Yacon

Yacon: plant 60 cm (24 in) apart in the row and 90 cm (35 in) between rows, 1 plant per 4 squares. No known bad neighbours.

Key facts

How it is started	From tubers, by dividing a clump
Tubers per planting hole	3
Per metre of row	2
Planting depth	8 cm (3.1 in)
Soil temperature	from 10 °C, best 16–24 °C
Before sowing	nothing needed
When to plant	Indoors 6 weeks before the last frost; outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 10 °C

Takes transplanting	Badly, sow where it grows
Life cycle	Tender perennial, grown as an annual where it freezes
Cold tolerance	Tender, hurt by frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 6–7
In a pot	10 L, 30 cm (11.8 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; while roots swell
Feeding	Little; at planting
Support and training	None needed

Days to first harvest	150–190 days, from planting
Ready when	The leaves die back
Harvest window	All at once, 2–4 weeks
Sow again every	21 days
Typical yield	2–5 kg per plant
Botanical family	Asteraceae
Watch out for	Slugs and snails, powdery mildew

Open the free planner, drop Yacon onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Asteraceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.