"Jicama: The Crunchy Root You Can Grow in Your Backyard"

 

                              Photo: Jicama displayed in the supermarket            

                                                            Credit: Shamela Rambadan

If you’ve never tried jicama, you’re in for a treat! Known for its crispy texture and slightly sweet, nutty flavor, jicama (or yam bean) is a versatile vegetable that’s surprisingly easy to grow in your garden. It is not a popular vegetable here in Trinidad and Tobago but I'm hoping that more people will try it.

Planting:

To start, jicama thrives in well-drained, sandy loam soil with a pH of around 6.0-7.5.  You can plant the seeds or tubers directly in the ground or in containers before planting out in full sun. I prefer to set individual seeds in cups before planting out. From seed to harvest, jicama usually takes around 120-150 days to mature.

 Care:

The jicama plant grows like a vine, so staking or providing some kind of support will help keep your plants healthy and productive. When it comes to watering, regular moisture is key, but be cautious not to overwater, as this can lead to root rot.

 As for fertilizing, a balanced fertilizer such as 20.20.20 with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium will keep your plants strong, especially during the growing season. Just avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen, as this can lead to lush foliage but poor root development. I didn't get around to fertilizing the vine, so mine grew without any fertilizer application.

Common pests like aphids and spider mites can occasionally trouble your jicama, but a gentle insecticidal soap should do the trick. In terms of diseases, jicama is fairly resistant, but root rot can occur if the roots are stored in too damp an area.

Harvest:

You'll know when it’s time to harvest, as the vines to start yellowing and die back— (around 5 months) this signals that the tubers are ready. You’ll want to dig carefully around the root to avoid damaging it.

Here's the dried vine in the pot. It doesn't look like anything in that pot right? 

Now we're getting somewhere! The tuber is starting to show after I scraped off some of the dirt.

To be honest, I planted it and never really took care of the jicama plant, so I was excited to at least get a tuber! It wasn't that big really but for a new crop I was happy to see it produce something!  Then I was even more surprised to get another one! Of course, this is motivation for me to try again this growing season as I was fortunate to get some seed pods.

                                      Photo: Seed pods from the jicama vine

Here is a photo of the dried seed pods I harvested from the vine.  I'm going to sow a few seeds and send some to the Seed Bank at The University of the West Indies here in Trinidad and Tobago.

How to use:

Once harvested, jicama is best enjoyed raw in salads, slaws, or as a crunchy snack with a bit of lime and chili powder. Its mild taste makes it a perfect addition to a wide variety of dishes, and it’s a refreshing change from the usual root vegetables.

                                    Photo: Jicama on sale at a supermarket                                                                                 Credit: Shamela Rambadan

Grow jicama in your garden this year, and you’ll have a unique and tasty treat at your fingertips!

Will you try it?

Note of caution: 

The leaves, stem, skin and seed of the Jicama are poisonous.  Only the flesh of the root is safe to eat

Happy Gardening!

The Grey-Haired Gardener🌸