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Post by richardw on Nov 15, 2013 3:20:01 GMT -5
I soaked mine for 24 hours than spread the seed over the surface of some damp seed raising mix, then covered with plastic wrap to keep moist.
My deepest condolences to your Oca passing away steev.......taken so young
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Post by cesarz on Nov 19, 2013 23:05:52 GMT -5
Good news! Three seedlings have emerged. These were sown Oct 17.
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Post by richardw on Nov 19, 2013 23:23:04 GMT -5
Oh good on ya.
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Post by billw on Nov 20, 2013 12:23:04 GMT -5
I'm really happy to hear that you guys got some to sprout. I was getting kind of worried. I can also report that I have a few seeds that have just broken their coats this morning. They have been in a wet paper towel in a plastic bag at 70 degrees F since late last week. I'll now transfer them to individual cells. As for the rest of the oca, I think we are done for this year:  |
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Post by cesarz on Nov 21, 2013 5:38:33 GMT -5
Yep, they are coming up alright, another 6 seedlings sprouted this afternoon.
cesarz
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Post by raymondo on Nov 21, 2013 5:49:31 GMT -5
I'm really happy to hear that you guys got some to sprout. I was getting kind of worried. I can also report that I have a few seeds that have just broken their coats this morning. They have been in a wet paper towel in a plastic bag at 70 degrees F since late last week. I'll now transfer them to individual cells. As for the rest of the oca, I think we are done for this year: Oca in suspended animation? Guess they melt when they thaw. |
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Post by richardw on Nov 21, 2013 12:04:41 GMT -5
I think it was a little premature of me to have given up waiting for my lot of Oca seed to show itself,i know where the potting mix is now so i'll keep an eye on it if something shows up.
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Post by billw on Nov 21, 2013 15:32:30 GMT -5
Oca in suspended animation? Guess they melt when they thaw. Surprisingly, most of the oca that was encased in ice survived with very little damage. I ran the sprinklers with frost protection in mind, but I expected more serious damage. Where the sprinklers didn't reach, it was a total foliage kill. |
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Post by hortusbrambonii on Nov 21, 2013 17:02:08 GMT -5
Oca seems to be more frost-tolerant than yacon here. Yesterday the yacon-leaves were all dead, (as were the beans, the chufa leaves, some amaranths and my tomatillo plants) and the yet oca remained almost untouched. But since even parts of the garden nasturtium and the Galinsoga weed were still alive I think the frost must've been very light anyway... More heavy frost will come soon though.
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Post by billw on Nov 25, 2013 13:38:11 GMT -5
I haven't really been able to test yacon for frost resistance since it has always been destroyed by high wind before it gets that cold. Some oca varieties are definitely more frost resistant than others. Mexican Red seems to take damage really easily. Sunset, Bolivian Red, and Hopin all seem to tolerate at least a few hours below freezing. Here's a new photo of this year's seedlings:  The size difference has been increasing. It will be interesting to see if the small ones can be overwintered and planted out in the spring. The five largest are all producing tubers and I've snatched a few that popped up at the surface. |
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Post by billw on Dec 2, 2013 18:40:44 GMT -5
I've harvested a few of the new ocas:   I'm looking forward to seeing how you folks in the southern hemisphere do! |
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Post by rowan on Dec 2, 2013 18:45:30 GMT -5
I was just out doing my morning inspection of my blocks and had to do a double-take. Some of my oca are flowering - and it is still weeks till the longest day, let alone the shortest when they should be flowering!! I have only has them flower a bit once and that was in autumn.
I don't know whether to pick off the flowers so the plants get bigger or leave the flowers and hope that I can get a couple of seeds before autumn and then they start tuberising.
I don't know why, it could be a combination of our cool and wet spring or that I am now covering my beds with 50% shadecloth to protect from the summer heat.
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Post by billw on Dec 2, 2013 18:55:41 GMT -5
My experience has been that oca flowering has nothing to do with day length. I think that is simply coincidental with the right weather conditions for flowering.
If you have different flower types and want to try for seed, try taking a 10cm cutting that includes the inflorescense and put it in a cup of water. Then, find a compatible flower, denude it, and knock the stamens around in the flower on your cutting. In a couple of weeks, you should have a seed pod. You can do it outside as well, but I had far better results working with cuttings.
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Post by steev on Dec 10, 2013 20:41:17 GMT -5
(I will mention very quietly that I have a second oca sprout; don't want to scare it).
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Post by steev on Dec 11, 2013 12:07:00 GMT -5
THERE ARE TWO! Oops. (There are two!)
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