When I got mine they looked like that, I potted them on in grow bag compost and left them in the house, yes they grew, they made it to about 10 inches high and sulked, I then planted them out after the last frost and they did fine. It was the next winter where I tried to treat them like daliahs that I lost the lot.
Keeping non-hardy plants (Dahlia/Yacon, etc) in a centrally heated house over the Winter (as tubers in pots of compost) is a bad idea. They need a period of dormancy, whereas they are lulled into a false sense that Spring has arrived, as our houses are so warm.
This forces them into early growth and then they sulk/die, as there is not enough sunlight to get them through to Spring. It's much better to put them somewhere cool/cold, but without any frost. A north facing, unheated porch/conservatory/room or garage should do. We have an unheated greenhouse and shed, but I find that they can get warm in Winter sunshine, and the temperature varies too much for successful storage of tubers.
I grew Yacon in 2021 season. A very good yield of large tubers, probably 5 - 10Kg per plant. Seemed completely pest-free. The tubers are the size of a sweet potato with the texture of moist radish. I could not discern any flavour whatsoever, although there is a slight sweetness. So what to do with them? I have no idea.
I've just looked at the yacon in the loft where it's been since I planted it in a pot. There's a shoot about 1in tall. Is it time to put it in an unheated greenhouse and do all I can to stop it from getting frosted yacon growers?
HI @Uff You need to keep Yacon cold enough in the Winter, so that it doesn't grow at all, but isn't so cold that the tuber is killed (a bit like Dahlia's). There isn't enough light in Winter for the new shoot to grow properly (and it's too cold), so you may find that it becomes leggy as it tries to find sufficient light.
I wouldn't put it in an unheated greenhouse, as they can be too cold during hard frosts, and they can also be quite warm in sunny Winter days (which would encourage more growth). We find that our garage is the best place, as it doesn't get freezing, and it doesn't receive any sunlight, which would make the temperature irregular.
I would be tempted to cover the new shoot with compost, and then put the plant somewhere cooler and completely dark. I don't put mine into our unheated greenhouse until closer to Easter, when there are no more frosts. Hope that helps.
Yes, that does help thank you Keen on Green. I'll do exactly as you say, I'll cover it with compost and put it back in the loft as I don't have a garage.
Checked on the yacon that's up in the loft this morning and it's fine. It's not poked through the top-up of compost yet but the shoot is still alive and looking healthy.
As a slight off topic, I bought 2 eddoes about three weeks ago, one to eat and if I liked it, one to grow. I did like it and I put the other one in a plastic bag with a piece of damp kitchen roll, not touching though and left it on the window sill. It's started to sprout in several places so the next step is to plant it up and I think I'll put it up in the loft to join the yacon. Has anyone grown these ? See below.
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This forces them into early growth and then they sulk/die, as there is not enough sunlight to get them through to Spring. It's much better to put them somewhere cool/cold, but without any frost. A north facing, unheated porch/conservatory/room or garage should do. We have an unheated greenhouse and shed, but I find that they can get warm in Winter sunshine, and the temperature varies too much for successful storage of tubers.
A consistently cool temperature is the ideal.
I wouldn't put it in an unheated greenhouse, as they can be too cold during hard frosts, and they can also be quite warm in sunny Winter days (which would encourage more growth). We find that our garage is the best place, as it doesn't get freezing, and it doesn't receive any sunlight, which would make the temperature irregular.
I would be tempted to cover the new shoot with compost, and then put the plant somewhere cooler and completely dark. I don't put mine into our unheated greenhouse until closer to Easter, when there are no more frosts. Hope that helps.
As a slight off topic, I bought 2 eddoes about three weeks ago, one to eat and if I liked it, one to grow. I did like it and I put the other one in a plastic bag with a piece of damp kitchen roll, not touching though and left it on the window sill. It's started to sprout in several places so the next step is to plant it up and I think I'll put it up in the loft to join the yacon.
Has anyone grown these ? See below.