A fantastic video as usual steve. Thank you for all of your advice on yacon, growing harvesting etc and explaining the tubers. I tried my first red yacon last week and it wasnt sweet at all. I may have to dig another and cure it like you said for a few weeks and re try it. ❤❤❤
Nice video. I've always cured and stored my harvested yacon tubers indoors (firstly on a sunny windowsill for a few weeks, then in a kitchen cupboard) and gently brush off the dried soil rather than washing them. They last pretty well, but after a few months i do tend to get mould growth on most of the tubers, so i may try washing a few at harvest time as you do. I do think that stagger harvesting the plants throughout winter leads to a longer eating window and prevents a glut - providing the plants left in the winter ground are well mulched so that the tubers are protected from the frost. Half the fun is digging them up, even if it like trying to extract twenty 100 watt light bulbs! You've got a great harvest from a pot grown plant, and with such a bountiful harvest it makes total sense to begin harvesting as early as possible. My yacon plants are limited in number, so i'm waiting for the optimal time to start cropping in about a months time, but i have already begun cropping the abundant jerusalem artichokes and i can confirm they are also well enough developed now to start pulling a few up.
I’ve been picking Jerusalem artichokes for a month and I much prefer them in October than at the end of the season. I’ve not had a good experience with a thick mulch the last two years. When we have -8c temperatures and days on end below zero they still freeze, so I’ve now decided to harvest in the ground earlier and keep the rest of my container (12 weeks supply) for harvest later as I can keep the containers frost free : all the best - Steve
Am growing Yacon here in Germany since some years in containers and in the ground, enjoy fermenting Most of my yield. Growing 7 different varieties. In January I start potting up the rhizomes indoors and the developing plants get outside end of May.
Where would you recommend I buy these. I will return to the UK for Xmas to buy. Do you think they would grow in the Med area or is this likely too hot.
@@SteveRichards I buy seeds annually and export. I have been stopped twice over the years after Brexit and they were not interested. A tuber may be different.
Hi there, looks like an interesting crop but I'm a bit concerned about the DEFRA notices regarding bio security and growing yacon. Any thoughts on this gratefully received. Regards Alison
I’m no expert on this topic, but these were my thoughts. It’s an advisory from 2022 and I’ve not seen any updates or discussion. It relates to discovery of the virus on some imported tubers, so imports are now banned. The method of transmission is aphids and I’ve never noticed any aphids on my plants over the last 3 years. The advisory seems very focussed on Defras view of the world, prevent a new virus entering the UK, but gives no perspective at all on the risk vs benefit, to allow growers to decide whether to deprive themselves of an important crop and they’ve not taken the opportunity in the last two years to provide that perspective or any real advice. Their 2022 advisory - which is just advice, or any update at all on the scale of the problem - if followed their advice would result in no one being able to grow yacon after a year, since you cant import it and they advise not saving tubers. This seems unreasonable to me when there’s no justification, no information on risk and no updates. So I’m still growing it until Defra actually provides more complete information. That said I’m open to stopping growing it as and when Defra do explain themselves more fully.
My question is the opposite but similar. Yes I want to know where to buy them, but how would they do in a colder, wetter environment like Scotland. I know you said they are now prone to pests but would being wet make them prone to rotting?
DEFRA is recommending yakon isn't grown in the UK due to it carrying a potato virus (PYV) & its import has now been stopped: "Yacon can no longer be legally imported into GB, and while there remains a significant degree of uncertainty over the general disease status of this crop, we recommend yacon currently in GB should not be grown in the future. At this stage, the risks to commercial crops are low and Defra is issuing biosecurity advice on a precautionary basis. The advice is intended to be practical and provide realistic options, for those who have already imported or grown yacon, which if followed will keep the risk of spreading any infection to a minimum. If you have any further queries about yacon, import requirements or plant health controls, please contact your relevant plant health authority"
Yes, I came across this after the video was shot. It’s discussed in the comments and I provided a link in the description and in my growing guide to that effect.
It’s overstating it to say “it’s carrying” they just found some roots being imported that were infected. Mine were imported a long time ago so there’s no reason to believe that they are infected and I grow plenty of potatoes and peppers so I doubt it
I got some Jerusalem artichokes from the store and planted which worked.. wonder if getting the store bought yacon will do same but have not seen them in stores
I ❤ your greenhouse
Thanks for doing this video, Steve - there’s not much info elsewhere on how to store these so your advice and experience of these is very valuable.
Hopefully some more people will chip in and offer storage advice in the comments too Gill : all the best - Steve
A fantastic video as usual steve. Thank you for all of your advice on yacon, growing harvesting etc and explaining the tubers. I tried my first red yacon last week and it wasnt sweet at all. I may have to dig another and cure it like you said for a few weeks and re try it. ❤❤❤
Even sweeter cured with sunlight
Perfect timing. I have just bought two plants and so this has really told me what I need to know to grow them.
My Gardening Week video shows my harvest for 2024, so that might be useful too : all the best - Steve
After Steve’s video I also purchase a couple of plants.😮
Thanks Steve, interesting video.
