I’ll be inspecting every yam I receive, to insure I don’t release any beetles here. If they have any holes, I’ll inspect them carefully to kill any pests that may be inside.
My pentaphylla bulbils are sprouting, and they’re looking fuzzy, as it should be.
The growth of the dodecaneura is in full swing! I haven’t trellised them with the other yams yet (in fact I have to make a new one, the termites ate the old trellis), but it’s looking very nice and ornamental! The original package came with so many vines and roots in a single pot, I’ll be able to taste one at the end of this season, even if it’s a small one.
I finally harvested my Ube! Sold to me as Dark Night St. Vincent, it was mostly white inside, with some limited pigmentation (the skin was all purple though). Either I was given the wrong variety, or, more likely, it was affected by the heat in its paint bucket container (heat inhibits anthocyanin production) and by its shorter growing season (the vine died off at the tip on arrival and I had to prune it back, plus the extra time spent in a very small container).
And the first of my African bulbiferas (Sena) is finally entering production! All the bulbils on the healthy vines are still small, but the seemingly virus-infected one (which I will eat rather than propagate) is already growing larger. Because they’re all growing in the same container, I will be growing them next season from new healthy bulbils, to minimize the risk of viral transmission (I won’t retain any of the original underground tubers).
I’m waiting for my second African bulbifera to sprout (seemingly “Hawaii”, judging from its origins and physical features), as well as a second Indian variety (the dense presence of prominent lenticels suggests Suavior, but it was given as a Sativa, so that’s how I’ll label it for now). I’m also sprouting an esculenta, and am waiting for D. japonica bulbils in the mail.
In other tuber-related news, the Australian Bush Potato (Ipomoea costata) has tuberized, though the vine is still small. The Oca, Ulluco and Mashua have started growing, and I had to prune back the Mauka, whose foliage was a bit beaten up by the heat (I’m now growing it in shade). And the one remaining trellis is now a mess of vines, with Sena Air Potato, Yellow Guinea Yam, Hopniss, Madeira Vine, Hodgsonia and Conophor Nut all growing in the same spot. I plan on adding Winged Bean to the milieu soon (Baker Creek Seeds has a day-neutral variety that starts bearing quickly).
Pics!
The pentaphylla:
The dodecaneura:
The Ube:
Sena (from the infected vine):
Oca, Ulluco, Mashua, and Mauka Cuttings:
Conophor & Hodgsonia:
Tangle: Anredera, Sena & Hodgsonia
Bush Potato, Tuberous Vetch & Talet:
