The Tropical Fruit Forum
Everything Else => Tropical Vegetables and Other Edibles => Topic started by: Caesar on December 05, 2017, 02:05:27 AM
-
Hi all, I'm writing up this thread to update y'all on the story so far with my non-solanaceous potatoes. First, the Potato Mint (P. rotundifolius):
The plant was vigorous almost from the start. It arrived early in the year as a tall and kinda weak-looking fully-rooted cutting from a Florida eBay vendor, and I planted it in one of those big plastic tubs with holes drilled in the bottom. I also planted a Guinea Yam (Dioscorea rotundata) in the same tub.
A week after planting and the potato mint already had plenty of strong growth. A month after planting, and it had already taken over the entire tub's surface area with foliage, and some branches were bending toward the soil and taking root. A few weeks later, and it was spilling out of the tub and onto the surrounding ground, so I decided to give it a drastic pruning, leaving behind a few stumps... In hindsight, that was probably a poor decision as the growth of new foliage would probably take vital energy and nutrients away from tuber growth. Lesson learned. I threw some tomato seeds onto the newly-exposed soil surface and forgot about them.
A few weeks afterwards, and the growth was carpeting the tub again, and the pruned stems I had thrown on the ground had taken root and started growing on their own (I left them there and they keep growing to this day). The surviving tomato plants grew tall between the potatoes, and soon both species started flowering simultaneously. A few weeks afterwards, with the tomatoes producing and the potatoes' flower spikes starting to fade (which means harvest time), I pulled up one of the potato plants and dug up the tubers.
Given the various less-than-ideal circumstances (container-growing, competing plants, partial shade, no fertilizer, impromptu heavy-pruning) the crop was small (and composed of mainly smaller tubers), but I'm confident it would've been a good crop under better circumstances. The biggest (normal-sized?) ones were about the size of a small potato, but many were smaller (like Lerén tubers), and a score of them were tiny (these I saved for re-planting). Even with a suspected smaller crop, I actually got enough potatoes out of that one mistreated plant to have a full plate of mashed potatoes. I pulled the remaining plants out the next week and had them fried.
The tubers were amazingly easy to process, so that even pinky-sized tubers were quickly dealt with and used. I put on a pair of gloves, and scratched the skin off under running water quickly during washing off the dirt. In fact, while the nails may have slightly sped up the process, it probably wasn't necessary, as the skin rubbed off with the soft part of the fingertips, it was that tender!
The tubers were white, but many had large areas of green under the skin, and a few had purple areas (all from the same plant). I was unconcerned with toxicity as I'm pretty sure the entire plant is technically edible and non-toxic. After boiling like normal potatoes, I tasted a few whole and mashed the rest. The taste was really very close to true potatoes, with a slight vegetal tone my family likened to Artocarpus camansi seeds (the very mild, immature ones, not the strongly-flavored ripe ones), but milder still. No purple remained after boiling and there was no bitterness or any discernible difference between the green and white areas. I should also point out that some sources mention a sweetness to the taste... I detected no such sweetness (nor any minty/peppery/spicy taste), it was just potatoey.
The second batch of tubers was prepared for frying. Some were left skin-on (I recommend it, though it requires delicate washing), many were sliced lengthwise, a few sliced into chip shape, and a few smaller ones were fried intact. Crispy outside, soft inside (even the chips were a bit flexible), and the flavor was like a combination of homemade french fries and fried eggplant (the good types; no bitterness). They were very good, and doubtless would've been excellent seasoned and roasted like wedge potatoes.
The verdict: unknown prospects as a commercial root crop (especially given how easily the skin rubs off), but excellent for the home vegetable plot. Vigorous and nearly care-free, probably productive (especially with good care and space, not like my neglect), easily propagated, easily processed, and of good taste. I highly recommend it for any warm-weather vegetable garden (no idea if it has a short enough growing season for cooler regions).
***
Now the Edible Air Potato (D. bulbifera):
I received 7 bulbils through the combined efforts of Chandramohan and Roy. They were quick to sprout through the dirt, the last of them a few weeks after planting. Each bulbil sprouted several vines, and would continue sprouting more throughout the growing season. Alas, my crime of neglect was worse with these, and I'm probably not witnessing full production (even though it still seems like a vigorous producer). For my current lack of space, I transplanted every single one of those plants (together with a Chinese Yam, D. polystachya) into a single tub that was probably only big enough (but not ideal) for just two plants; one trellis shared between them.
Despite the circumstances, they also grew vigorously (and twined together), and all seven plants are alive and well. Months passed without a single bulbil (it's not supposed to bear until close to the end of the growing season anyway). Then one day I saw a small bulbil, and it remained alone, increasing in size until almost reaching its maximum (small potato, but bigger than the P. Mint) long before any other bulbils showed up. When others showed up, it was an almost explosive profusion of bulbils, with a rough count of approximately 47 (which I'm fairly sure fell short of the true number even then; by now, many more still have showed up).
All was well and good, to a point, but there's an important thing to mention about this plant: it seems far more susceptible to animal pests than any other yam I've grown. Nothing of note has ever touched any of my other yam vines. Meanwhile, I've seen bulbifera leaves eaten by crickets, cockroaches and snails (and possibly a grasshopper and a katydid, but I didn't see them chewing). And the worst part: the snails ruin the bulbils themselves! I saw one with a gaping hole that looked like a bird pecked into it, thinking it was a fruit. For a while, that's exactly what I thought. But one night I decided to check on the plants at midnight and I started seeing the different pests in action. A week later, I saw the snail on the bulbil, and a second one on another one, rasping holes right through them. Suffice it to say that I've been hunting snails often since then, and crushing every one I find. But the damage was done: in a blind panic, I harvested the big one for fear that a snail would get to it first.
Strictly speaking, I'm not certain that you're not supposed to harvest them, but I was under the impression that you're meant to leave them on the plant until they drop off naturally. A friend (who has harvested alata bulbils) told me that if you pick them before their time, the flesh would be green, and they'd be inedible. Well wouldn't you know, when I went to cook the big one, it was green all the way through. Peeled so that I couldn't plant it, and seemingly too green to be edible, I had to throw it out. Crushing disappointment after all that waiting. Oh well, I've waited this long, I can wait longer for the other bulbils to ripen. I plucked a few small ones from a drying vine to propagate them, but the few big ones I've seen look like they have a few months to go before they drop. I'm hoping the little ones grow quickly, so I can get a half decent crop when it's time to taste them. I truly have high hopes for this plant, and will give my usual play-by-play analysis when I taste them (probably some time next year).
***
Photo Gallery:
The African Potato / Potato Mint:
(https://s33.postimg.cc/p7yw6384r/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/p7yw6384r/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/g06nplykb/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/g06nplykb/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/ge7zoovd7/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ge7zoovd7/)
Same, boiled, mashed and fried:
(https://s33.postimg.cc/vmxx2lmij/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/vmxx2lmij/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/dk4ubf8ob/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/dk4ubf8ob/)
The Air Potato:
(https://s33.postimg.cc/7j75eiee3/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/7j75eiee3/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/vbggpo60r/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/vbggpo60r/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/7lr113xej/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/7lr113xej/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/btlt9q1d7/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/btlt9q1d7/)
Snail damage:
(https://s33.postimg.cc/dnynrmw57/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/dnynrmw57/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/7n0yuqhaj/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/7n0yuqhaj/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/pd2nfs2l7/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/pd2nfs2l7/)
The big one:
(https://s33.postimg.cc/ckejfylvf/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ckejfylvf/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/jc4yidnl7/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/jc4yidnl7/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/67ze660tn/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/67ze660tn/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/xnognh0ob/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/xnognh0ob/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/rzi5wlr6z/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/rzi5wlr6z/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/it4gmu64r/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/it4gmu64r/) (https://s33.postimg.cc/6ehomsha3/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6ehomsha3/)
-
Thank you so much for the post!!
Very interesting and Im glad to find out that one of the so called African potatoes are tasty! Now I just eed to get myself one :)
Waiting for your report on air Yam :)
-
Caesar, You can still eat the bulbil even if it is green inside, only it will be crunchy and not soft like a boiled potatoe. If you have many vines, you can dig up one of the tubers and eat it after boiling. It tastes better than the bulbils!!!
