Cultivariable

Independent breeder and supplier of unusual vegetables

[cultivariable]

Heirloom ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) varieties.  Arguably the most beautiful of the Andean tuber crops.  Tasty too!  Learn more: https://www.cultivariable.com/instructions/how-to-grow-ulluco/

[theoreticalpermaculture]

[colormerad5k]

pomegranateandivy:

I am going to print this out, laminate it, and keep it with my gloves and spade.

Dreaming of a springtime garden.

[wilwheaton]

OHHHHH I can totally use this!

[thishartominefeelz]

ALL I WANT AND ALL I NEED IS TO PLANT A GARDEN TO PLAN A GARDEN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqJoVlnmdFQ

[cultivariable]

This is awesome.

[cultivariable]

[cultivariable]

[cultivariable]

A new variety of oca with almost completely red flesh.  Not quite ready for prime time, unfortunately.  It has a small yield and the tuber size is also small, but we hope to use it to breed varieties with larger tubers and dark red flesh.

[cultivariable]

Harvesting one of the best of the new oca varieties from 2013.  This is currently known as OC-LG-13-2x4, but I think it is about to get promoted to a real name.

[cultivariable]

Some early harvested mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum).  Three varieties: Blanca/Pilifera (white with purple eyes). Orange (large yellow/orange), and Ken Aslet (small, yellow with purple blotches).

[cultivariable]

Some of the best results from our oca (Oxalis tuberosa) breeding project in 2014.  All of these will be further evaluated in 2015 and, if they grow well, considered for release in 2016.

[cultivariable]

Some of the best early performers of our 2014 oca (Oxalis tuberosa) crop.  Oca is not usually harvested for about a month yet.  These are test pulls to see how fast some of the varieties bulk up.  Most of these are in the 1/2 to 3/4 pound range, but a few yielded more than a pound, which is pretty good for early November.

[cultivariable]

Yacon is easy to propagate from rhizome pieces, if only you can get them to survive the winter.  If you live in a mild climate, where you can overwinter potted yacon in a tunnel or a greenhouse, you might consider taking stem cuttings.  They root pretty easily and give you a head start in spring.  This is obviously also a good way to multiply up a variety.  Between stem cuttings and rhizomes, you could pretty easily turn one yacon plant into fifty. I take two kinds of stem cuttings from yacon: vertical cuttings on the lower part of the stem where it is still solid and horizontal sections from the upper parts of the stem that are hollow.  The reason for the difference is that I had problems with the hollow stems rotting before they would root and the horizontal sections expose the cut interior of the node for rooting, which seems to help.

[cultivariable]

Mashua seed pods are popping up all over the place now.  We've been collecting seeds from the early variety Ken Aslet for about a month, but now the rest of the varieties (and, most importantly, our hand-pollinated crosses) are now producing lots of pods.  If we're frost free for another month, which looks likely, we'll probably be able to collect more than a thousand pods this year.  Then the real fun begins: mass sowing and hopefully selection for improved flavor!  Anyone up for a big mashua taste test?

[cultivariable]

Our mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum) is putting on a pretty nice flowering display.  Not much else flowers at this time of year, so the mashua really stands out.  Several varieties here, including Pilifera, Puca-añu, and Ken Aslet.  Probably still a month away from harvest with the warm weather that we've been having.