Nice video. I've always cured and stored my harvested yacon tubers indoors (firstly on a sunny windowsill for a few weeks, then in a kitchen cupboard) and gently brush off the dried soil rather than washing them. They last pretty well, but after a few months i do tend to get mould growth on most of the tubers, so i may try washing a few at harvest time as you do. I do think that stagger harvesting the plants throughout winter leads to a longer eating window and prevents a glut - providing the plants left in the winter ground are well mulched so that the tubers are protected from the frost. Half the fun is digging them up, even if it like trying to extract twenty 100 watt light bulbs!
You've got a great harvest from a pot grown plant, and with such a bountiful harvest it makes total sense to begin harvesting as early as possible. My yacon plants are limited in number, so i'm waiting for the optimal time to start cropping in about a months time, but i have already begun cropping the abundant jerusalem artichokes and i can confirm they are also well enough developed now to start pulling a few up.
I’ve been picking Jerusalem artichokes for a month and I much prefer them in October than at the end of the season. I’ve not had a good experience with a thick mulch the last two years. When we have -8c temperatures and days on end below zero they still freeze, so I’ve now decided to harvest in the ground earlier and keep the rest of my container (12 weeks supply) for harvest later as I can keep the containers frost free : all the best - Steve
Am growing Yacon here in Germany since some years in containers and in the ground, enjoy fermenting Most of my yield. Growing 7 different varieties. In January I start potting up the rhizomes indoors and the developing plants get outside end of May.
I only recently discovered that there are lots of varieties, but we can’t import them into the UK now, so I’m stuck with what I have
The USA sells virus-free Yacon grown from tissue culture @@SteveRichards
Where would you recommend I buy these. I will return to the UK for Xmas to buy. Do you think they would grow in the Med area or is this likely too hot.
I believe they are quite tolerant to heat, you can usually buy crops like this on eBay, but I doubt you’d be allowed to take them abroad with you
@@SteveRichards I buy seeds annually and export. I have been stopped twice over the years after Brexit and they were not interested. A tuber may be different.
Hi there, looks like an interesting crop but I'm a bit concerned about the DEFRA notices regarding bio security and growing yacon. Any thoughts on this gratefully received. Regards Alison
I’m no expert on this topic, but these were my thoughts. It’s an advisory from 2022 and I’ve not seen any updates or discussion. It relates to discovery of the virus on some imported tubers, so imports are now banned. The method of transmission is aphids and I’ve never noticed any aphids on my plants over the last 3 years. The advisory seems very focussed on Defras view of the world, prevent a new virus entering the UK, but gives no perspective at all on the risk vs benefit, to allow growers to decide whether to deprive themselves of an important crop and they’ve not taken the opportunity in the last two years to provide that perspective or any real advice. Their 2022 advisory - which is just advice, or any update at all on the scale of the problem - if followed their advice would result in no one being able to grow yacon after a year, since you cant import it and they advise not saving tubers. This seems unreasonable to me when there’s no justification, no information on risk and no updates. So I’m still growing it until Defra actually provides more complete information. That said I’m open to stopping growing it as and when Defra do explain themselves more fully.
My question is the opposite but similar. Yes I want to know where to buy them, but how would they do in a colder, wetter environment like Scotland. I know you said they are now prone to pests but would being wet make them prone to rotting?
I’ve no direct experience, but I know they grow them in the US, pacific north west, that very wet, eBay is always a good option for this sort of crop
Otter Farm if in UK seem to sell them too
They sound great. Thanks! Why don't more people grow them? They sound like a good staple crop and more disease resistant than, say, potatoes.
They are very expensive to buy and they are not as versatile as potatoes and they aren’t as nutritious
Are the red Yacon available to buy in the UK? I have been hoping to grow these at some point
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256502272197?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=lWn8R7FSRIe&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
DEFRA is recommending yakon isn't grown in the UK due to it carrying a potato virus (PYV) & its import has now been stopped:
"Yacon can no longer be legally imported into GB, and while there remains a significant degree of uncertainty over the general disease status of this crop, we recommend yacon currently in GB should not be grown in the future.
At this stage, the risks to commercial crops are low and Defra is issuing biosecurity advice on a precautionary basis. The advice is intended to be practical and provide realistic options, for those who have already imported or grown yacon, which if followed will keep the risk of spreading any infection to a minimum.
If you have any further queries about yacon, import requirements or plant health controls, please contact your relevant plant health authority"
Yes, I came across this after the video was shot. It’s discussed in the comments and I provided a link in the description and in my growing guide to that effect.
It’s overstating it to say “it’s carrying” they just found some roots being imported that were infected. Mine were imported a long time ago so there’s no reason to believe that they are infected and I grow plenty of potatoes and peppers so I doubt it
I got some Jerusalem artichokes from the store and planted which worked.. wonder if getting the store bought yacon will do same but have not seen them in stores
@laurad2136 it won’t work, they are storage tubers and the many grows from root tubers, see the video for details of the difference