Growing Oca in Missouri.

 This year was an experiment in growing Oca (Oxalis tuberosa, in my climate. For a bit I felt like a failure. When our temperatures reached  97f. Most of the plants I had in full sun fell over and died really fast. Even though they had many weeks of extreme rain. We did not have enough sun or good weather for them to fully develop a good top or sufficient root growth. The ones on the back side of the fence sat there like the broccoli did.Stayed immature and died not long after. I have only 3 of 13 variety's to survive real life in Missouri. Other than they were protected by the Bushentino beans from morning sun. They had after noon sun, when we did have any to speak of.. But to be fair. I did it like i would have if I were to have bought them to grow in my yard. So this is a fair test. If I would have put them in a green house environment, or containers. It would have saved more of them. But not prove they could grow in my area. So I have to accept the challenge was done the right way. Because a typical buyer wants to know it will work. Or it has to be babied, like a tropical plant. Yet a tropical plant can survive the summer in my area but not the winter.
Now that temperature are dropping  and the lay length is getting shorter, Tubers are starting to form on some of these  I moved the small one to a grow bag. It has no tubers. The one in the container behind it has 1 white tuber forming so far. I have had frost covers on them. But with temps falling to 28f 33 f and going back up into the 50, 60 and 70's The leaves are suffering a bit. I do not know if I can keep it going into December. One min it looks good the next not so good. But it is still alive.

These are the 3 variety's, I have still growing. 
Oca-OC-14-2x08x05

Yellow with	Light red (pink)

Country of origin Bolivia 
is an abundant flowerier, which set quite a bit of seed in it's state of origin. .


Oca-OC-14-1x14x08
Light red (pink) White

I may be the only person in the world with OC-14-1x14x08.

OC-14-1x10x15
 Purple-red
 The most promising variety for yield can have more than 2 pounds from the seedling.

This is what they looked like on Nov 2, 2015. The green has perked up and Ok now. But the lighter parts can not be saved. But the good news it is still growing. The tubers were about 1/2 inch in size. I one looks a little bit to see one for each plant. There may be more. But I do not want to cause too much stress.

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