Yacon is a low-maintenance perennial plant that produces large, edible underground tubers. They are grown and eaten widely in South America, although they are relatively unknown on other continents. This is surprising, because they tolerate most climates and are easy to grow. You only need to buy one plant initially and from then on, you can divide new shoots into more plants. The tubers can be used like water chestnuts, but can also be boiled down to a sweet syrup. A superfood, yacon contains prebiotics which are good for gut health and digestion, plus they provide a low-calorie sweetener. Find out how to grow yacon the easy way.
10 reasons to grow yacon
- Buy only one plant or growing tip and use that to create more plants from next year’s new shoots.
- Will tolerate most soils.
- Only need some compost or well-rotted manure to be added to the ground at the time of planting.
- You only need a 1-metre square growing area per plant, as growth is mostly upwards.
- Pests or diseases are rare.
- Low maintenance, they just need occasional watering in times of drought.
- Easy to dig up and harvest the tubers.
- Attractive-looking plant to have in the garden.
- The tubers are a superfood as they are good for digestion and gut health.
- They store well in paper sacks, or can be made into a low-calorie syrup and stored for months.
Our yacon last year – what we did
We bought our first yacon roots in early December and immediately planted each piece in a medium pot filled with slightly damp compost. We stored the pots inside the garage until the weather had warmed up a little.
In mid-March, we moved the three pots into a mini plastic greenhouse situated in the garden. By the end of March, one shoot appeared. Unfortunately, the others never grew, but the online seed company from where we bought them, promised a minimum of one successful plant or our money back.
In April, we lifted the growing yacon outside, and by mid-May, the plant was growing well. In mid-June, we planted it in the ground together with a few spadefuls of well-rotted manure and compost. It continued to grow gradually over the summer months, with occasional watering by us if there had been no rain.
By early October, the yacon plant was flowering. In early November, we decided to cover the base of the plant with a layer of grass mulch to help protect the underground tubers from any frost.
Then, we simply waited, and as soon as the whole plant was completely withered by the cold, we carefully dug up the plant.
On 8th December, we harvested 3.8kg of yacon tubers from one plant.
We placed the remaining base of the plant in a large pot filled with damp compost, to remain undercover inside our polytunnel until new shoots appear in the spring.
We made the yacon tubers into delicious yacon syrup. Next year we hope to grow more plants, which means more tubers and more yummy syrup!
How to grow yacon
What you’ll need:
- Yacon growing tips (we purchased our yacon from Real Seeds based in the UK)
- Some medium-sized plant pots
- Some compost and/or well-rotted manure
- Watering can or jug
- Somewhere protected from the weather
What you’ll do:
- Over winter, purchase some yacon root pieces. Place each in a medium pot filled with compost.
- Store the pots undercover protected from the weather, ensuring the compost stays slightly damp.
- As the weather warms up in the spring, move to a sunny, covered spot outdoors.
- Water every week or so if the compost looks dry. Don’t overwater them.
- Once growth shows a few leaves and the weather is warmer, lift them outside completely for a few weeks. Keep watering if it needs it.
- Dig a hole large enough to take the plant and a few spadefuls of well-rotted manure and/or compost. Plant in the ground, ideally in a sheltered spot near a wall or fence, and water well.
Caring for yacon
Just water in periods of drought. As the weather cools in October, if possible add a layer of grass or compost around the base of the plant to protect the underground tubers from an early frost.
Harvesting yacon
Easy. As soon as the leaves have withered, cut down the stems to about 10cm. Then gently and carefully dig up the plant. Don’t pull the plant too hard, otherwise some of the tubers may break. Break off the large tubers near the crown.
Problems
As long as you water them whilst they are growing, and dig up the plant as soon as the leaves are completely withered by the cold, then you shouldn’t encounter any problems.
Storing yacon
Carefully rinse the tubers and leave them indoors on a sunny windowsill for a week or so. This will help sweeten them further.
Now, you can store them in paper sacks in a cool, dry, frost-free place, using them when needed. You can also use them raw in salads or add them to stir-fries. Alternatively, you can boil them down to a sweet yacon syrup and store it in jars.
