Crosne (Stachys affinis) First Harvest http://www.durgan.org/URL/?NDDTQ 8 October 2009 Crosne (Stachys affinis) First Harvest Forty seed tubers were planted in the early Spring in a channel lined with an old pool tarp with a cross section of about one square foot, to make harvest easier and to contain the roots. The new tubers will grow until freeze-up in about a month. The tubers are good size now, but will probably get a little larger in another month of growing. When the main harvest is accomplished in about a month , the tubers will be pickled. I also ingest them raw as one would eat radishes and the texture is similar to a new raw potato. One plant will be left in the ground to over-winter and the tubers will be used for seed in 2010. One plant produced about one pound of tubers.
I grow Stachys floridana for personal use. They seem to be indistinguishable from Stachys affinis in all respects. My little contained area is smaller than yours, though. Not sizable yet but we're still quite warm here in Florida. Crosnes are very expensive to buy in gourmet shops. That's okay, I like growing and eating them.
