Chufa (Cyperus esculentus var sativus) tubers
$4.95 – $49.00
Family: Sedge (Cyperaceae)
Hardy to Zones 8 to 12, otherwise grown as an annual. Spring-sown tubers may be harvested in the fall.*
(Earth Almond, Tiger Nuts, Nutsedge) This is the select type “var. sativus” which is not weedy. This plant propagates by tubers only–it does not make seed and does not make runners. Cultivated worldwide as a source of the nutritious tubers, which may be consumed raw, dried and ground to make a nutritious porridge or roasted, ground and extracted to make a hearty beverage not unlike coffee and/or chocolate. The raw tubers can be blended with water (in a blender) to make a beverage exactly like almond milk. As a medicinal herb, consumption is known to relieve indigestion and colic. Plant prefers sun and sandy, evermoist soils, grows well at edge of water features, in wetlands and swamps. Soak tubers overnight and plant in warm conditions, with germination in 1 to 4 weeks. Space plants 6 inches apart. Does well in potted culture–keep the soil sandy!
10 tubers per packet
100 g contains ~200 tubers
1 lb contains ~ 908 tubers
open-pollinated, untreated, NO GMO’s
*for example, tubers sown on 6/22 germinated on 7/1 and were harvested on 12/21, a 5 month induction period. RAC
Question
Matthew (verified owner) –
What variety of Cyperus esculentus sativus is this? I may choose to grow another variety along with the variety I bought from this site to increase genetic diversity in the garden plot.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Matthew, I don’t have further info on this–var. sativus is the non-invasive form. richo
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Question
Kath –
Is it good to buy these now when it’s late summer in tennessee? When planting would be spring I think
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Richo Cech –
hello kath, best purchased and planted in the spring, richo
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Richo Cech –
The plants are about a foot tall. The fresh tubers are about 3 times the size of a pea.
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Question
Julia H. –
It’s the beginning of Aug in z 7b/8a Central NC. If I order these and plant now, will they be established enough by first hard frost in early Nov, or would I need to save them until spring 2023 to plant? And if I need to wait,should they be stored in the fridge, or just at room temp?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Julia,
The plants would establish but please keep in mind that it takes at least 100 days from planting to harvest. We’ll have new stock by spring, there is no reason to buy them now and keep until spring, they might not be much good by then, and yes, refrigerator storage does make sense. richo
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Question
Melissa –
Do these require full sun? I have sandy evermoist soil along a stream but it is thinly wooded so there is partial shade. I have free draining loamy sand and wet heavier (a little clay) soil both in full sun.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Melissa, Chufa is a sun lover and loamy soil should be fine for it, the plant is anything but picky. richo
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Ren –
Are these grown organically (free from synthetic pesticides/herbicides)?
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Richo Cech –
hi ren, no if they were organically certified that would be part of the description. we can guarantee only that they are untreated tubers and not genetically modified. richo
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Question
EDNA WILLIAMS –
Is Chufa suitable for container growth?
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Richo Cech –
yes, very easy to grow chufa this way
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cmincb –
but how often would it have to be watered? and what size container for how many nuts ?
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Richo Cech –
hi! these are pretty stable plants once they get going. You water them if they get very dry. Yield is going to depend on many factors–1 nut makes a clump in 1 season. r
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Question
Tim –
What is the best way to peel the tubers of the Chufa? I heard they can be difficult to peel. Also why are they also called tiger nuts?
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Richo Cech –
we do not peel them, we eat them fresh and whole. it would be like trying to peel a pea!
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Question
Marc –
I’ve got a wetlands area on my property that I would like to start these in. I live in tn. in zone 7a edge of 7b. Can I grow them here as a perennial? If so how.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Marc,
These are easy–just choose a place free of grasses. Plant them an inch or two deep and watch the spot. When they come up, they are like stout grasses, almost like sedge. These might need to be harvested and replanted. Richo
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Matt –
Was curious what the average yield for these is? Would like to build up a decent seed supply to do a larger planting in the following year.
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Richo Cech –
I get about 100 tubers per plant. r
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James –
I bought a pack of these…in August. Will they be okay in storage until spring?
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Richo Cech –
Yes, the chufa are large and have plenty of resources to remain viable until then.
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Question
Tim –
I have been thinking about planting these but the main problem is that summers here are very dry and hot. So i think planting them in a trench would be best but im not sure how deep to make the trench also should these be planted in mid to late spring or can they take frost?
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Richo Cech –
hi tim, these should be planted in warm soil after danger of frost is passed. they will do well in any moist garden soil or if a trench is made to keep the soil moist (like running a hose into it from time to time) then the trench can be made 6 inches deep, with good soil at the bottom of it. r
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Emma –
Will these last like seeds? Or need to be planted immediately upon arrival?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Emma, They’re very hard, dry and relatively stable. They should be planted by this spring. richo
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