Oca, Golden

Oca information and growing instructions

Golden is an heirloom variety from La Paz, Bolivia.  It is notable for its unusually dark foliage.

Culinary Traits

Golden lacks both sweetness and tartness, for a flavor that is very similar to potato.  The cooked flesh is dry and moderately firm.  The yellow color is retained well in cooking.

Agronomic Traits

Golden plants are large and sprawling.  The foliage is mottled with purple and is noticeably darker than other varieties in the field.  Tubers are produced on stolons of intermediate length and are very uniform.  Tuberization photoperiod is about 12 hours, the same as most heirloom varieties.  Average yield is about one pound.  The maximum tuber length is 4.1 inches and the average tuber length is 1.9 inches.  Average tuber count is 27.

Golden is a moderate flowerer with a short-styled flower, flowering here from July through September.

What you will receive

Tubers

You will receive the stated number of tubers, packaged in a wax envelope. We grade tubers by passing them through a grate. Small tubers are those that won’t fall through a 1/3″ grate, but that will fall through a 1 inch grate. Medium/large tubers are those that will not fall through a 1 inch grate.

Seeds

Seeds are open pollinated. Because oca is a polyploid hybrid, the seeds will not grow true to type. They are suitable for use in breeding or conservation efforts and could be used to select varieties similar to the parent type.