I won't say you can't sprout it from the tuber (because I don't know), but I know that it is generally grown from seed. It is a bean type seed- scientific name Pachyrhizus erosus. You don't eat the bean though. Kitazawa carries the seed. The link attached is interesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jicama

Yes, you can sprout jicama from tubers. It will sprouts vines from the top only, like potatoes but faster, when it does, plant in the soil, attach trellis. The seeds are what you're after if you want to harvest jicama. Here in the Philippines, we eat the pods, young pods around 2"-3" any bigger will be too tough to eat, looks hairy, just rub the pods together to wash away the hairs. The fresh pods taste like jicama. Jicama are called Singkamas in the Philippines.

Do you know if it needs full sun? My grandparents are from the Philippines but they've never mentioned eating the seeds. Do you cook them?

The seed packages I've seen said the seeds are poisonous

We don't eat the seeds, we eat the young bean pods, imagine a young cooked bean pod like french bean. If there are any ilocanos there ask them. And yes, full sun to grow jicama. I will take a picture later today of what the older seed pods look like, waiting for the seeds too dry so we can start planting, its 11:24am right now, tooo hot outside. Older seed pods nobody can eat, it will be like eating wood.

I was searching for info on growing jicama, then stumbled on this scary article. Now having second thoughts about planting it at the same time as my other beans, in case I get them mixed up.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yam bean and Rotenone toxicity

Mysweetie75 is right.Young bean pods are edible.They are very delicious and nutty in flavor.Too bad they are seldom sold in oriental markets.Two years ago I was able to grow and harvest jicama beans.I got the seeds all the way from the Philippines.

mysweetie, Thanks for the picture! Now I know what to expect when I plant it. Are the pods in your picture mature and poisonous? Do you harvest the tuber year round or only certain times of year?
Since the plant contains rotenone, do you notice if bees and other beneficials stay away from that area? Does it act like a natural insecticide?
Also, is it ok to compost the plant later, or not because of the rotenone?

Wow... My Sweetie! You GROW GIRL! :o) Now... where are the sunflowers? :D

Ahhhh, yes the pods are mature but not dried yet for planting. So basically it means, too late for eating. Actually, you can harvest the tubers after 2-3 months, but as you can see, too many things to do one can forget. So we just harvest the pods. Or just let it grow. The leaves are kinda itchy. Like okra.

Yes, i have notice that there are no insects near the plant. I can't really answer your question about the compost since its still growing over a year and the most i did was reduce some vines. The jicama is growing with some banana and papaya trees or shrubs.

Heathen1, the sunflowers are in the front...LOL I had some red and mammoth sunflowers growing.

mysweetie, thanks for info! Harvesting after 2 - 3 months is good news. I thought it was much longer.

The jicama were planted in very fertile soil. My mother made organic garbage almost beside it. And the weather could also be a factor. I hate summer. The heat is unbearable here. That picture was taken at 4pm and the sun's rays were still scorching. I'm already dreading next Holy week. *sighhhh*

By the way, i love eating slice or bite size jicama in vinegar, salt and a few slices of red chilies.

Do you just throw the root into the ground, or put it in water first or on a window sill? How do I prepare it for planting? Thanks

Where can we buy sprouting jicama seeds. Or just plain jicama seeds

R.H. Shumway's garden catalog is selling it this year.

www.rhshumway.com

When I saw the seeds for sale, I came online to see how to grow it, because I love to eat it! Does anyone know what zones jicama grows in? Is it a perennial? How do you properly harvest the root? Pull up the whole plant, or what?

I got mine from Pinetree garden seeds: http://www.superseeds.com
Naturally I bought them before I knew that I might not be able to grow a large root from seed the first year. I've potted up about 16 of them and they are beginning to sprout in my little greenhouse. Wish me luck folks.

Jicama has it origen in Central Mexico.
They have all surces in seed and types. We called Water type to chrystal type. And Milk type to those with high starch. No matter the hot weather if the you can supply eficiently the water, dry conditions may destroy the quality

Hello mysweetie,

You are great.

please send me some jicama seeds. Please contact myids10@gmail.com

do you have any other asian veg/herb seeds?
we can exchange seeds. please contact.

thanks

Do you not get a crop the first year you plant??

Is it easier to start from seed or tuber?

I've read jicama can NOT be grown in North America! Do not get your hopes up, experienced horticulturists have tried time and again.

It requires a tropical climate.

For this fact I grieve. I want more than anything to grow this plant, but I'm pretty discouraged from trying.

Um, I guess someone forgot to tell my jicama plants that you can't grow them in the northern United States. I planted this crop in 2009. Started the seeds indoors under lights in March, put the babies into 4" pots out into the greenhouse in April, and into the garden around the 1st of June when frost danger was past. The grew not only pods, but also baseball to softball sized jicama, and they had the typical crisp, light texture and flavor. Overall, it wasn't too bad of an outcome for something that can't grow here. Unfortunately, the ones I didn't dig rotted in the ground in the cold, wet October weather.