Cultivation of Jerusalem artichokes

National Plant Collection® of Helianthus strumosus & tuberosus cvs.

Pages Home About Cultivation Contact My plants My Sources Desiderata Links

Cultivation of Jerusalem artichokes

To most people in the UK "sunflower" means the tall annual plant Helianthus annuus. In more recent times it also includes many different colours, flower size and shape, and noticeably much shorter and no longer a simple species.

However there are many wild species in North America with a smaller and simpler flower that are also "sunflowers". Some like the pale-leaf woodland sunflower have it there in their name. But others like the Jerusalem artichokes don't.

The Jerusalem artichoke is known for it's edible tuberous "roots", but it is not the only tuberous wild sunflower species. However it is the one that has traveled the word as a foodstuff for animals and people.

Tubers can be planted at about 15cm deep into prepared soil in spring, or even late winter as the tubers are completely hardy. However if you plant early beware that the green shoots are sensitive to frosts and will need protection with fleece or mulch. An alternative is to put the tubers into a small pot of barely moist potting compost where it can be kept frost-free until you are ready to plant. The tuber will start to sprout and produce roots sometime in spring, and depending on when you plant out will need watering sparingly until that time.

Tubers left in the ground all winter probably will sprout a little earlier that lifted tubers stored in post of compost. And any slugs or snails in the area may start to feed on the early shoots. However once growth is well under way I have found it is plenty vigorous enough to outgrow the problem.

Each plant will grow big, depending on your site, exposure, moisture levels and fertility. The size of the original tuber planted will also have an major contribution until summer when the other factors are more important. If your plants are likely to get the 2 to 3 meters possible then it is a good idea to earth-up as you would with potatoes. It does not increase the number of tubers the same way but the stem will be more stable. It is often sated it is a good hedge for windy gardens, but it if is a windy garden the stems will be pushed sideways although not uprooted. Planting distances are not that crucial baring in mind that they are big plants by the end of summer, and the more plants the greater the demand for moisture and plant food.

(More to come.)

Pages Home About Cultivation Contact My plants My Sources Desiderata Links