Jerusalem Artichoke

[Harry]

Good Afternoon,

It is my intention to start growing these in the winter time. Can anyone recommend a variety that dosn't grow too tall?

Harry

[Lesley Jay]

To be honest Harry this is a vegetable that I have never grown, mainly because of it's 'windy' nature! I've had a Google and I'm surprised at just how few places sell the tubers. One variety seems popular 'Fuseau' and this grows to about 7 foot. There is another 'Dwarf Sun Ray' which grows to about 6 foot. They are still tall but smaller than the varieties that grow to 10 foot!

[DunDiggin]

I grew Fuseau last year just as a trial - I was warned before I got them that once you've got them you've got them forever. I put 18 tubers in a 1m x 1.2m bed and got 25Kg of tubers from them. Even after thoroughly digging through the bed twice in the spring I still have them growing this year.
Anyway to the point I don't think there is a dwarf variety of Jerusalem artichoke, the only way I can see to "dwarf" them would be to grow them on a beach and not feed them. The Fuseau last year put up stems of between 8 and 10ft! - this year they've only reached about 7ft but thats just the ones that got away from me since the beginning of July.

[paul]

Hi DunDiggin,

What does the Jeruselem artichoke taste like, and where do you get the seeds / tubers from. Also what type of land do you need to grow it in ??

[DunDiggin]

The taste is a bit difficult to describe really. We tried them both boiled and roasted and didn't particularly like either. I suppose its a sort of cross between a very earthy asparagus and a floury potato, my wife recons more like a cross between water chestnuts and mushrooms, both of which she hates.
As to growing them, they'll grow in most soils.
The plot on which I grew them last year was(is) heavy clay. The plot hadn't been used for growing anything, except couch and bindweed, for 3 years and I didn't feed them or do anything other than plant them as I would a potato. They'll grow in any reasonable soil and do benefit from manuring the ground before planting. Plant them in an area where they can be contained otherwise they will spread and take over.
I got mine from another allotmenteer, but I know Dobies (Dobies: garden seeds,*mail order plants, bedding plants, plug plants,*seed potatoes, seeds) and Edwin Tuckers (Tuckers Seeds - Gardeners, Growers) amongst other sell them. If you'd inquired back in March I'd have sent you some but the ones I couldn't give away all sprouted and went rotten. I shall have some more in November though If you send me a A5 sized self addressed Jiffy envelope, put a £1 stamp on it, I'll send you some.
Cultivation is pretty much plant a tuber in late February/Early March about 6" deep. Wait until November when they start to die back then harvest as needed - they don't store particularly well. Save as many tubers as you need to replant for next year - along with all the volunteers you missed.

[Harry]

Originally Posted by DunDiggin

I grew Fuseau last year just as a trial - I was warned before I got them that once you've got them you've got them forever. I put 18 tubers in a 1m x 1.2m bed and got 25Kg of tubers from them. Even after thoroughly digging through the bed twice in the spring I still have them growing this year.
Anyway to the point I don't think there is a dwarf variety of Jerusalem artichoke, the only way I can see to "dwarf" them would be to grow them on a beach and not feed them. The Fuseau last year put up stems of between 8 and 10ft! - this year they've only reached about 7ft but thats just the ones that got away from me since the beginning of July.

I have a plot of approx 12ft by 5ft.

I have done some research and I expect to put about 12 tubers. Two rows of 6 in this space.

I am not really keen to have them grow more than 7ft, but i will give that variety a bash.

I live in Scotland and the area itself is in partial sunlight. I wonder if this will affect the growth of these plants.

Any thought?

[DunDiggin]

Hi Harry

Partial shade won't make that much difference. As I said in my earlier post I put 18 in a bed 1m x 1.2m (3'4" x 4' in old money) so giving them 12' x 5' is over kill. If I were you I'd plant 2 rows 8" between plants at one end of your 12' bed the end that will have least effect in shading the rest of the bed when they're grown.

[realfood]

I am growing Fuseau next to a high hedge, and they are already some 8 ft high, and still going! Some people on our allotments grow them as windbreaks! The taste is different, and not to everyone's taste. Why do you not buy some from a grocer to eat, before you plant your own?