Topic: Jerusalem Artichokes

[philandjan]

We are just about to plant our JAs from the greenhouse to their designated site.

Should they be included in the normal crop rotation?

Most books seem to recommend using them for shade or a windbreak (strange, using them as a windbreak - I thought that was what they did to us!) which would seem to suggest planting them in the same place each year.

[Lacelotte]

Because of the way JA's grow, they will be best off kept in the same place.

The reason I say this is because even if you spend hours and hours digging them all up and planting them somewhere else, I can bet my bottom pound that some will still grow in the last location. You only need to leave the slightest bit of tuber in for them to grow again.

I'd just keep them in a restricted growing space and keep giving the soil what it needs every year.

P.S. If you haven't grown them before you'll be fascinated every time you see them as they seem to grow something new every day!

[OllieC]

The lovely supersprout, sadly deceased & greatly missed, was the A4A leading authority, and her system involved moving them each year, selecting the best tubers. This results in a continuously improved selection. The traditional method of shoving them in & leaving will result in increasingly poor results.

Personally I say bin them before they hurt you!

[Barnowl]

Did anyone see the JA 's Joe Swift was given? Round,  plump and smooth - unlike mine  :( 

[Lacelotte]

Yeah mine are a nice long, thick, smooth variety. Can't remember where I got them from now but they are really easy to peel. Unless of course they have been stunted by something and grown in another direction  ;D

[cleo]

The lovely supersprout, sadly deceased & greatly missed, was the A4A leading authority, and her system involved moving them each year, selecting the best tubers. This results in a continuously improved selection. The traditional method of shoving them in & leaving will result in increasingly poor results.

I agree-hardly a day passes that I don`t miss my dear friend-she knew when to listen-and it might have been me who encouraged her to plant the best ones.

I will hammer on about this forever-dig up the best ones and re-plant-if you do not you will end up with a forrest of runt plants. They can be dug out and those you miss can be dug out once they emerge

[cleo]

And on peeling-once you have a decent crop(mine are something like 20th generation Fuseau) why bother?- A good scrubbing with a nail brush is all you need

[Lacelotte]

Then I stand corrected.  ;D

[cleo]

Then I stand corrected. 

It`s whatever works for you-there are no golden rules-the only rule I preach is don`t grow Money Maker toms ;)

[Barnowl]

I plant selected JAs (on SS's advice) but in the same bed, although I spend ages trying to clear every last tuber and root before doing so. Luckily have quite a serious hardpan beneath the bed that even JA seems reluctant to penetrate. Even so every year I miss a few bits.

Have now reduced to just 3ft x 2ft because so many got wasted. - just 4 decent tubers is enough to fill the bed.

[OllieC]

Then I stand corrected.  ;D

Well, you do them the same way as the majority so I wouldn't say you were wrong!

[philandjan]

Thanks, folks, for the input.

So far, touch wood, we haven't had any of last years tubers send us a surprise - we did dig the bed more than thoroughly.

This years plants are raised from seeds and not recycled tubers.

The only problem we can see with selecting the best tubers to recycle is the fact that we only harvest as and when we need them. To select the best would mean having to harvest the lot at the same time.

[Barnowl]

I use the best from the last lot that I harvest so obviously an element of pot luck, but you could just put the best  from each harvesting back in, or in a clamp, then do a final selection in Feb/March.