Pachyrhizus erosus (Jicama, Yam Bean)
Jicama grows as a small vine during its first summer and in autumn it forms a fist sized succulent tuber. It is essentially a sub-tropical vegetable but can be grown outdoors in frost-free areas or where seedlings are started early and then translated out in late spring. It loves sun and heat. The vines naturally sprawl for their first year and even though only a dozen or so leaves are produced they grow an impressive succulent tuber which has no fibre and thus can be eaten raw or cooked. When cooked, it retains its crispness and never gets flabby. Jicama dislikes water logging and has deep roots so can withstand slight droughts but for best growth, keep well watered. From seed germination to harvest can take five months.
Seeds take two weeks or more to germinate and need to be kept at room temperature. They are slow to get growing so best to sow seeds in small pots in Spring and keep them there for 8 weeks before planting them out. Soil temperatures need to be at least 16°C. Can be grown in a greenhouse or even in a large tub. Vines generally only flower if kept alive over winter during their second summer at which time they become rampant twining climbers. Attractive blue flowers and slender, inedible beans follow. Tubers can reach 400 mm diameter and many kgs but at this stage they are very fibrous and unappealing. Beans are poisonous and have been used in rat baits.
10 seeds/packet (locally grown and not imported)
Germination
Seeds take two weeks or more to germinate and need to be kept at room temperature. They are slow to get growing so best to sow seeds in small pots in Spring and keep them there for 8 weeks before planting them out. Soil temperatures need to be at least 16°C. Can be grown in a greenhouse or even in a large tub. Vines generally only flower if kept alive over winter during their second summer at which time they become rampant twining climbers. Attractive blue flowers and slender, inedible beans follow. Tubers can reach 400 mm in diameter and many kgs but at this stage, they are very fibrous and unappealing.
Approximate minimum seed count per pack
10 seeds/packet (locally grown and not imported) Beans are poisonous and have been used in rat baits.
Usage
The tubers can be harvested from 4 months for small tubers, it takes 9 months for large tubers to develop.
The seed pods and seeds are toxic and dangerous to eat. The pods contain rotenone, a toxic substance often used as an organic insecticide. Rotenone is a naturally occurring compound found in the roots of several plant species and has been extensively used as Rat bait, insecticide and to kill fish.
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