-
I was thoroughly disappointed in myself on reading that I could have eaten that first bulbil. Oh well, lesson learned. I did get to try a bulbil in late december. And I tasted the roots in late February/early March. Both were boiled as one would boil other yams: until softened (no exceptionally long period for "toxins" or anything like that). But in waiting so long to write back, some minor nuances in flavor are lost to me, so my apologies in that regard. What I do remember is this: the bulbils and the roots are actually very similar to one another in taste; the bulbils were greenish even when ripe, and the roots were light yellow. There is a definite potato element in the flavor that is absent in other yams, and distinct from the potato flavor found in Plectranthus. Also, a very mild note (stronger in the bulbil) that reminded of bitterness, but nothing like the real bitterness one finds in nasty yams. The texture was firm when in chunks, and dense and pasty when mashed (not dry/floury like some of the better D. rotundata nor mushy like some D. alata). Some of my family members reported a slight slimy texture, which I didn't find (the closest I found was an oddly firm & slightly slippery texture in one tiny chunk, possibly near the stem end).
My personal verdict: agreeable flavor, but not top quality. Still, much better than the mediocre yams I've had, and even without the bulbil gimmick, I'd consider it worth growing on flavor alone. No strong bitterness, no rough fibers, no weird textures (at least, not that I could taste). I got to harvest and taste my D. trifida on the same day, and the D. rotundata a few days later; both of them turned out exceptional, so my palate was probably spoiled for them. ;)
***
A gallery of the harvests (and some cooking pics):
The bulbils. I cooked one, and planted the rest. Notice the dark-ish color of the cooked flesh, and the even darker water it leaves behind. Not quite as dark as some of the bitter yams I've had (the "mediocre" ones I keep referencing: particularly poor specimens of D. alata and D. rotundata), and without their bitterness.
(https://s31.postimg.cc/le5fadmo7/IMG_3842.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/le5fadmo7/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/c6d6tpah3/IMG_3848.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/c6d6tpah3/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/dlerig6fb/IMG_3849.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/dlerig6fb/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/kommy2z07/IMG_3852.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/kommy2z07/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/vbgg3h4kn/IMG_3853.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/vbgg3h4kn/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/pna5clndj/IMG_3858.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/pna5clndj/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/jmcgfhb13/IMG_3859.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/jmcgfhb13/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/a1stsnykn/IMG_3860.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/a1stsnykn/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/ik29wyn2v/IMG_3861.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ik29wyn2v/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/cvvz62y5z/IMG_3862.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/cvvz62y5z/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/w0z8fwa9z/IMG_3870.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/w0z8fwa9z/)
Some bulbifera roots (which should grow bigger with each passing year) and the normal-sized trifida roots (broken off from one cluster). Notice the paler color of the roots (though still yellow, in contrast with the white trifida roots).
(https://s31.postimg.cc/n78byq2pz/IMG_4373.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/n78byq2pz/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/6jgtw92tj/IMG_4374.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6jgtw92tj/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/wrryln2cn/IMG_4375.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/wrryln2cn/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/4252p062f/IMG_4376.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/4252p062f/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/t860vtrx3/IMG_4377.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/t860vtrx3/) (https://s31.postimg.cc/c7n4n4zg7/IMG_4378.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/c7n4n4zg7/)
And finally, a picture of my prize (though small) rotundata:
(https://s31.postimg.cc/kpwkrlo07/IMG_4380.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/kpwkrlo07/)
***
Finally, some extra experiences with the bulbiferas:
Snails and slugs continued to attack some of the remaining bulbils as the season went on, so I'd consider them the number one pest.
The overwhelming majority of the bulbils were very small, and I doubt they'd be worth much effort to prepare to cook. I'm not sure if picking some off (as one does with fruits) would increase the size of the remainder or if that's random. Seeing as production should increase over the years, I'm confident that I'll get a greater proportion of larger bulbils over the years (though I'm not sure if the plant should be covered by them, or anything like that). This was their first year (and crammed together in a single pot on a single trellis), and first year bulbil yams of any kind are supposedly poor producers.
Also... as I noted in the first post, I planted seven bulbils. When I dug up the roots, I found nineteen roots! I don't even know how that happens! While they were mostly clustered, none were connected (unlike the mass of trifida tubers). So not only are they productive in bulbils, they also seem very productive as roots (at least, when sown as a bulbil). I ate several roots with my family, and planted the rest, to hedge my bets in case something goes wrong. So far, none of the bulbils has sprouted, though none seems to have rotted either. Here's hoping I can get a mass of plants to spread around.
And that's it for the preceding season! I'll keep you all posted on any special developments this season.
-
Caesar, I am surprised, I have been growing Dioscorea bulbifera for many years now, and I have only one vine growing from one bulbil and only one root tuber from each vine while you have many of both! Yr soil or climate must be very good for them!!
-
Caesar, I am surprised, I have been growing Dioscorea bulbifera for many years now, and I have only one vine growing from one bulbil and only one root tuber from each vine while you have many of both! Yr soil or climate must be very good for them!!
Perhaps the climate? I think it's pretty standard tropics over here, but not Ultra-tropical like at the equator. And I grew them where they'd receive direct sun, and kept up a heavy watering regimen during most of their growth. What's the climate and soil like at your place?
I used a seemingly high-quality store-bought soil to fill the tub where they were growing, and I did get to apply fertilizer once or twice. The actual soil on my property - outside the tubs - is a pretty heavy clay. I think it was landfill, to stabilize the area; I live in a hillside suburb. None were grown outside the tub.
The bulbils had already started sprouting when they arrived, so I buried them somewhat deep in their original pots, to let the stems acclimate to the local moisture without having to bag them. Once they burst through the soil, I let them grow a few more weeks before planting them all in the tub. There was only one bulbil per "hatching" pot, and each one had several vines, sometimes up to five. Since they were all doing it, I thought it must have been normal.
I think I forgot to post this initially, but this is the one pic I have of one of the bulbils sprouting through the soil for the first time. Three visible vines at this point.
(https://s31.postimg.cc/n14sdidlz/IMG_8506.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/n14sdidlz/)
What's the bulbil production like on your vines? Heavy or light? Have you noticed a difference between yearling vines and older vines? And what's their size range usually like?
Seeing as this is clonal material, I don't quite understand how mine turned out different, but it may very well be environmental, as you said. The multiple in-ground tubers were a surprise that I still haven't gotten over. I've never seen a yam do that, at least not in that way. The D. trifida was a solid cluster where you had to snap off each tuber from a solid top. With the bulbiferas, they were clustered in space, but they were loose. I didn't snap a single one off another when harvesting. The only clustering yam I've heard of that might be similar is D. esculenta, but I haven't acquired that one yet.
-
A new update on my tropical root veggies:
The Potato Mints have started coming up from the seed tubers I planted, and I have spread them about between my grandmother's yard and my vegetable tubs. Many plants, plus a few extra growing strong from accidentally snapping some stems (which grew back from the roots anyway).
I'm concerned that I may have lost my D. polystachya. I have some suspects currently in pots, but they're similar to D. bulbifera when sprouting, so I can't yet be certain that I have any remaining. If I can positively identify any of the bulbils/vines, I will be growing them separately from the other yam vines from now on, in a 5 gallon plastic bucket (to hopefully keep the tubers compact).
From the original D. trifida plant, I now have 8 sprouted tubers, 2 of which have broken the soil surface. 2 of them are planted in one of the big plastic totes with a sprouted D. rotundata and 6 (¿or 7?) D. bulbiferas (some of them sprouted, with many feet of vine growth). The other 6 trifidas are in another tote with 3 Lerén plants and 4 potato mints. The Lerén are growing healthy and strong, and I hope to have some material to share this winter, along with the rest of my roots.
Regarding the D. bulbifera, I was concerned about bulbil viability... I am concerned no longer. Of the 19 roots, 6 (¿7?) are planted in their original tote, 4 in my grandmother's yard. The other 9 (¿8?) were eaten within days of harvesting. I'm unsure of some numbers there because not all have sprouted past soil level and I can't quite remember, but all were viable. Regarding the bulbils... Dear Lord! Of the 80+ bulbils I planted (ranging from medium to tiny), 66 were accounted for as having sprouted, 2 remain unsprouted-but-viable, and a few (uncounted, but I think less than 5) were explicitly found rotting. Any others remain unaccounted for (possibly tiny ones that rotted long ago). Of the 66, 10 were snapped when I tried to separate them from their communal pot, but they snapped off with strong roots, so I'm confident they'll survive. They were replanted alone in the sprouting pot to monitor their progress, and their tubers were planted elsewhere to see if they'd sprout new vines. Of the remaining 56, 10 vines were separated for a local friend, and 1 vine for another. The fate of the remaining 45 vinelets... Well, let's just say I'm repeating the sins of my past. First, a little context:
I'm not kidding when I say I have no available space at the moment. I tend to place new projects on hold, or otherwise execute them in containers, as you see here. Half of my trees are in temporary containers, waiting for their time. The back hillside of my home is prime planting space, but if it was totally inaccessible before (when it was merely covered by an impenetrable jungle of weeds), it's nearly impossible now with the fallen trees from the hurricane (that are themselves overgrown with the worst vining weeds). I'm just one guy, and tackling it by myself in the more manageable early days yielded very little progress (a tenth of the space or less cleared) for several months of effort. And that minor result was undone when I had to recuperate for a few months from minor surgery. Suffice it to say that I am unwilling to tackle it directly myself these days (it's an angry-button issue for me). So how would we handle it at home? Hire someone to clear it. It's pretty common practice over here. But we haven't been able to lately, and even if we could, it's a little harder to find someone with a chainsaw for the trees. So for now, I have no available space.
Back to the bulbils, and with the context of no available space, I planted all 44 remaining vinelets (and the 3 viable bulbils) in a single plastic tote. Extremely oversaturated with plants. I honestly do not expect this to yield good results, above or below ground. Nevertheless, consider it an experiment: Ultra-high Density Planting. If it goes as badly as I expect, you'll have direct evidence, the experimental poster-child of why you shouldn't have too many plants growing in a small space. If it actually goes well (or shows potential for slightly less saturated plantings), then you'll have incentive to try out high-density plantings yourselves. Regardless of the outcome, you can be sure of one thing... Half the folks in the forum are getting bulbils this next season.
*
Photo Gallery:
The Trifida/Lerén tote:
(https://s33.postimg.cc/xuxkyasrv/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/xuxkyasrv/)
The 9-Yam tote (3 species, ignore the true potatoes I'm sprouting on the surface):
(https://s33.postimg.cc/4tt8okfy3/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/4tt8okfy3/)
The Ultra-High Density D. bulbifera tote (many are below-soil while acclimating):
(https://s33.postimg.cc/68utdkrej/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/68utdkrej/)
-
Good for you, Caesar! I was able to find D. trifida yams at a local Hispanic grocery (from Costa Rica) and planted them immediately, hope they sprout. I did meet someone with the D. bulbifera here in Florida. The main advantage he explained to me was that you can grow them as a perennial, leaving the root portion permanently in the ground, and just harvest the bulbils. Sfter the first season the in-ground tubers become very vigorous and produce large numbers and large size bulbils. It seems that other yams including alata do the same as far as bulbils are concerned. Last year I got no pruple Ube alata yam bbulbls and di harvest all but this year I may save 1/2 my crop in-ground to attempt looking for the 2nd year bulbil crop. My ordinary alata bulbils did grow out very well last year so what I am seeing is that it makes sense to keep a "mother" yam going which might make multiple bulbils each year to use as planting material.
here is an example of a central Florida purple alata yam in it's second year and resulting bulbil crop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGIByH-lpzU&t=5s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGIByH-lpzU&t=5s)
-
Excellent! Those trifidas should grow well for you. My original stock was from Walmart (Costa Rica as well, I think), and they had a slight sweetness to the taste that was absent from my own harvest (either way, it was a great yam).
Another bulbifera grower? Is he from the forum? Did he mention the type or origin of his stock? I'd like to buy or trade for some of his at his next harvest, if it's different (even better if they're several). The more edible types grown, the better. Las Cañadas in Mexico (link here (https://www.bosquedeniebla.com.mx)) has an African type that I'd love to get my hands on (link to their catalog here (https://bosquedeniebla.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/catálogo-interactivo-2018.pdf)). Only problem is they don't ship outside of Mexico. If I could get a forum member from there to buy and resell it to me, that'd be great, but I've no idea who to ask about that. With some of the projects I have going on right now, I plan to obtain quite a few more totes to grow some of the stuff I can't put in the ground right now.
That looks incredible! I'm pumped for the purple Ube, can't wait for your harvest. I'll trade you for all my roots. I've also been meaning to grow some white alatas (maybe "Florido"), but I haven't found a satisfactory variety lately, and didn't have the foresight to save the stem-piece from the last good one I ate. As soon as I get a good one, I'll be growing it for bulbils for sure.
-
The fellow I met this weekend at a permaculture meetup in Florida has the 'angular' type bulbifera as shown here. From your pictures you have the more spherical type. I'll be trying to get some of his bulbils and share when possible.
https://growerjim.blogspot.com/2016/12/dioscorea-bulbifera-edible-air-potato.html (https://growerjim.blogspot.com/2016/12/dioscorea-bulbifera-edible-air-potato.html)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlSEfpFs0Us (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlSEfpFs0Us)
-
The angular one! I think that's the same African type they grow in Las Cañadas. I noticed he mentioned "Hawaii" as a second cultivar. Does he have it and others, or just the angular "Africa"? I think my round type is "Sativa" since it comes from India, but I don't know if they have other cultivars in India, or if the Hawaiian one is different from mine.
Incidentally, did he happen to mention if he had D. esculenta?
I checked a few of David-the-good's videos and I think he has at least 3 different cultivars growing (2 round ones and maybe the angular one). Wouldn't mind getting in touch with him for a trade. If this keeps up, I may end up making a clonal repository for edible Dioscoreas. ;D
-
He does, but I believe he has been growing out of the country for awhile, Hawaii and Central America. So, what he has is probably not coming back into the USA.
-
Today I saw the first bulbil of the season, and I have a feeling it'll be a big one. The vines themselves have grown far past the trellis, into the Pigeon Pea bush and up the Açaí Palm, past roof level.
This year's crop should be better, as these are second-year vines. I'll probably be reserving the mid-sized bulbils for distribution, from my first-year vines. I'm still waiting on the African bulbils, currently in the mail. It'll be interesting to compare the growth and the crop from both vines, but the African ones will be at a disadvantage as first-year vines. Still, I learned my lesson from last year... If the African vines bear a profusion of small bulbils, I'll be distributing them right off the bat. It depends on how much they churn out.
Harvest time should be around December to February, March at the latest.
Here's today's bulbil:
(https://s8.postimg.cc/fufg5w81t/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/fufg5w81t/) (https://s8.postimg.cc/5x4fcufvl/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/5x4fcufvl/)
-
I got a crop of true potatoes on its way, ready to harvest this coming weekend. Beating the odds, growing potatoes in the tropics. But that’s not why y’all are here, I’m sure, so on to the main event: let’s take a peek at how the Air Potato crop is doing:
(https://i.postimg.cc/7C0ttCdb/14_B0_D33_A-2_EFA-4_CB3-_BAC7-_AB6580_C6611_F.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7C0ttCdb) (https://i.postimg.cc/YjnR3f0b/F2_BBDD2_B-6014-46_D6-83_FB-83_ED63_DA364_B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YjnR3f0b) (https://i.postimg.cc/ZCWcDByZ/59_A382_E4-_F570-4049-_AB38-_F64_BC20_CBAAE.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ZCWcDByZ) (https://i.postimg.cc/9wrGSK01/05_D24_D2_C-3_EF3-4_B70-_A5_BD-90_ACF7_A66811.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9wrGSK01) (https://i.postimg.cc/RWfT4kRD/19819_C83-98_D1-4339-9475-_F86_FDF68_F056.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RWfT4kRD) (https://i.postimg.cc/sB49Z5bP/561974_DF-6_AFA-48_BC-98_CB-184_AD08_EF1_FB.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sB49Z5bP) (https://i.postimg.cc/Pp6WSTXP/72_D6_CEEA-_CC9_C-4380-_A64_E-_D6_FAA902_FE7_A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Pp6WSTXP) (https://i.postimg.cc/YhT3cr1F/BEC0_F70_E-246_D-4212-9696-3_C792_F7492_CC.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YhT3cr1F) (https://i.postimg.cc/jwq66Lrp/1_B939_E3_C-_EE50-41_D9-9_FED-_CA00_C2_BE0309.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jwq66Lrp)
The last three pics are the same one, which I found particularly photogenic; the rest are all different, and they’re all in the “larger” size range.
With the Air Potato, every bulbil starts out small, some of them grow, some of them stay small. Once it reaches a certain threshold, you can tell it’s gonna keep growing into a big bulbil. So I’ve counted my crop so far in two categories: small (which may or may not grow) and big (which are already big, or on their way there). So far, I’ve counted 5 small bulbils and 9 big-or-growing bulbils. Looks like the legends are true, you won’t get a good crop of Air Potatoes until their second year. And the season is young (they started in September last year, and didn’t reach a second bulbil ‘til late October). With all the time left before the vines die back, I may end up seeing a fairly big harvest of the larger-sized bulbils. I’m quite excited, this may be my best project yet!
For reference, I added some 20-20-20 liquid solution (a small amount) recently, and a generous sprinkling of osmocote earlier in the year. They’re growing in the same pot, same soil as last season (though I had dug up the tubers) and they’re sharing space with two Guinea Yams and a trifida. They’ve outgrown all other yams, though, and are the only ones that have made it past the trellis, with extensive growth in the surrounding trees.
-
As you all know, I'm going to be distributing the edible air potatoes in the hopes of making them more common and readily available to the public. I'm hoping that those who receive them will help out and pay it forward by spreading them to other interested parties ⁂. But it occurred to me that both cultivars in my possession are currently nameless; they're just referred to as edible air potatoes. In their native range, dozens of edible cultivars abound, but here in the west, they're exceedingly rare and hard to come by. It would be a shame for other people looking to grow multiple cultivars to find people offering "different" air potatoes, only to find them all growing the same ones from the same source (traced back to me)... Making space for new vines, and finding out that they're the same types they were already growing.
Even within each subspecies, not every cultivar is the same. There are many African types, many sativas, many suaviors, and each varietal clone differs in bulbil size, tuber size, productivity, cooking traits, growth traits and other factors. From Grower Jim's site (link here (https://growerjim.blogspot.com/2016/12/dioscorea-bulbifera-edible-air-potato.html?m=1)), we know that there are already at least two named clones in the west: "Hawaii" and the generically-named "Africa", both of which seem like African types, judging by their angles. I know of one named clone from India (Konkan Kalika) that I've had my eye on, but have been unable to get. To distinguish my vines, I have decided to give them cultivar names as well (unless someone can confirm an official name for them). I'd like for everyone growing them to refer to them by these names, especially when passing them forward, to help track and distinguish them from other varieties. I myself will refer to them by these names when sharing material with the local Agricultural Research Station, where the names should solidify as permanent.
Right now, I've already selected names for them, after their original sources. The one from India would be named CV-Sativa, for Chandramohan, who sent me my first bulbils (and confirmed it as nameless). The African variety might be named SENA, for Stephward Estate Nursery, Africa (they shipped it labeled as "Edible Air Potato", no varietal name or anything). Does that sound ok to you 00christian00? I know you got the same bulbils as well, so you oughtta take part.
I intend to do this for every nameless variety that I obtain, though I will rectify and mark my names as redundant if any true original names come to light. If I manage to obtain the one from "Las Cañadas", that's exactly what I'll call it, to give one example.
So... Feedback? Does anyone have any objections, alternatives, inputs or ideas? I won't mark anything as official until I get some sort of majority consensus.
⁂ Note: While the domestic types are not as vigorous or weedy, please note the potential for invasiveness to other growers, so that they'll be diligent in their upkeep. I've read that these domestic types rarely last long in a feral environment, but it always pays to grow responsibly, and weed the volunteers.
-
Hello my friend! Congratulations! Can i get one please? Thank's! ;D
-
Right now, I've already selected names for them, after their original sources. The one from India would be named CV-Sativa, for Chandramohan, who sent me my first bulbils (and confirmed it as nameless). The African variety might be named SENA, for Stephward Estate Nursery, Africa (they shipped it labeled as "Edible Air Potato", no varietal name or anything). Does that sound ok to you 00christian00? I know you got the same bulbils as well, so you oughtta take part.
Fine for me.
-
Hello my friend! Congratulations! Can i get one please? Thank's! ;D
Definitely! But if I remember correctly, I think I also have a few others you were interested in, no?
Anyway, I’ll be harvesting them when the vine dies back, between December and February. I’m not sure they’ll drop before then (they didn’t last year). They also have a long dormancy. Mine didn’t sprout until late March, and I still had some sprouting in June.
Come harvest time, I will be contacting all the individuals who originally expressed interest in the Air Potatoes (you included), to give them a head-start (and if they delay in re-contacting me back, I’ll save some bulbils for them, just in case). After that, I’ll post in the vegetable Buy Sell And Trade section (and link to it here) to advertise to the rest of the forum. I gotta figure out a price, I don’t wanna go steep ‘cause I just wanna spread the variety, but doing it at my cost with a lot of interested parties won’t do... Maybe $5 (US currency) for a pair of small-to-mid-sized bulbils, plus the cost of packaging (which I also have to figure out... I’ve never sent anything before). Still not sure on any of these details yet, I gotta hash them out further. I’m also open to trades, depending on what people may have; in that case, we could just waive all costs for each other, or work something else out.
I have limited quantities of the non-bulbil-bearing species, so I’ll mostly restrict myself to those people that originally showed interest. They’ll probably be cheaper than the bulbils.
Fine for me.
Excellent!
*
It occurs to me that I might have issues with branding (regarding SENA and, if I ever get it, "Las Cañadas")... So, while I definitely want to acknowledge the source in naming my varieties, I also want to avoid legal issues. After all, while these varieties are being provided by these companies, they wouldn't be associated with them once they leave their hands. If someone were to make money off of them, it would be problematic for them to bear the name of a company that isn't receiving revenue from the use of their name. So, for official purposes, I'd like to acknowledge that Sena (note the change in capitalization) is the official full and complete name. It is derived from the acronym Stephward Estate Nursery, Africa, as an acknowledgment of its origins and subspecies, but it is not the acronym proper. It's just... Sena. It doesn't stand for the acronym (though it references it). And when I give material to the local Ag Research Station, that is what will be marked: the name and the origin, but not the acronym as anything more than a footnote. As for "Las Cañadas" (I'm getting ahead of myself, considering that I don't have it yet, if I ever DO get it), I'd have to think of a different name... Perhaps Lasca? I don't know, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
I’m slightly reluctant to name the first one CV-Sativa, because I’m not absolutely certain that Sativa is the correct subspecies. Suavior has prominent lenticels, Sativa is smooth. Well this one starts out with prominent lenticels which migrate to the top as the bulbil inflates (leaving most of the bulbil smooth), and they become less conspicuous over time (still noticeable, but markedly less so than actual Suaviors, like Konkan Kalika). I’m not sure if this description is consistent with Sativa or not. Furthermore, Chandramohan is still on the lookout for more. If this turns out to be a Sativa, and he sends me a second nameless Sativa cultivar, what would I name it? Instead, I’ll adopt a numerical designation for it (regardless if I never get another one from Chandramohan). So the official cultivar name will be CV-1. If I happen to get more nameless varieties from Chandramohan, they’ll continue the numerical line.
*
Edit: I think $5 for a pair seems a bit expensive, but it depends on how much the vines produce and how many people are interested. This year they seem to be producing bigger but fewer bulbils. If production ramps up enough over the season, I could probably offer a few more bulbils for that price (unless demand still exceeds supply).
-
Hello my friend! Congratulations! Can i get one please? Thank's! ;D
Definitely! But if I remember correctly, I think I also have a few others you were interested in, no?
Anyway, I’ll be harvesting them when the vine dies back, between December and February. I’m not sure they’ll drop before then (they didn’t last year). They also have a long dormancy. Mine didn’t sprout until late March, and I still had some sprouting in June.
