The easy guide to Yams

Yams (Oxalis tuberosa)

Job 30:4 Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.























Also known as New Zealand yams, oka or oca
Is a perennial plant grown as an annual
Is related to the common garden weed oxalis
The edible tubers are 3-10cm long
They have uneven grooves and bulges along the sides
Is grown in the same way as potatoes
Fresh tubers have a strong acid taste
So they are stored in a sunny place for a few weeks
This improves sweetness and flavour
Well grown plants can produce 15-20 roots
Roots need to be washed free of soil
Oka can be steamed, baked or boiled

 How to Grow

Plant tubers in Spring after frosts are finished
In a warm sheltered postion with fertile soil
Prepare the soil with compost or well rotted manure
Plant tubers 7cm deep and 45cm apart
Row spacing is 60cm apart
Make sure soil is moist and well weeded
Keep the stems covered with soil or compost
Mound soil up around plants or mulch deeply
Fertilize when the plants are in full growth











Harvesting

 Yams take up to six months to mature
When the flowering is complete
When the tops start to yellow and die is harvest time
Place tubers in full light for 2 weeks to remove bitterness
Tubers can be saved as seed tubers for the next season of planting











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