Oca - 5 Tubers

Irish Grown Oca Tubers

Oca is an ancient Incan crop which is grown widely in the Andes and is now becoming more known around the world. Oca are very easy to grow in Ireland and are happy in the very different low altitude environment here. The leaves, which are also edible, are similar to our native wood sorrel which they are related to. Both are of the Oxalis family named after the oxalic acid which gives them their sharp citrusy flavour.

Growing Oca

• Oca can be grown similarly to potatoes, though they are not susceptible to blight
• Tubers can be planted out in mid April or after the last frost in your area
• They can be started off in pots also
• They can be planted closer than potatoes with 30cm between plants and around 40cm between rows
• Oca does not need to follow a strict rotation as it has no specific pests or diseases
• Plants can be mulched or earthed up during the summer to keep moisture in the soil
• Water in dry spells or yields and tuber size will be affected
• The tubers begin to form only after the days are shorter than 9 hours so a long autumn season is important for good yields
• Don't harvest before frost has killed off the leaves and then wait for a couple of weeks
• Can be stored for several months in boxes of sand or soil in a cool frost-free shed