Come harvest time, I will be contacting all the individuals who originally expressed interest in the Air Potatoes (you included), to give them a head-start (and if they delay in re-contacting me back, I’ll save some bulbils for them, just in case). After that, I’ll post in the vegetable Buy Sell And Trade section (and link to it here) to advertise to the rest of the forum. I gotta figure out a price, I don’t wanna go steep ‘cause I just wanna spread the variety, but doing it at my cost with a lot of interested parties won’t do... Maybe $5 (US currency) for a pair of small-to-mid-sized bulbils, plus the cost of packaging (which I also have to figure out... I’ve never sent anything before). Still not sure on any of these details yet, I gotta hash them out further. I’m also open to trades, depending on what people may have; in that case, we could just waive all costs for each other, or work something else out.
I have limited quantities of the non-bulbil-bearing species, so I’ll mostly restrict myself to those people that originally showed interest. They’ll probably be cheaper than the bulbils.
Fine for me.
Excellent!
*
It occurs to me that I might have issues with branding (regarding SENA and, if I ever get it, "Las Cañadas")... So, while I definitely want to acknowledge the source in naming my varieties, I also want to avoid legal issues. After all, while these varieties are being provided by these companies, they wouldn't be associated with them once they leave their hands. If someone were to make money off of them, it would be problematic for them to bear the name of a company that isn't receiving revenue from the use of their name. So, for official purposes, I'd like to acknowledge that Sena (note the change in capitalization) is the official full and complete name. It is derived from the acronym Stephward Estate Nursery, Africa, as an acknowledgment of its origins and subspecies, but it is not the acronym proper. It's just... Sena. It doesn't stand for the acronym (though it references it). And when I give material to the local Ag Research Station, that is what will be marked: the name and the origin, but not the acronym as anything more than a footnote. As for "Las Cañadas" (I'm getting ahead of myself, considering that I don't have it yet, if I ever DO get it), I'd have to think of a different name... Perhaps Lasca? I don't know, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
I’m slightly reluctant to name the first one CV-Sativa, because I’m not absolutely certain that Sativa is the correct subspecies. Suavior has prominent lenticels, Sativa is smooth. Well this one starts out with prominent lenticels which migrate to the top as the bulbil inflates (leaving most of the bulbil smooth), and they become less conspicuous over time (still noticeable, but markedly less so than actual Suaviors, like Konkan Kalika). I’m not sure if this description is consistent with Sativa or not. Furthermore, Chandramohan is still on the lookout for more. If this turns out to be a Sativa, and he sends me a second nameless Sativa cultivar, what would I name it? Instead, I’ll adopt a numerical designation for it (regardless if I never get another one from Chandramohan). So the official cultivar name will be CV-1. If I happen to get more nameless varieties from Chandramohan, they’ll continue the numerical line.
*
Edit: I think $5 for a pair seems a bit expensive, but it depends on how much the vines produce and how many people are interested. This year they seem to be producing bigger but fewer bulbils. If production ramps up enough over the season, I could probably offer a few more bulbils for that price (unless demand still exceeds supply).
Hello my friend! Thank's a lot! Please tell me when you have them available. Regarding other species i don't remember but you can tell me. Best regards! ;)
-
I just got starts for the Plectranthus this past week. They were small plants I've potted up for propagation.
-
Hello my friend! Thank's a lot! Please tell me when you have them available. Regarding other species i don't remember but you can tell me. Best regards! ;)
Not sure it was you now that I think about it. I gotta review my post and pm history to remember who wanted what. At any rate, I'll be advertising soon after contacting you and the others, so if you want anything else I got, you'll know in short order.
I just got starts for the Plectranthus this past week. They were small plants I've potted up for propagation.
They grow fast and vigorously. They like space, and they root and form tubers where they touch the ground. I doubt they're as fast or far-reaching as sweet potatoes, but they make a good dense (and tall) groundcover, so they can probably swamp out weeds in time. Mine are touching the ground again, but I won't be cutting them back this time. They're flowering, so I may already have a harvest, but I'll leave them in the tub to harvest at the same time as the yams. They're sharing the tub with Lerén, which I'll harvest the same day. If anyone wants Lerén, I'll be trading it as well.
Also, if planting by tuber, I noticed the potato mint has dormancy; it took about as long as the air potato to start sprouting. The true potato I grew in the next tub was full of scab; I hope the potato mint isn't susceptible to that, 'cause the tender skin is one of the best parts of it.
*
Pics! Here we have the Lerén and Potato Mint:
(https://i.postimg.cc/njr5DBjF/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/njr5DBjF) (https://i.postimg.cc/NK8Wqgvc/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/NK8Wqgvc) (https://i.postimg.cc/D84TDkzv/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/D84TDkzv)
The Sena Air Potato, growing with Recao (Eryngium foetidum), Bambara Groundnuts and a pair of young Mauka "Blanco" plants:
(https://i.postimg.cc/cKBZmRLf/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/cKBZmRLf)
A trio of CV-1 Air Potatoes:
(https://i.postimg.cc/jWsBRGRJ/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jWsBRGRJ)
And for the first time... CV-1 flowers!
(https://i.postimg.cc/HcvqZBD8/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HcvqZBD8)
My first thought on seeing the flowers was "Hybrids!". But even if they complement each other in reproductive anatomy, my two strains may very well have differing ploidy, so I'm not sure I'll be able to cross them. Time will tell.
-
I harvested 11 bulbils in October after the first of them fell to the ground. I only weighed the big one, but it was a full pound! Completely unexpected. It fell to the floor in the house and skinned where it made initial contact. My mom boiled it up with the second-largest bulbil and I shared it with my parents. They loved it, and I found the flavor a bit better than last year (though the texture was a bit off when mashed and buttered, I think 'cause I left it in the water too long... Should've drained it for a while).
I took a third bulbil and my mom fried it after a short soak in salty water (I forgot to photograph the finished product). It was bitter, though I found its softess more unappealing (though our home-made french fries also turn out soft, so I'm not sure it's a problem with the yam). If cooked any other way than boiled, I would recommend soaking in several changes of water to reduce bitterness (the initial water turned dark in our case). I was gonna try it baked, but didn't out of expectations of bitterness. Home fries seem like a good idea after a few soaks, as well as roasted parmesan wedges.
With this early harvest, I'm gonna start selling them here on the forum. Link here: http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=30268.0 (http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=30268.0)
And now, the gallery:
(https://i.postimg.cc/QBty8fjm/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QBty8fjm) (https://i.postimg.cc/c6Y5LgGp/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/c6Y5LgGp) (https://i.postimg.cc/Js7TxpH8/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Js7TxpH8) (https://i.postimg.cc/TKkt4nnD/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/TKkt4nnD) (https://i.postimg.cc/RNBp6SMN/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RNBp6SMN) (https://i.postimg.cc/p5NGBxzc/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/p5NGBxzc) (https://i.postimg.cc/vxWPqjvY/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vxWPqjvY) (https://i.postimg.cc/mz9VkqJY/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mz9VkqJY) (https://i.postimg.cc/2qM2zmcj/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2qM2zmcj) (https://i.postimg.cc/JHWxkxC9/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JHWxkxC9)
-
This is soo fabulous! I tried so much to found it... it seams really delicious, and i found amazing to get potatos growing in the air!
I don't know it you know this Brazilian woman. She makes great things with wild fruits, vegetables and yams! In Brazil they have a purple variety... do you have that one?
https://come-se.blogspot.com/2012/09/cara-moela-coluna-do-paladar-4.html
https://come-se.blogspot.com/2011/09/cara-moela-frito-dois-em-um.html
https://come-se.blogspot.com/2008/06/car-do-ar-car-moela-ou-inhame-do-ar.html
-
Just look to this one! :P :P :P
https://come-se.blogspot.com/2011/09/bolinho-de-cara-moela-ou-cara-do-ar.html
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CJiyzm98jc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CJiyzm98jc)
-
Nice links! The purple ones seem even rarer and harder to find than the normal ones. All the types shown in the links are African types. There's purple Asian types as well. We need to find all of them!
I'm keen on trying more recipes myself, I'm gonna cook a few more this weekend to see what I can do with them. They really are good, kinda like a mix of yam and potato in flavor, not like full yam. It's weird, 'cause I thought they were called air "potatoes" based on appearance alone, but apparently taste is a factor as well.
*
Important note: there's a reason plants need proper spacing. I didn't get any Lerén to taste this year, and hardly any potato mint. Too much of both growing in the same pot, competing. The Lerén in particular was hungry and vigorous in root (while the potato mint was vigorous in foliage). I'm hoping to get a better harvest from the mints at my grandmothers house. Let's see how it goes.
