Ullucus tuberosus
Ulluco
Common names: Papa Lisa, Andean tuber
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 30 cm, rows 60 cm
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Planting
- Apr–May
- Harvest
- Oct–Nov
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below −1 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785 - 1865) · Public Domain · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) is a tuberous plant native to the Andes that produces brightly colored, glossy tubers in yellow, pink, or violet. The plant grows prostrate to slightly climbing, forming dense, heart‑shaped leaves that can also be used as a leafy green. It is short‑day dependent, beginning tuber formation only when days shorten in late summer, so harvest typically occurs in late autumn just before the first hard frost.
Care instructions
Plant the tubers in mid‑May (week 20) in loose, humus‑rich soil once the danger of late frosts has passed. Keep the soil consistently moist but avoid waterlogging; mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Lightly mound the plants during the summer to encourage tuber development, similar to potatoes. Because tuber formation starts with shorter days, harvest in October or November, before the first hard frost, as tubers do not tolerate sub‑zero temperatures in the ground. Store harvested tubers in a cool, dark place for several weeks.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
PlantingApr–May
HarvestOct–Nov
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, well-drained, nutrient-rich, moist
Ulluco likes loose, humus-rich soil that holds moisture without becoming waterlogged. Mixing in mature compost before planting encourages tuber formation. Heavy, compacted soils are best loosened with sand or fine gravel.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
May–Jul
A dose of compost when earthing up in June supplies the plants well for the rest of the season. Nettle feed every two to three weeks supports leaf growth in the main growing phase. From August, it is enough to keep the soil moist without feeding further.
Overwintering
Ulluco is frost-tender and does not survive sub-zero temperatures in the soil. Harvest the tubers before the first frost and store them cool and dark at around 4 to 8 degrees, much like potatoes. For the next season, keep back a few small tubers as planting stock.
Propagation
Methods
- Offsets
- From seed
The easiest propagation is from the tubers themselves, which you plant out directly in spring from mid-May · week 20. Choose firm, undamaged tubers, from fist-sized to small, as planting stock. Under Central European conditions ulluco only rarely sets seed, which is why tuber propagation is almost always preferred in practice. Chitting in a bright, frost-free place speeds up growth after planting.
For your garden
Grow Ulluco yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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