How to Grow Mashua in the UK: A Step-by-Step Guide
Knowing How to Grow Mashua In UK Gardens & Allotments Adds An Extra Veg Crop & Biodiversity. Here’s My Mashua Growing Advice.
Table of Contents
What is Mashua?
Mashua, also known as Andean potato or Peruvian ground cherry, is a fascinating tuberous plant native to the Andes Mountains of South America. It’s a relative of nasturtiums and produces vibrant, edible flowers and underground tubers that can be eaten raw or cooked.
How to Grow Mashua in the UK
While Mashua is native to a much warmer climate, with the right care and attention, it can be successfully grown in the UK.
Choosing a Suitable Location For Andean Potatoes!
There are two key factors to consider. Light and soil
Sunlight: Mashua thrives in full sun or partial shade. This makes it suitable for food forests.
Soil: Well-drained soil is ideal. If your soil is heavy clay, add compost or well-rotted manure to improve drainage.
Planting Mashua
Sowing Seeds:
Growing from seed is possible, but more uncertain. So I suggest you use tubers to start your first crops.
Sow seeds indoors in late winter or early spring.
Transplant seedlings outdoors once the risk of frost has passed.
Plant tubers directly into the ground in spring, about 6 inches deep and 12 inches apart.
If Potting Up:
Plant the tubers in pots with moist, well-draining compost..
Place the potted plants in a greenhouse or polytunnel to protect them from frost.
Planting Outdoors:
Once the risk of frost has passed, transplant the seedlings or tubers directly into the ground.
Choose a warm, sunny location.
Plant the tubers 6-8 inches deep and 12-18 inches apart.
For optimal growth, consider planting them in a way that the roots are shaded while the tops receive sunlight. This can lead to larger tubers.
Caring for Mashua:
Watering: Water regularly, especially during dry periods. However, avoid overwatering as this can lead to root rot.
Nutrition: Mashua is not a heavy feeder. A good layer of compost OR a general-purpose fertiliser applied at planting time is usually sufficient.
Supporting the Plant: As the plant grows, it may need support, especially if it’s grown in windy conditions. You can use stakes or a trellis to help the plant grow upright.
Pest and Disease Control: Mashua is generally resistant to pests and diseases. However, watch out for slugs and snails, especially when the plants are young.
Harvesting:
Mashua tubers can be harvested in late autumn or early winter.
Dig them up carefully, as they can be quite fragile.
The tubers can be eaten raw, boiled, or roasted.
In the higher,
In the Andes, in colder altitudes mashua can be stored in the ground and harvested when needed.
Tips for Successful Mashua Cultivation in the UK:
Protect from Frost: While mashua is relatively frost-tolerant, it’s best to protect young plants from late frosts.
Mulching: A layer of mulch can help to conserve moisture and protect the tubers from frost.
Experiment with Varieties: Different strains and varieties of mashua reportedly have varying levels of frost tolerance. Experiment with different varieties to find the best one for your location.
Mashua Varieties and Genetics
There is a wild form of mashua plus the domesticated mashua which can be divided into two botanical varieties: lineamaculatum and piliferum (Hind, 2010). The variety ‘Ken Aslet’ is generally associated with lineamaculatum, while ‘Blanca’ (formerly sold as ‘Sidney’ in the UK) is linked to piliferum. Lineamaculatum is relatively straightforward, referring to linear markings. Piliferum, meaning “hairy,” is less descriptive of any mashua variety.
Genetically, mashua is typically tetraploid (Gibbs, 1978), possessing four sets of chromosomes. Similar to tetraploid potatoes (see example), self-pollinated seeds can produce offspring with considerable variation. There’s also some evidence of diploid and triploid forms. It’s likely an autopolyploid (Grau, 2003), meaning it arose from a doubling of its ancestor’s genome, rather than hybridisation with another species. Some varieties are probably more recent hybrids than others; for instance, self-pollinated ‘Ken Aslet’ seeds exhibit significantly more variability in form and colour than ‘Blanca’ or ‘Bogota Market’.
A Brief History of Mashua
Evidence suggests mashua has been used for a very long time, perhaps as far back as 8,000 years, with domestication occurring later. The earliest archaeological evidence dates from roughly 700 to 1,400 years ago (Grau, 2003).
Of the four main Andean tuber crops, mashua is the least cultivated and potentially at risk of losing genetic diversity (Manrique, 2017).
Mashua probably originated in the Titicaca basin (Peru and Bolivia), where it remains most diverse. Although still reasonably diverse, it is vulnerable in the Andes, having been susceptible to replacement by Old World crops (Leon, 1964). Unlike yacon, Smallanthus sonchifolius and maca, Lepidium peruvianum, which have found global markets, mashua hasn’t yet achieved widespread popularity, though it has apparently been suggested as a potential “superfood” (Williams, 2016), though I’ve yet to verify this . In Ecuador, a substantial loss of varieties has been observed, with around 46.5% of previously recorded genetic diversity disappearing in recent decades (Tapia, 2001).
The distinct names for mashua in Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia – mashua, isaño, and cubio respectively – suggest it was widely known before the Inca and Spanish conquests (Grau, 2003). Mashua is of Quechua origin, isaño of Aymara, both languages of the central Andes. Cubio was used by the Muisca people of the Colombian Andes (Torres, 1992).
Mashua was introduced to Europe as early as 1827 (Hind, 2010) and appears to have been cultivated continuously since then, though primarily on a small scale as an ornamental. However interest in it as an edible is now increasing and we are growing it at home and in our food forest.
Now you know How to Grow Mashua, will you be trying it?