-
Important note about the air potato: for best flavor, eat them fresh!
My mother boiled up a batch of big air potatoes that had been sitting on the table for about a month. They were darker green on the inside and leached a lot of brown stuff into the water (¿tannins?). While still half decent in flavor, I wasn't very enthusiastic about eating them. The bitter notes were stronger and the taste less appealing.
Here's the batch as it cooked:
(https://i.postimg.cc/xJV5Cr1R/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xJV5Cr1R)
My grandmother, on the other hand, plucked a couple of fresh bulbils today and boiled them up on the spot. They were paler on the inside and barely leached stuff into the water. On tasting them (even with the dark green layer under the skin), they were very good, better than the first ones of the season (which were on the table for a week). They tasted like potato!
So for best flavor, it's better to pluck as needed rather than letting them fall off or storing them.
-
http://www.jocpr.com/articles/physico-chemical-analysis-of-plectranthus-rotundifolius.pdf (http://www.jocpr.com/articles/physico-chemical-analysis-of-plectranthus-rotundifolius.pdf)
-
A few weeks ago I got a good 2 handfuls of small Plectranthus tubers from a friend and put them in a community pot to sprout.
They sent up many shoots and I have 125 those rooting in 2" pots. When I get up to 200 plants I'll be putting two on each side of 50 one year old mango trees which have just gotten 4 wheelbarrow loads each of good homemade compost. It has been two years and I just got around to adding this crop to my farm I know they will do well from my friends experience. It will probably be 2 weeks before they are in the ground we have been under a high pressure for weeks(hot and dry) but our rainy season is imminent in June.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xqy95sQz/DSC01673.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xqy95sQz)
-
My two bulbs of dioscorea bulbifera are showing the first signs of sprouting... ;D
-
http://www.jocpr.com/articles/physico-chemical-analysis-of-plectranthus-rotundifolius.pdf (http://www.jocpr.com/articles/physico-chemical-analysis-of-plectranthus-rotundifolius.pdf)
Thanks for the article! I do wish they'd gone into more detail regarding the amino acid profile. Lots of plants are touted as being high in protein, but very few of them are high in "essential amino acids", and almost none are a complete protein (with all of the essential amino acids, each one at or above the minimum threshold to be nutritionally significant). Other than meat, the only complete protein that I remember is Quinoa and some legume crops (I can't recall them off the top of my head, but I think that Soy isn't one of them, though it comes close).
A few weeks ago I got a good 2 handfuls of small Plectranthus tubers from a friend and put them in a community pot to sprout.
They sent up many shoots and I have 125 those rooting in 2" pots. When I get up to 200 plants I'll be putting two on each side of 50 one year old mango trees which have just gotten 4 wheelbarrow loads each of good homemade compost. It has been two years and I just got around to adding this crop to my farm I know they will do well from my friends experience. It will probably be 2 weeks before they are in the ground we have been under a high pressure for weeks(hot and dry) but our rainy season is imminent in June.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xqy95sQz/DSC01673.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xqy95sQz)
You're gonna like those potatoes, they're a pretty low-care crop. A bit small, but easy to manage post-harvest, versatile and tasty. Have they gone into the ground yet?
My two bulbs of dioscorea bulbifera are showing the first signs of sprouting... ;D
Pics man! Show me those babies! And if you haven't already, stick 'em into the ground. They're one of my slower yams to sprout, but the fastest ones to grow, and they sure grow long and vigorous.
-
My pentaphylla and Bulbifera has gone in the ground. The bulbifera is from you Caesar, thanks again!
I noticed mine cannot stand a change of environment, is this common?
If they sprout in one environment then they go into shock if moved to different conditions.
Happened to the african bulbifera and the pentaphylla, they just stay there doing nothing after I moved them :(
Not a transplant issue as it doesn't do it when changing pot.
-
My purple d alatas just start to sprout and Plectranthus rotundifolius is growing very well! Can i use the leaves? Thank's! ;D
-
My dioscorea alata bulbs are starting to sprout!
Purple alata
(https://i.postimg.cc/HjN1GJkx/DSC-0363-resized-20190628-070055352.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HjN1GJkx)
Indian alata from ebay
(https://i.postimg.cc/RJ77T6PR/DSC-0365-resized-20190628-070010745.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RJ77T6PR)
Alata from italian nursery and potato mint pots side by side
(https://i.postimg.cc/mtZjSVs1/DSC-0361-resized-20190628-070206179.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mtZjSVs1)
-
Yams: The Food of Champions
http://www.abengnews.com/2008/08/17/yams-the-food-of-champions/ (http://www.abengnews.com/2008/08/17/yams-the-food-of-champions/)
-
Hello Ceasar how are you? Do you know if i can use the leaves of potato mint? They are edible for cooking or tea?
Thank's! ;)
-
Hello Ceasar how are you? Do you know if i can use the leaves of potato mint? They are edible for cooking or tea?
Thank's! ;)
Edible Uses
Tubers - raw or cooked
Often eaten as a relish in combination with a starchy staple food, but occasionally they constitute the staple food[299
They are cooked with spices in various combinations with other foods such as beans and cooked vegetables[299
They are eaten cooked or steamed as a vegetable, sometimes even raw; they are also mixed with savor Adult tubers are also used as a substitute for potatoes, for the preparation of minced meatballs They are best consumed in small quantities, as they are somewhat indigestible Used in the same ways as potatoes The white, starchy, slightly aromatic tubers become dark with age
The tubers are usually 2 - 4cm long, occasionally to 8cm, occurring in clusters of 3 - 7
Leaves - cooked. Occasionally used as a vegetable[299
Medicinal
The leaves are sometimes used in traditional medicine for purposes such as the treatment of dysentery
The plant is also used to treat blood in the urine as well as eye disorders
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Plectranthus+rotundifolius (http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Plectranthus+rotundifolius)
-
Thank's! :)
-
I made tea with the Potato Mint leaves in their second year. It had a very light grassy taste, with an almost imperceptible mintiness. Nothing particularly appealing.
-
I made tea with the Potato Mint leaves in their second year. It had a very light grassy taste, with an almost imperceptible mintiness. Nothing particularly appealing.
Thank's! :)
-
I recently found the Hindi name for Plectranthus rotundifolius. It is Koorka and is grown quite a bit by smaller farmers in India.
You can find many recipes for preparation on youtube plus a novel idea for peeling these smallish tubers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6kMuLpHxWE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6kMuLpHxWE)
My own plants seem to be doing well it took them a long time to get flowering they may be daylength -sensitive in my zone since I noticed the flowering happened when other daylegth sensitive plants (winged beans, mucuna) began to flower. It may be another month or so before I will start digging.
-
I recently found the Hindi name for Plectranthus rotundifolius. It is Koorka and is grown quite a bit by smaller farmers in India.
You can find many recipes for preparation on youtube plus a novel idea for peeling these smallish tubers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6kMuLpHxWE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6kMuLpHxWE)
My own plants seem to be doing well it took them a long time to get flowering they may be daylength -sensitive in my zone since I noticed the flowering happened when other daylegth sensitive plants (winged beans, mucuna) began to flower. It may be another month or so before I will start digging.
Mine also flower around year's end, approximately. They started flowering in October for me.
Also, great video link! With the footwork, I would've expected the tubers to come out smashed, but they probably didn't put full weight on it. It seems like a much faster and efficient way to do it than mine (I had fewer tubers, and it took me at least half an hour by hand).
-
These are some of the air potato bulbils that came off a bulbil or two I got from Caesar. The ground tuber has grown to about 4 inches, 100mm size. The plant suffered a little because here in Florida we have an invasive inedible type air potato which has become a problem in our native areas. As a result, a non-native insect which attacks the air potato was introduced and I can see it has attacked my plants making the leaves look like someone shot them with a shotgun.
I will probably trial these for a few more seasons to see what happens but since ordinary D. alata is unaffected by pests it seems to be the better choice for my area. These bulbils are really only suitable for replanting and don't represent what might be expected from a more mature plant and one which hasn't been under attack. I will show what happens next year.
(https://i.postimg.cc/8jvyG95M/DSC01845.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8jvyG95M)
-
These are some of the air potato bulbils that came off a bulbil or two I got from Caesar. The ground tuber has grown to about 4 inches, 100mm size. The plant suffered a little because here in Florida we have an invasive inedible type air potato which has become a problem in our native areas. As a result, a non-native insect which attacks the air potato was introduced and I can see it has attacked my plants making the leaves look like someone shot them with a shotgun.
