How to Plant and Raise This Underrated Vegetable

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Have you ever heard of oca? Chances are you’ve never tried it unless you’ve traveled to the Andes or have a great South American grocery store near you. It’s time to fix it.

Oca is a delicious, starchy tuber that gives you something a little different to eat or sell at the regular potato market we all know and love.

If you love trying new vegetables and want to try growing them, read on! We have everything you will need to start growing oca in your own garden.

Contents

What is Oca?

Oca (tuberous wood sorrel) is a tuberous vegetable native to the Andes region. It grows prolifically throughout Bolivia and Peru and is the second most popular edible tuber there, after the potato.

That said, it has only recently gained popularity outside of South America. Many specialty grocers have begun to offer this delicious, waxy tuber to satisfy our expanding palates. Hey, considering how nutritious (and tasty) these roots are, that’s not a bad thing!

Depending on where you travel, these roots may also be called “apilla”, “quiba”, “papa roja” (red potato), “timbo”, “uqa” or “hibias”. They are absolutely delicious and since the early 1800s they have been naturalized in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, where they are prized as delicacies.

Growing oca is a great idea if you want to expand the biodiversity of your garden. That said, it is important to be aware that this vegetable can be very difficult to cultivate.

Oca growth requirements

First, for the oca to develop its tuberous roots, it must receive less than 12 hours of daylight. In addition, it must already be quite ripe when this lack of sunshine occurs. It also needs fairly warm and consistent temperatures and humidity.

Therefore, if you are growing oca in the United States, you will likely have better luck if you are in the Pacific Northwest. Anywhere else, you will need temperature and humidity controlled greenhouse tunnels for your plants to thrive.

They also don’t like too much direct sun, and they will crumble and die in drought conditions. That said, they also need well-drained soil or their tubers will rot. (Did we mention they’re tough?)

Your best bet is to grow them in containers or raised beds. Fill them with well-drained, sandy potting soil, such as a cactus growing medium. However, these plants are big feeders, so put some well-aged compost in there too.

Also, if you are growing in raised beds, choose pots that you can move around easily. This is because you may need to transfer them from place to place during the growing season. Just be aware that you won’t get as many tubers out of pots as you would straight out of the ground.

Propagation and planting

Growing oca tubers is pretty much the same as growing potatoes. Plant whole tubers a few inches into the ground after the last frost. The plants spread out a bit, so plant them about a foot apart.

Many growers recommend saving the larger tubers from year to year. Then use them to start your next batch the following spring. Of course, small tubers will also grow into healthy plants, but large ones will grow faster. They will also create more mini-tubers, greatly increasing your yield.

If you only have a few big tubers but want to grow more plants, that’s no problem. Tuberous propagation is not your only option when growing oca. They will grow very well from cuttings and slip. Simply use a pair of clean shears to take cuttings that have at least a few leaves growing on them. Then keep them in clean water until roots form and plant them as you would any other seedling.

You can terraze around the plants as they start to grow to increase their yields, but you don’t have to worry about the tubers greening. They don’t have arsenic like potatoes and won’t become poisonous with exposure to light.

Watering and feeding

When growing oca, make sure their soil never dries out. They will freak out and die on you in any type of drought condition. Water them regularly and check the soil daily to make sure it is sufficiently moistened.

If you live in a drier area or are experiencing a heat wave, consider adding mulch around the stems. Straw or grass clippings will help retain moisture so the soil doesn’t dry out too quickly. It will also keep the area cooler, which can help calm those finicky tubers.

As mentioned, oca plants are big feeders. As a result, you will need to replenish soil nutrients several times during the growing season. Since you’re aiming for plump, healthy tubers rather than foliage, choose a low-nitrogen fertilizer. Then follow the instructions on the packaging

Potential pests and pathogens

Oca is remarkably free of pests and pathogens. In fact, there are only two main culprits you may encounter:

Wireworm

I’m not going to lie here: they are complete bastards to deal with. They can lie dormant in the ground for years and then attack your vegetables with great enthusiasm. Few or no pesticides are effective against wireworms, so your best defense is a good offense.

Plow your garden 10 to 12 inches in the fall, then again in late winter or early spring. This should produce larval worms and expose them. They will either freeze to death or be eaten by birds, amphibians, moles and other predators. Or both.

If you find you have a wireworm infestation, you can try repelling them with beneficial nematodes. Other than that, all you can do is uproot and burn the affected plants.

Small Rodents

Field mice, voles and chipmunks seem to be very fond of oca tubers. They will dig into the ground to reach them and then chew on pieces. To avoid this, consider planting alliums such as chives or onions next to your oca. They will help repel unwanted animal visitors and also attract beneficial insects.

Additionally, consider scattering the droppings of predators such as cats, dogs, foxes, coyotes, or wolves around the perimeter of your property. This will keep many rodents away lest they become lunch. Growing oca tubers is hard enough without ratty little mouths chewing them up.

Other potential issues

Not only are oca plants sensitive to light, they are also sensitive to frost. Quite simply, they will crumble and die at the first sign of frost.

Considering the fact that they won’t produce roots until the days get shorter (eg late November), this makes growing them rather difficult. You may be unlucky in this regard if you live in the Northeastern states, Canada, Eastern or Northern Europe, or colder parts of Asia. The only way to grow them well is in a heated greenhouse.

Oca roots contain oxalic acid, which is also present in their cousin, wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella). It’s also in leafy greens like spinach and beet greens. If you react badly to any of these plants, or suffer from kidney problems or gout, you may also want to avoid oca tubers.

Collect and store

Your oca tubers will be ready to harvest after the first frost kills the aerial parts. Once the foliage dies and the stems begin to wilt, it’s time to dig them up.

Oca is incredibly easy to store. Like potatoes, you can store them in sand or straw in a cold cellar and they will last for months. Alternatively, they will do just fine in a fridge. As long as they’re kept cool and dry, out of direct sunlight, you’ll be able to munch on them all winter long.

You can also store cooked oka the same way you would potatoes. For example, if you made a soup or stew with them. As these are low acid vegetables, you will need to juice them. Get yourself a great pressure cooker and follow the instructions that match your altitude.

If you plan to grow oca again next season, be sure to thoroughly replenish your soils over the winter. It’s good to rotate your crops, so plan where you’ll grow them next. Then plant cover crops and work in manure, bone meal, fish emulsion, anything you can think of that will benefit those tubers.

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