skip to main content
Software
Integrations
Mobile App
Expert Support
All-In-One Platform for Construction and Design
See Pricing
Schedule a Demo
Talk to Sales: (888) 316-4595
My builder uses Houzz Pro to plan the timeline and give detailed estimates and daily updates with photos of progress, and provide invoices at pre-agreed key points in the build. This made the whole experience much more efficient and stress-free.
Steve W.
Client of Cribbs Construction
Learn More
Ideas
Discussions
Houzz TV
Houzz Research
Sign In
Houzz Logo Print
Explore DiscussionsFeatured Home DiscussionsFeatured Garden Discussions
Beans, Peas & Legumes
wild_forager

Groundnut (apios americana) Harvest 2009

16 years ago

Since many people probably do not know anything about groudnuts I thought I'd make a post (previous harvest post). I just harvested mine today. They ARE a legume, with edible pods/peas (though they rarely pollinate without the right insect) and edible tubers as well.

The tubers grow larger every year if you don't eat them.

Both of my plants were growing in 1.5/2 gallon pots (not sure of exact size). I could tell when I harvested them that this was a limitation as the center was empty and the tubers were in rings as the roots wrapped the pot, so next year they will be sharing a 20 gallon pot. I don't want to put them in the ground because they will never come out if I do.

As you can see in the images below there are two MOTHER tubers (as I call them). The first is on it's third year and the second one has been alive for two years. Strangely, the second plant put most of it's energy into the mother tuber and not into making additional tubers. I expect this is because it had less sun than the other, so I will be experimenting with different conditions next year. The pot that had more sun also had a smaller harvest, and put significant growth onto it's mother. Again, my guess is that this is because I went from full sun to only 2-4 hours of a sun a day. As you can see this plant does grow in those conditions but I expect a much bigger harvest next year with these in full sun.

Enjoy the pictures!

POT NUMBER 1

POT NUMBER 2

MOTHER TUBER 1

MOTHER TUBER 2

CLOSE UP OF NICE TUBER FROM POT 1

Comments (5)

  • 16 years ago

    Very nice. I planted three Apios roots this year and believe they died out. I suspect they didn't handle our heat and competition with Bermuda grass.

    George
    Tahlequah, OK

  • 16 years ago

    wild forager- If you are interested in making a trade for one or two of your small tubers, let me know. I'm ordering seeds of a few native plants with edible tubers this fall but Apios is hard to find. I have a lot of Insuk's Wang Kong beans, and other pole beans, too. hemnancy@yahoo.com

    Nancy

  • Related Professionals

    Elizabeth City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Victorville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Louisville Landscape Contractors · Norfolk Landscape Contractors · Moline Landscape Contractors · Laconia Landscape Contractors · Chatham Landscape Contractors · Selma Home Additions · Kansas City Home Additions · McAlester Home Additions · Spartanburg Home Additions · Richmond Home Additions · Grand Island Home Additions · Minot Home Additions · Spanish Fork Home Additions
  • 16 years ago

    Wild Forager, those are some big mother tubers! Wonder how much bigger they could get?

    What growing conditions do they like? I've read they grow near water, did they need alot of watering?

    What were the beans like? Were they small and and almost round? Do you have any idea how long the seeds stay viable?

    Did you taste any of the pods? What did you think?

  • 16 years ago

    Happyday, those are indeed large tubers, but I have read that they can get much larger. This is a lightly cultivated strain, and the documentation said "basketball size" tubers were possible. I'll have to see that to believe it.

    As for the pods, I don't know. Mine have never pollinated, and once I managed to trigger the complex flower to pollinate itself but the pod died of heat exposure or something before it grew very much. I believe there is some sort of swamp fly that is the main pollinator but no one knows for sure.

    And yes, they like lots of water. I just made sure to water mine enough that the top soil looked moist whenever possible. They can't be overwatered like some garden plants, and they can also tolerate dry conditions for a bit.

    The conditions that I think are likely to be best are moist, sandy loam type of environments with plenty of sun. But they do seem to be tolerant of adverse conditions.

  • 16 years ago

    Cool. Groundnut is on my acquisition list.

0
Sponsored
Grow Landscapes
Average rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars8 Reviews
Planning Your Outdoor Space in Loundon County?