I will probably trial these for a few more seasons to see what happens but since ordinary D. alata is unaffected by pests it seems to be the better choice for my area. These bulbils are really only suitable for replanting and don't represent what might be expected from a more mature plant and one which hasn't been under attack. I will show what happens next year.
(https://i.postimg.cc/8jvyG95M/DSC01845.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8jvyG95M)
Those bulbils are definitely characteristic of first-year vines, they should be noticeably and consistently bigger in the second year. Also, unless the vines are being cut down before bulbil formation, I wouldn't worry too much about the pest beetles. Granted I've never faced such extreme damage, but I did find my vines to be the most pest-susceptible yams in my collection, and they kept churning out bulbils without a care in the world.
They're still edible at smaller sizes, and I'm thinking of trying the smallest ones this year, as well as trying them skin-on (bulbifera skin is edible, but depending on the variety can range from tender to tough). At smaller sizes (depending on maturity), the bulbils can have a hard texture, but they're still edible.
-
Mexico arrived today! Now I wait for Nonthaburi Yellow. Pics:
(https://i.postimg.cc/k68fQn3L/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/k68fQn3L) (https://i.postimg.cc/sMNcbB3t/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sMNcbB3t)
And as long as I'm in a thread about potatoes, I got diploid Solanum tuberosum "Skagit Valley Gold" to flower for me! Even in this Tropical heat (winter is barely making a dent in it). If I can get this next batch of in-vitro clones to maturity, I'll have a few diploid partners to cross it with. Pics:
(https://i.postimg.cc/sG37MWYH/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sG37MWYH) (https://i.postimg.cc/Wq4tRw6V/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Wq4tRw6V) (https://i.postimg.cc/HjWr7TGN/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HjWr7TGN)
-
Mine arrived today! ;D
(https://i.postimg.cc/2V50HT2W/DSC-0738.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2V50HT2W)
-
@ Caesar & Louisport.
Nice! Those are the angular African types from Las Cañadas, correct? For some reason I was picturing the more sharply angled bulbils I’ve seen circulating online, but I guess it’s a different variety. Hope they do well for you guys!
-
@ Caesar & Louisport.
Nice! Those are the angular African types from Las Cañadas, correct? For some reason I was picturing the more sharply angled bulbils I’ve seen circulating online, but I guess it’s a different variety. Hope they do well for you guys!
Thank's! ;D
-
@ Caesar & Louisport.
Nice! Those are the angular African types from Las Cañadas, correct? For some reason I was picturing the more sharply angled bulbils I’ve seen circulating online, but I guess it’s a different variety. Hope they do well for you guys!
I was told by the seller that they were the same strain as the ones from Las Cañadas. The info on the eBay page is the same as the one in Las Cañadas' FaceBook (thanks for the link, Luis!). I think it's very probably legit.
"Mexico" is definitely more rounded than most of the other African strains I've seen, but they still have their subtle angles, and they're more disk-shaped than ball-shaped when compared to Asian strains.
I also got "Nonthaburi Yellow" in from eBay today, and it's very different from my other Asian strains. The skin seems much thicker & darker than CV-1 (a smooth Sativa). It's covered with lenticels (like the bumpy CV-2, a Suavior), but they're sunken like pockmarks instead of raised like bumps. The interior should be yellow, as in the eBay pics (the reason I chose the name). I got some shots comparing it to Mexico & CV-1:
(https://i.postimg.cc/K1JpS7PX/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K1JpS7PX) (https://i.postimg.cc/PpGmBNRs/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PpGmBNRs) (https://i.postimg.cc/1VQQDd6h/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1VQQDd6h) (https://i.postimg.cc/JtNmR1V1/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JtNmR1V1) (https://i.postimg.cc/z3rvC2qG/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/z3rvC2qG)
⁂
I gathered up some Potato Mint a few days ago and stuck 'em mostly unpeeled into a Lipton soup with a young Air Potato and a few Basell Potatoes (Madeira Vine). It was great! No bitterness nor off flavors. I also fried up some Basell Potatoes whole, and they were like homemade french fries. Delicious!
(https://i.postimg.cc/8FS9KvcM/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8FS9KvcM) (https://i.postimg.cc/DWPDtz4D/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/DWPDtz4D) (https://i.postimg.cc/474MZTz3/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/474MZTz3) (https://i.postimg.cc/34LqxbBF/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/34LqxbBF) (https://i.postimg.cc/0rB3gFr8/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0rB3gFr8) (https://i.postimg.cc/HV8NTz7b/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HV8NTz7b) (https://i.postimg.cc/BjWVbFxk/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/BjWVbFxk) (https://i.postimg.cc/fVxg9bCL/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fVxg9bCL) (https://i.postimg.cc/zL7txP9Y/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zL7txP9Y) (https://i.postimg.cc/34wLVFT4/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/34wLVFT4)
-
Luis, I checked the link from the Polish eBay vendor you bought from, and they had another bulbil in stock! I placed an order, and I'm expecting it to arrive on February.
Thai vendor "GoodMice" has confirmed her bulbifera as edible as well, so in the hopes that it's a different accession from my other Thai bulbil, I've placed an order.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Dioscorea-Bulbifera-Bulbs-Thai-Herb/182952108093?_mwBanner=1&ul_ref=https%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F0%2Fe11051.m43.l1123%2F7%3Feuid%3D67fd8deff6a5471383f446598f48f013%26bu%3D44494520481%26loc%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.com%252Fulk%252Fitm%252F182952108093%26sojTags%3Dbu%3Dbu%26srcrot%3De11051.m43.l1123%26rvr_id%3D0%26rvr_ts%3Dfca4601616e0ac3d8911397cfff86a85&ul_noapp=true&pageci=3f2b2628-da59-4df9-8a1b-95969544693d (https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Dioscorea-Bulbifera-Bulbs-Thai-Herb/182952108093?_mwBanner=1&ul_ref=https%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F0%2Fe11051.m43.l1123%2F7%3Feuid%3D67fd8deff6a5471383f446598f48f013%26bu%3D44494520481%26loc%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.com%252Fulk%252Fitm%252F182952108093%26sojTags%3Dbu%3Dbu%26srcrot%3De11051.m43.l1123%26rvr_id%3D0%26rvr_ts%3Dfca4601616e0ac3d8911397cfff86a85&ul_noapp=true&pageci=3f2b2628-da59-4df9-8a1b-95969544693d)
This has truly been a banner year for edible bulbiferas. I'm growing 4 varieties, have 2 more to plant, am expecting 8 more in the mail, and might have a few more waiting for me later this month. This is shaping up to be the largest and most diverse collection of edible Air Potatoes in the West!
I need to talk to some Academic folks, I need to spread my collection out to avoid losing any variety if something were to happen to my collection at home. Furthermore, some breeding and crop development may be in order, now that we have this much diversity on hand. Eric Toensmeier's book on "Perennial Vegetables" proposes a research agenda for Citizen Gardeners (and others), and closes that part of bulbifera's section by wondering if any reader will take up the challenge... Challenge accepted. At the rate this collection is going, we'll have more than enough material for academic botanists and agronomists to hash out the crop potential for this species, and growers can pick out their personal selections for taste, production, and environmental tolerances.
-
Caesar, that Nonthaburi yellow is gorgeous! It seems like quite a unique variety, and I’ll be very interested to see how it preforms for you next season. Food looks delicious too!
-
(https://i.postimg.cc/z3rvC2qG/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/z3rvC2qG)
What strain is the left smooth one? Where to get it?
Is it tasty?
-
The food was as good as it looked. ;D
The pale smooth strain on the left side is CV-1, still growing on my own vine. It was my first bulbifera variety, sent by Chandramohan (I named it after him, CV, his initials). I have that bulbil, a few that are somewhat approaching that size, and some small ones from a vine I accidentally killed at the base (they should be viable, though).
It is tasty! It's harder when immature, tender at full maturity. Freshly picked, it tastes more like potato than yam. The longer you let it sit on the counter, the stronger the bitter tones get, so eating it fresh is recommended — but they remain edible no matter how bitter they get. The skin is edible too, but I haven't eaten it from a mature one yet. The tiny one I chucked into the soup the other day (unpeeled, with the skin) was tender despite its size, and had a more vegetal than starchy flavor.
