If you've read my previous post you'll know I've joined the Guild Of Oca Breeders to try help (in a small way) to develop a new food crop that is viable in the northern hemisphere.
Friday night I managed to get the ones they'd sent me planted.
For the experiment I'm involved in they're meant to be started on the 21st of March but the weather wasn't favourable so a few days doesn't matter. The three types above are for the destructive harvest experiment. They're to be planted out and then one from each batch harvested and weighed on a set date, once a month starting in September and then yields can be compared to the length of day.
I also got sent the observer pack with 12 genetically different types of New Zealand yam they've grown before. I loved the variation of the tubers with some great shapes and colours. Each has it's own number so it's important to label them well encase any stock is wanted for future breeding or experiments.
I've set a side what I think is quite a bit of space to grow these (four beds in fact) but compared to what some people are growing for the guild it's a very small amount!
Should be interesting to see how they all compare.
Who else is growing Oca this year?
Hi Kev, after your previous post I signed up with the GOB as an experimenter and believe or not I potted up mine in the greenhouse yesterday too.
ReplyDeleteThat's great stuff! do you have a blog? I'd love to see your set up for them when you've got them growing.
DeleteI am udecided about growing them this year, we had so many last year I ended up feeding them to the pigs, still have a bucketful left
ReplyDeleteWhere as we had such a small yeild that I am not bothering to grow them this year. Maybe when we have moved I will try again
DeleteYou did better than most then dawn, I think mosteoporosis people had a poor harvest, the guild has a Facebook page and everyone had a disappointing harvest on there really.
DeleteSol, who knows, when you move maybe we'll have a better variety for you to try!
I didnt harvest until winter (Dec) and they seemed to do better yield wise
DeleteWere they undercover? Frost killed mine early on and tubers on increased so much afterwards.
DeleteWere they undercover? Frost killed mine early on and tubers on increased so much afterwards.
DeleteI wanted to try these this year but could only find it in one place and it was really, really expensive. Maybe next year. How fun to participate in something like this.
ReplyDeleteOk, how the heck can I send you an e-mail? Curious about the films you mentioned the other day about the US food system.
ReplyDeleteI'll send you a comment on your blog!
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