(OCA) New Zealand Yams

[Markw]

I have been looking to try to get some OCA for next year. Over here it is like trying to get rocking horse manuer. I was just wondering if any of you nice guys down under have any contacts of seed companies who could ship to the UK I will pay all costs for freight etc.they might be out of season at the moment I hope that someone can help me on this one,
Many thanks

Markw

 

[johnlee1933]

Check out

They are a UK gardening company that lists the seed tubers here in the states. If there's a problem I'll get then and mail then to you. -- John

 

[Knucklehead]

Rocking Horse manure. That's funny. I never heard that one before.

 

[Markw]

Thanks John
I have used them before for Sweet Potato slips , they are not that reliable and ship late in the season I ended up with too short a growing season and ended up with very few, there not the best.
Plus I need to buy in bulk as I am doing a group buy I need about 5kg. there is a company in the States that sell in bulk, but do not ship overseas. It is early days yet, I am getting the Mellon seeds from the States. I just don't like leaving everything to the last minute. Yes there is a few places but the cost is so much as they are the in thing to grow at the moment. when you have got them you don't ever need to buy anymore you just keep planting the ones that you don't use the following year .

Mark

 

[Seanz]

Hi Mark I just emailed a supplier over here to see what the deal is with sending to the UK
The website is http://www.mortonsmith-dawe.co.nz/ Hopefully they can help you out.
Sean

 

[Markw]

Thanks Sean
It seams funny to ship half way round the world but it is financially worth it in the end. Just been looking at the WW lightning satellite map for NZ I see that you have some nasty storms today over Christchurch I hope that you don't get down your way.
Many thanks

Mark

 

[Seanz]

I don't think they will usually all the storms start down here and move up. Or they push off out too sea. but today is a wet one, 11 degrees.
Plus we have river alerts at the moment too much rain in the mountains so alot of holiday campers have been told to move just in case.

 

[johnlee1933]

Thanks John
I have used them before for Sweet Potato slips , they are not that reliable and ship late in the season I ended up with too short a growing season and ended up with very few, there not the best.
Plus I need to buy in bulk as I am doing a group buy I need about 5kg. there is a company in the States that sell in bulk, but do not ship overseas. It is early days yet, I am getting the Mellon seeds from the States. I just don't like leaving everything to the last minute. Yes there is a few places but the cost is so much as they are the in thing to grow at the moment. when you have got them you don't ever need to buy anymore you just keep planting the ones that you don't use the following year .

Mark

If you need i could check into getting them and shipping them to you. Any customs problems you know of?-- John

 

[Markw]

Hi John and thanks for the kind offer. I was looking at this company on the west coast, but I have sent a few mails out last night and time is on my side, it is early in the season yet so I have some time to get it sorted out
http://www.marxfoods.com/Oca-New-Zealand-Yam

Mark

 

[SmokesAhoy]

You know on the subject of sweet potatoes, the best part is the sauteed greens. Good eating. Have you checked seed savers and rare seeds? Seed savers is like what we are. Minus the good press lol

 

[Markw]

Hi Smokes
Thanks for posting about seed savers . What a good site they have, lots of seeds to chose from. Ha Ha the sweet potato There are only a couple you can grow over here. It finding the potato s to grow the slips from is the problem. There all just sold as sweet potato . It is just finding the ones you need for slips is the hard part.

Markw

 

[SmokesAhoy]

In not sure I follow, 1 potato will put out at least 4 vines, at every node the vine is cut and put in water and will sprout to form a slip.you can get probably 50_100 slips from a single potato depending on the cut. If you just need slips, a single order of seed potatos should have you swimming in slips.

 

[Markw]

Hi Smokes I need Beauregard Sweet Potatos to get the slips from. They are the only ones that grow well in the UK. Most of the sweet potato are imported. they don.t sell them as Beauregard SP.s they could be from the US or Israel or Jamaca or anywhere, so it trying to fine a Beauregard out of all the imports that I can get the slips off.

Markw

 

[squeezyjohn]

Hi Mark - if you're still looking for these - I've been multiplying up my Ocas and if this year's crop is good I can send you some tubers for next years grow.

They are a great thing to grow ... if the year is bad they're small and fiddly but they're delicious with a kind of lemony flavour, resistant to most diseases that potatoes suffer from and excellent at smothering all the weeds around them.

Harvesting is pretty late - sometimes well in to december - so hassle me around then if you want some!