Nature is a good teacher. One of the most valuable lessons that it teaches is the degree to which we take our powers of observation for granted. In reality, observation is not a passive activity. When we observe passively, the brain takes shortcuts. That is the only explanation I have for the fact that I […]
This has been a big learning year for us with mauka (Mirabilis expansa). We’ve started to work out the details of seed production and have finally been able to produce enough seed to grow larger numbers of seedlings. Our initial packets of seed this year were labeled at 90% germination, which is very good, but […]
I’ve had a few inquiries lately about potato cyst nematode infestation of oca (Oxalis tuberosa) and any time I see a question more than once, I start thinking about a blog post. I should emphasize from the beginning that I have no direct experience with this subject. As far as I know, there aren’t any […]
Mashua seedlings continue to arrive at their own slow pace. Every time I get to thinking that the flat of mashua seed is done for the year, another pops up. Mashua seedlings are surprisingly shy. There is a lot going on under the ground. I grew a few seeds in a pot where I could […]
This post marks the relocation of Wetting the Beds from Google Blogger to the Cultivariable web site. You will find all future posts here and hopefully I have migrated all of the old posts over here more or less seamlessly. Existing links to posts should still work, but will bring you here instead. The reasons […]
I was lucky to get a few seeds of the mauka (Mirabilis expansa) variety Blanco last year. They grew very well, although a fairly late start meant that they didn’t produce substantial roots. I had two immediate goals for these plants: to keep them alive over the winter and to get them to produce a […]
Last week, I answered the most frequently asked question that I receive about oca. This week, I am taking on the second most common question: What are the odds that I will get a variety worth keeping from oca seed? Oca, as an octaploid, is a fundamentally heterozygous plant. Every oca seed produces a different […]
Here is the second of our Andean root vegetable fliers. This one has the lesser known Andean crops: Achira, Ahipa, Arracacha, Maca, and Mauka. There is a link to the full two-page version below. Click here for the two page PDF.
I get asked a lot of questions about oca, but one is asked more commonly than all of the others combined: how does it taste? Most people don’t want a long answer, so it is easy to fall back on the standard descriptions like “lemony potato” or “potato with sour cream.” These answers satisfy those […]
We have been very lucky to find an artist who can translate my crude scribbling into a beautiful finished product. Here is a handy introduction to the major Andean root crops: Mashua, Oca, Potato, Ulluco, and Yacon. There is also a two page flier with the same information attached below. Click here for […]