Let me introduce my favorite sweet tuber the Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius)
AKA Earth apple or Ground Apple. I have been growing this for years and years, it’s very reliable, productive, super easy to grow and propagate!
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Also, I will put in the comments a link to a website to the national library of medicine page on this incredible water root traditionally used to quench thirst, its leaves were prepared as tea for hypoglycemia, while raw tubers served as a prebiotic food.
According to several preclinical and clinical trials, FOS intake favors the growth of health-promoting bacteria while reducing pathogenic bacteria populations.
Why Grow Yacon:
Superfood & Health Benefits: The tubers are packed with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), an indigestible sugar that aids digestion, supports healthy gut bacteria, and reduces blood sugar, making them perfect for diabetics or those seeking low-calorie sweetness.
Unique Taste & Texture: Yacon is known as “ground apple” because its tubers are crisp, juicy, and sweet, often eaten raw, in salads, or juiced.
Extremely Productive: A single plant can yield a high volume of food, often resulting in 20–30 pounds of tubers, making it a valuable addition to a homestead.
Easy to Grow: It is low-maintenance, resistant to most pests, and grows well in pots or in the ground.
Dual Harvest: It produces edible storage tubers and smaller propagation tubers, allowing you to eat the large ones and replant the smaller “rhizomes” for the next season.
Versatile Usage: The tubers can be eaten fresh, or the juice can be reduced to create a healthy, natural sweetener (yacon syrup)
Start Early: If you live in a region with a short growing season, start rhizomes indoors in pots in early spring to give them a head start.
Mulch: Use mulch to retain soil moisture and protect developing roots, as they may protrude from the surface.
Support: Taller plants might need staking, particularly in windy areas.
Storing Rhizomes: Save the crown (upper rhizome part) for next year’s planting, storing it over winter in a cool, dark, frost-free area, packed in slightly damp sand or sawdust.
Climate & Temperature: Thrives in 64°F–80°F, but tolerates up to 105°F. Prefers 60°F–75°F soil temperatures. It is not frost-resistant and requires a long (approx. 180 days) growing season to reach maturity. Plants are very frost-sensitive and must be planted after all danger of frost has passed.
Soil: Requires deep, loose, fertile, well-draining soil to allow tubers to develop properly. It tolerates a range of pH but thrives in weakly acidic conditions (6.0–6.5).
Sunlight: Full sun is preferred for maximum production, but they tolerate partial shade.
Watering: Water regularly during the growing season (about 1 inch per week) to keep soil moist, especially in hot weather.
Planting: Propagated by planting rhizome cuttings (the “crown” area) with at least one “eye” or bud, 1 inch deep.
Fertilization: Requires moderate fertility. Amend soil with compost or organic matter. Use high-potassium fertilizers if necessary.
Spacing: Space plants about 3 feet apart, as they can grow quite large (up to 8 feet).
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest 6–7 months after planting when tops turn brown. Let tubers dry in the sun for 1–2 weeks to increase sweetness, then store in a cool, dark, dry place
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