I would really love to grow all 3 of these plants next year. I really would like to grow the ginger and turmeric especially. I have a space of 2x2 for turmeric and same size space for ginger, and can give a 3x3 for the yacon. What I need to know is when to plant, light and water requirements, as well as a fertilizing schedule (if any), and time to harvest. And when you do harvest, is there a special way to handle them? Do you take them out of the sun, wash them off/don't wash them off etc? I am in zone 9b so temps never drop below 40F. Thanks in advance.

For the yacon, you can plant whenever the crowns become available but if heavy rain is expected and the soil drains poorly, you might want to wait until Spring. Yacon likes sun and water (proportionately less of the latter if you don't have full sun. Basically, grow it like a dahlia (to which it is related). Reasonably fertile soil is all it requires. When the stalks have bloomed (generally in late Summer or early Fall), you can begin harvesting.

If you have planted in an area where you can dig around with your hands, the best method of harvest might be to "take as needed" since the tubers do not store easily. My neighbor and I tried several experiments with them last year to try to find a method that would work. We finally decided that the second best method was to harvest them and store them in a box of sand (like the "play sand" you can get at HD, etc.) in a cool place. Like dahlias! They actually keep pretty well this way, but only if they are undamaged. Damaged tubers need to be used fairly quickly. They will keep in the refrigerator for a bit, but they do deteriorate.

If you're harvesting from the ground you can probably leave the crowns in place and add a little fertilizer to get them going for the next year, but I would probably dig them and divide, cleaning them up, etc., and redig the bed with some organic material before setting them back in.

Growing Herbs forum

Those are the best sources of help.

Dave