Geez, I'm rambling. Must be past bedtime. But from the bit we had, we LOVED them raw and, since they're supposed to keep their crispness when cooked (the very reason why I was set on those particular ones), we'll use them in sitrfries, a very frequent meal for us. I'm sure we'll find other uses as well.

Once they have a chance to grow over the summer, I'll dig up some starts for you this fall if you'd like them.

Diane

Here is a thread I found at GW that you may find interesting - concerns the after affects of eating JAs.

Susan

Perhaps later I will find yet another thread on these and post the link here. The ones I grow can produce very large, up to soft ball sized roots. I know I once posted a picture.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Larry

Is there anything special I need to know about growing them?

Larry

The main pest they face are rodents, which eat the roots ravenously. Some people have lost theirs because of rodents.

Here's a picture of a large root.

George

Rodents will be a problem, I live on busy hwy and can not keep an outside pet.

Larry

I grew them in Colorado and had them planted in a corner of a six foot wooden fence at the edge of the garden. Everyone thought they were regular sunflowers. Although they look a little different to me, that is kind of what you can expect from the plant. They spread underground if you leave a few each year. I didn't experience any pests, underground or otherwise, but I was in town. Actually we lived in Aurora, and our housing development had been a corn field just a few years before.

George gave me a small one year before last and I dropped it into the tray with my plants. I know I got home with it, but must have dropped it outside somewhere as I was potting the plants from the swap. I looked and looked but couldn't find it, so I likely provided a snack for something. This year I have them inside until I can plant.

Larry, I have no animal for catching my rodents either, at least not in the garden. Here's what I do. I keep an eye on the plants, while they are growing and especially in the fall. If I see little tunnels I set out a few pieces of rat poison in coffee cans (laying on their sides to protect from rain). The rodents seem to eat the poison and leave the Jerusalem artichokes alone. Once the "fall rush" is over it seems that the roots are safe through the winter with no further protection needed.

During the summer it is also possible that a woodchuck might decide to move in and make his hole right in the patch. I've had this happen twice. The happy (large) rodent will apparently eat the roots while digging his hole. In that case I use a live trap to catch him.

George

Little Bit Farm

You usually can find Jerusalem Artichokes through various online sellers. I rarely see them in nurseries or garden centers.

Oikos Tree Crops, FEDCO and Bountiful Gardens normally have Jerusalem Artichokes, aka sunchokes, on their websites. I'll link Oikos for you because it usually has the best selection.

Dawn

Jo

Dawn

Jo

I also just now went out and dug up a couple of Jerusalem Artichokes, they are great. They are better than they were last fall. We tried them in a salad last fall and was not too wild about them. If they dont GAS me up too bad I will eat these thing like apples.

Larry

Jo, Why aren't the worms eating them?

Larry, Your comments make me laugh out loud sometimes. Thanks for finding the humor in every situation.

Dawn

I just left mine in the ground last year. They are between the end of a raised bed and the fence and nothing else will grow there, but the JA don't seem to mind.

If I were going to order them, I would wait until the weather was warmer. While they do fine underground in cold weather, the cold can hurt them when they aren't in the ground. George was kind enough to send me some when I was doing the seed swap one year, and after spending a very, very, cold day in the mailbox, some kind of turned to mush. I sent out the best but I wasn't sure that any had survived but I planted some of the questionable ones in my garden and they have survived.

I will try to start some tubers inside and see if the plants grow any larger.

Larry

I tried rhubarb a about 10 years ago over at my old house, I thought I would never get rid of it. The rhubarb was like my strawberries, I could not keep the Bermuda grass out of it.