-
(https://i.postimg.cc/LJ3DQWvq/P-20191215-090304-1-p.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LJ3DQWvq)
This is the biggest airpotato I got so far, weighing 990 gms. Unfortunately, the bulbils on this vine seems to have been attacked by some pests, there are dark pockets on all bulbils. Do you have such a problem? By the way, did the other bulbifera fruit?
-
(https://i.postimg.cc/z3rvC2qG/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/z3rvC2qG)
What strain is the left smooth one? Where to get it?
Is it tasty?
Come to think of it, I think it's the same one I sent you.
(https://i.postimg.cc/LJ3DQWvq/P-20191215-090304-1-p.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LJ3DQWvq)
This is the biggest airpotato I got so far, weighing 990 gms. Unfortunately, the bulbils on this vine seems to have been attacked by some pests, there are dark pockets on all bulbils. Do you have such a problem? By the way, did the other bulbifera fruit?
That's an impressive bulbil! Is that from the smooth one you first sent me (CV-1) or from the bumpy second one you sent me (CV-2)?
If the pockets are tiny and somewhat deep, I'd guess beetles or other such insects were the culprit. If they're large and broad, it's probably slugs and snails (they were the culprit when my bulbils were being attacked). For the most part, my bulbiferas are decently safe lately.
Sena is in active growth, with a very late start. I pray for bulbils, but I'm not sure it'll give them to me yet.
Hawaii 2 was set-back by dying back when I was traveling, and resprouting soon after. From the looks of things, it's about to finish for the year, and only bore one decent bulbil, which I sent to Luis (the next one goes to you, the next ones after that to a few people I owe bulbils to).
CV-2 died back in the same incident, and hasn't resprouted. Several yams died back, and I actually lost track of which container had which yam. I fear the worst, but I'm hoping a tuber survived to bear bulbils next year. At least it bore one small bulbil before drying up, and it's already sprouting roots.
I got a pack of multiple edible Air Potatoes today. The original "Hawaii" (also known as "Jim's Hawaii"), a Korean-based African strain (tentatively called "Afro-Korea") reputed to be of excellent quality (it even has edible foliage), as well as an asian type remarkably similar to Nonthaburi Yellow (tentatively called "Tefoe Yellow", the main distinction is paler brown skin). I got two purple bulbils of uncertain edibility called "Tefoe Purple", but they seem delicate, they're survival is not assured, so I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch. I'm getting a green one next season.
The Polish African strain I'll tentatively call "Pińczów", and the one from GoodMice "Mae-Sai Yellow".
Pics!
The air potatoes in their packages:
(https://i.postimg.cc/m11sVKWM/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/m11sVKWM)
Tefoe Yellow on the left, Nonthaburi Yellow on the right:
(https://i.postimg.cc/XpcVhSyc/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XpcVhSyc)
Jim's Hawaii:
(https://i.postimg.cc/KRvZdp76/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/KRvZdp76)
Three African strains, Jim's Hawaii on the left, Mexico in the lower middle, and Afro-Korea on the right:
(https://i.postimg.cc/qzbk0cjz/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qzbk0cjz)
-
It is from CV1.
-
Today I dug up the tuber from CV 1. It weighed in at 2.550 Kgms!!! On cooking one portion, it was soft, with a slightly sweet taste, nice flavour, overall very nice!!
(https://i.postimg.cc/9wXPtZV6/IMG-4518.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9wXPtZV6)
-
That tuber looks great! For how long was that vine in the ground? It looks much bigger than the roots I've harvested. I remember mine were excellent, slightly yellow, with agreeable taste and texture everywhere except near the growing point (it was tougher, which I've found to be the case with all yams).
Indeed, I remember you telling me that the tuber portion was reputed to be tastier, and I found that to be the case on my first few tries. But when I plucked and ate a fresh bulbil at the peak of ripeness, it was a whole different experience. Fresh off the vine, with no storage time, it was like eating actual potatoes. The root and the bulbils are not very comparable, they taste a bit different to me. The root tastes more like a traditional yam and it keeps its quality longer. The flavor quality of the bulbils deteriorates the longer you keep it in storage, though they remain edible through it all. The tubers and bulbils are both excellent, but different.
It occurs to me that you can grow air potato in two different ways... I picture a perennial patch, grown on trees or trellis, where the root is left in place year after year. These would be kept for large bulbil production, where the bulbils would be the main crop. A second patch could be grown like more conventional yams on trellis, harvested for the tubers and replanted from their own bulbils every year. The bulbils from this second patch would be smaller, but they'd also be edible, and I've found the skin on CV-1 to be tender and edible (I still have to test the bigger bulbils, but I suspect the same applies). Select a few for replanting, then chuck the rest of the small bulbils into soups and stews (perhaps pre-boiled, in case their cooking water is bitter).
-
This tuber is 4 years old. I have not dug up for 4 years.
-
My two new dioscorea bulbifera bulbs... ;D
(https://i.postimg.cc/PLgdgDDj/DSC-0797.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PLgdgDDj)
(https://i.postimg.cc/vgvH5B1w/DSC-0799.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vgvH5B1w)
-
Please, could you name a source for Dioscorea and Plecthranthus in Europe?
-
Please, could you name a source for Dioscorea and Plecthranthus in Europe?
I'm not aware of any particular source that's actually based in Europe (other than the link provided by Luis, to eBay vendor Lupinaster's D. bulbifera; maybe Luis himself, if he gets a decent crop soon), but I've shipped both genera to Europe before (Portugal & Italy), if you're interested in trying. The shipping can be a bit expensive though (my cheapest package to Portugal was about $15 in shipping).
-
Thank you! Yes shipping is quite expensive but my main concern is that I might buy some inedible Dioscorea varieties.
I am not sure as Dioscorea is only a side project but I think there some toxic ones?
Most vendors seem not to have personal experience so it would be good to find a reliable source.
But correct me if I am wrong!
Are you aware of the other Plectranthus varieties esculentus and edulis ? Couldn`t find any source neithertuber nor seeds.
-
The eBay sources posted here all claim edibility, and I think they all ship to Europe.
I have Plectranthus rotundifolius, and am willing to ship. I'm trying to track down P. esculentus, but it's not easy to find. Every online source I've seen so far is just misidentified P. rotundifolius. I haven't checked eBay for Plectranthus lately, but I've seen P. rotundifolius for sale there before, and I think some listings might ship to Europe.
⁂
These sources claim edibility for their bulbiferas, and I suspect they would ship to Europe:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/644244780/dioscorea-bulbifera-with-both-bulbs-and?ga_search_query=Bulbifera&ref=shop_items_search_1 (https://www.etsy.com/listing/644244780/dioscorea-bulbifera-with-both-bulbs-and?ga_search_query=Bulbifera&ref=shop_items_search_1)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bulb-DIOSCOREA-BULBIFERA-Air-Potato-Yam-Herb-Plant-Phytosanitary-Certificate/401523014621 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bulb-DIOSCOREA-BULBIFERA-Air-Potato-Yam-Herb-Plant-Phytosanitary-Certificate/401523014621)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Dioscorea-Bulbifera-Bulbs-Thai-Herb/182952108093 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Dioscorea-Bulbifera-Bulbs-Thai-Herb/182952108093)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Bulb-Dioscorea-Bulbifera-Bulbilbearing-yam-Thai-Herbs/322929051908 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Bulb-Dioscorea-Bulbifera-Bulbilbearing-yam-Thai-Herbs/322929051908)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-BULBOS-DIOSCOREA-BULBIFERA-PAPA-VOLADORA-DE-AIRE-NAME-GUISOS-HUERTO-VITAMINAS/123864323804 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-BULBOS-DIOSCOREA-BULBIFERA-PAPA-VOLADORA-DE-AIRE-NAME-GUISOS-HUERTO-VITAMINAS/123864323804)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vegetable-Air-Yam-Dioscorea-bulbifera-f-sativa-edible-1-large-tuber/223734238301 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vegetable-Air-Yam-Dioscorea-bulbifera-f-sativa-edible-1-large-tuber/223734238301)
This last one is based in Poland. Ask the seller to see if he has any in stock, as I've seen him run out and then have more (he might be selling each bulbil as it matures on the vine).