Hardy yam (Dioscorea batatas)
Hardy Yam
(Dioscorea batatas)
Aerial tubers available in the autumn/winter and young plants grown in 7 cm pots in the spring.
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Unusual veg
In stock (pack of 5 aerial tubers)
£4.00 price includes postage
Maybe not for the faint hearted but the hardy yam can be very productive in a relatively small space.
The
hardy
yam is an easily grown hardy perennial, useful in more northern climes and much used in China for it's super long edible roots. It will do best in a sunny spot though as a climber it will find its way to the sun wherever it finds itself twinning round whatever support it can find, so grow it up any framework you may use for your runner beans. The plants take a few years to reach maturity but they are easily propagated from the tiny aerial tubers that form in the leaf axils on the stems as it grows, even on the younger plants.
The tubers are usually 30 - 40 cm in length but can reach up to a metre long in a fertile soil so your main problem may well be getting it out of the ground in one piece!.
Well worth the effort though as they store well, are a delicious substitute for potatoes and can be used in many ways...