Author Topic: Jerusalem Artichokes (Read 11303 times)

bennettsleg · « **Reply #20 on:** April 12, 2006, 10:10:20 »

Quote from: Curry on April 12, 2006, 10:02:38

Perhaps someone knows of good ways to serve them, roast sounds one good method ...

When in doubt I go here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/ type in the abundant foodstuff you want to use up and hit search. There are quite a few for J.A's.

dingerbell · « **Reply #21 on:** April 12, 2006, 10:35:48 »

They're super in soups and sauted in butter but my favourite is roasted. They're a great wind breaker and great break winders..... ;D

jennym · « **Reply #22 on:** April 13, 2006, 00:31:02 »

Apart from the taste of Jerusalem artichoke, which I think is great, there is the added bonus that you can let some flowers develop - they are so prolific, they make a really lovely display as a cut flower.

Curryandchips · « **Reply #23 on:** April 13, 2006, 08:52:26 »

Just checked on the flowers - does flowering affect the crop in any way?

supersprout · « **Reply #24 on:** April 13, 2006, 09:24:57 »

IMHO you get a double benefit:
Cut the flowering stems, and the energy stays in the tubers
Shorten the stems by cutting the flowers, and they are less likely to blow over!
:D

Curryandchips · « **Reply #25 on:** April 13, 2006, 10:30:09 »

Thank you, this is all a learning curve as it is my first year with JA ... It looks like we will have lots of cut flowers in the house this year then :)

cliff_the_gardener · « **Reply #26 on:** April 13, 2006, 11:44:54 »

Supersprout - have you had a problem with them blowing over?
I used to be on a very exposed attolment on the side of the valley and used them as a wind break because the stook so well. I know they tend to form tubers close to the surface but they were a cracking windbreak
Clifford

supersprout · « **Reply #27 on:** April 13, 2006, 12:54:18 »

Yes I did cliff, several years ago on an allotment in Stevenage. The soil was horrible and I might have planted them too shallow. I'm growing them as a windbreak on my new plot in Peterborough where the wind gathers up a good speed across the Fens, so we shall See!

weedin project · « **Reply #28 on:** April 20, 2006, 14:49:06 »

Supersprout, how shallow is "too shallow"?
or come to that, how deep is "deep enough"?
???

supersprout · « **Reply #29 on:** April 20, 2006, 15:17:22 »

Ooh, now you're asking! too shallow would be, erm, 4 inches deep and upwards. Best depth 4-8 inches, heavy to light soil. JAs will grow even if you throw them on the ground! But if you think you have planted too shallow you could earth them up like spuds :)

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #30 on:** April 20, 2006, 16:07:01 »

I've grown Jerusalems on the Cornish moors, and had no more problems with the things falling over than I do in Birmingham, despite some ferocious gales.

dingerbell · « **Reply #31 on:** April 20, 2006, 16:07:55 »

I've just come from the lottie and decided to dig over a patch where my JA were . I couldn't believe it...huge tubers with long 4" white shoots growing up towards the surface. I thought they looked just like Asparagus so I popped a couple in my mouth....WOW they tasted superb. Crunchy and sweet..I ended up picking a basketfull and the tubers have gone into a 30' trench along my fence. All these from 8 tubers I planted last year from tubers I picked up at Tesco as clearance veggies. Food for nothing...that's what lottie growing is all about. ;D

bennettsleg · « **Reply #32 on:** April 20, 2006, 16:17:27 »

Quote from: supersprout on April 20, 2006, 15:17:22

Ooh, now you're asking! too shallow would be, erm, 4 inches deep and upwards. Best depth 4-8 inches, heavy to light soil.

wish you hadn't said that. 4" is workable, the other 4 is compacted large stones...

Quote

But if you think you have planted too shallow you could earth them up like spuds :)

Oh thank god! Spared for this year!

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #33 on:** April 20, 2006, 16:20:13 »

Whatever depth you put them at, they have a good root system, and next year they'll be growing at a range of depths. The easiest thing to do with these is to leave them on the same bit of ground permanently, as they don't seem to suffer from disease, and getting all the tubers out is hard going.

bennettsleg · « **Reply #34 on:** April 20, 2006, 16:29:18 »

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on April 20, 2006, 16:20:13

The easiest thing to do with these is to leave them on the same bit of ground permanently, as they don't seem to suffer from disease, and getting all the tubers out is hard going.

Was planning to create a permanent bed with JA's, rhubarb, salad bed and bean poles so this suite me just fine...

jennym · « **Reply #35 on:** April 20, 2006, 20:59:21 »

Bear in mind that because these grow so tall, they cast a lot of shade!
Mine are at the nothernmost end of the plot.

supersprout · « **Reply #36 on:** April 20, 2006, 22:01:48 »

Mine too! Even though there's no sign of them YET >:(

Niamh · « **Reply #37 on:** April 21, 2006, 12:12:42 »

Was very bold at weekend and dug down to check on one of my JA tubers. It's still there alright, some things have had a nibble of it, but the one I dug up had 2-3 shoots heading up to the surface. Wasn't tempted to taste them though! Temperatures have risen a lot here, and everything has taken off! So good news on the artichokes.

Niamh

Curryandchips · « **Reply #38 on:** April 21, 2006, 15:14:17 »

Yes, mine are at the most northenmost edge too.

artichoke · « **Reply #39 on:** April 22, 2006, 17:42:18 »

I grow mine as a hedge in front of the compost heaps. I trim them like a hedge, to about waist height. Nothing can stop them growing. As they grow wherever you put them, I have stopped wasting good space on them, and they have to compete (successfully) with nettles and couch grass, and make that area look a bit more organised. Dug a couple up by mistake yesterday, and they had long white shoots growing upwards as everyone describes..

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Author Topic: Jerusalem Artichokes (Read 11303 times)