Oca
Colourful knobbly tubers that form as days shorten in autumn.
Oca (Tubers)
£5.99 in the shop
Calendar
Sow
April–May, from saved tubers
Plant out
Protect foliage from early frost; lift only after tubers have had time to swell.
Harvest
November–December, after foliage dies back
Conditions
Sun
Full sun
Water
Water well once tubers start forming
Soil
Deep, fertile, slightly acidic
Spacing
30cm (earlies) to 40cm (maincrop), rows 60–75cm apart
Containers
Great in 40L sacks — 3 tubers per sack
Indoors
Not needed, but chit indoors in a cool, light spot
Care and harvest
Feeding
A balanced feed at planting; high potash as tubers swell
Pruning
Earth up stems as they grow to stop tubers greening
Harvesting
Protect foliage from early frost; lift only after tubers have had time to swell.
Storage
Cool, dark, dry hessian sacks — check monthly
Good companions: Beans, Sweetcorn, Horseradish