon, sweet pea (gone to seed), and a grapevine.
P1 - 23rd August 2018 - cucamelon
P1 - 23rd August 2018 - yacon reaching up through the increasingly rampant canopy of the cucamelon vine - nearly to a height of 2 metres.
While outside, the yacon plants have not grown as large. They appear healthy although they might have benefitted from a slightly more nitrogen rich feed earlier in the growing season.
B8a - yacon - 23rd August 2018.
I'm looking forward to harvesting the yacon - something I expect to do in October. That process will also include the storage of some of the tubers/rhizomes for propagation next year. As I have never eaten yacon, October may also be the time when I discover if I, and anybody else I share the produce of the allotment with, actually like it as a food crop. Of course, I could have found some yacon to try before setting out on this yacon growing trial. I would grow yacon again for the pleasure of the it's amazing foliage and how other plants can grow up through the foliage using it as a foil.
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