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Last edited by shiny on November 08, 2026. View history

Olluco

Also known as melloco (en) milluku (en) ulluku (en) papalisa (en) ulluco (en)

Ullucus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Basellaceae, with one species, Ullucus tuberosus, a plant grown primarily as a root vegetable, secondarily as a leaf vegetable. The name ulluco is derived from the Quechua word ulluku, but depending on the region, it has many different names.

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Growstuff is a free, community-run site for people who grow food. Keep track of what you plant and harvest, find seeds to swap, and see what is growing near you. Join to record your own olluco.

Olluco facts

Lifespan

Annual living and reproducing in a single year or less
Optimal temperature 12–20 °C
Absolute temperature 5–28 °C
FAO EcoCrop
Optimal rainfall 1100–1400 mm/year
Absolute rainfall 800–1800 mm/year
FAO EcoCrop
Optimal soil pH 5.5–6.5
Absolute soil pH 5–7
FAO EcoCrop

Crop cycle

120–270 days
FAO EcoCrop

Max altitude

4000 m
FAO EcoCrop

Optimal light

very bright
FAO EcoCrop
What are growing degree days?

A plant grows with warmth, not with days. A growing degree day is one day's worth of useful warmth: how many degrees the day's average temperature is above the lowest temperature the crop grows at. Add them up from planting and you know how far along the crop is, whatever the calendar says.

Say that lowest temperature is 10°C. A day averaging 17°C gives 7 growing degree days. A day averaging 8°C gives none, as it is too cold for the crop to grow. That is why the same lettuce takes about 50 days in a summer and 90 in an autumn: it needs the same total warmth either way.

For olluco, the FAO EcoCrop database gives a lowest growing temperature of 5°C and a shortest growing cycle of 120 days at its best temperature, about 1320 growing degree days to a first harvest.

Where you've told us where your garden is, we use this and the weather there to predict when your olluco will be ready to harvest. We don't use it for how long a plant lives or when it finishes: we go by what members have logged for that.

How members grow olluco

Sunniness

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Planted from

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Photos

Olluco crops

Olluco harvests

Olluco
Olluco
by cropbot

Where olluco grow

Only plantings by members who have set their locations are shown.

What people are saying about olluco

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Who's planted olluco

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Olluco harvests

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Find olluco seeds

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Time to harvest

If sown now, expect a first harvest in about 120 to 270 days.

From the growing cycle in the FAO EcoCrop database, which is the same wherever it is grown.

Ecological requirements

Data from the FAO EcoCrop database for Ullucus tuberosus Caldas

Family / Taxonomy Magnoliopsida
Caryophyllidae
Caryophyllales
Basellaceae
Killing temperature growth: 0 °C, rest: -4 °C
Life form herb
Life span annual
Habit prostrate/procumbent/semi-erect
Optimal soil depth medium (50-150 cm)
Optimal soil texture medium
Optimal soil fertility high
Optimal soil drainage well (dry spells)
Optimal soil salinity low (<4 dS/m)
Photoperiod short day (<12 hours)

Learn more about olluco

Resources outside Growstuff.