Topic: When do I harvest Jerusalem Artichokes?

[greenfingered fiend]

A lottie newbie gave some tubers and the plants are looking great but I haven't got a clue when to harvest.

I put them in the same time as my seed tattys (good friday).

Ta again.

GF.

[djbrenton]

They're an Autumn and Winter crop. They'll grow 6-8ft tall with small sunflower type flowers. In the Autumn you can cut the stems down ( a machete or chainsaw is useful) and pile straw on them. I was still digging them up for use in May. Don't plan on growing anything less robust in the area for a couple of years as you're guaranteed to get them coming back.

[supersprout]

A great winter standby fiend - from November
Cut down the haulms when they wither in October, leaving about a foot sticking out to mark them
Put straw or leaves around the crowns so you can dig them up when the ground is frozen ;D

[saddad]

You often get better tubers if you cut them down to shoulder height at the start of Oct. they don't get wind rock or waste energy trying to flower. What variety are you using? Fuseau is by far the best shaped one I've come across apparently it means spindle in French!
 ;D

[Curryandchips]

My first year with Jerusalem Artichokes too, I will be exploring all sorts of recipes to make good use of them.

[supersprout]

Don't forget the asafoetida curry ;)

[Curryandchips]

Thanks for that suggestion Sarah, yet another spice for me to explore ! Curried jerusalem artichokes, are they bad for global warming, do we know  ;D

Saddad, does it matter if the plants waste energy on flowers? I gather that you have a guaranteed crop. I am certainly looking forward to what I hope is a spread of delightful flowers.

[dingerbell]

One little bit of advice....make sure you dig up every single tuber unless you want Jerusalem Fartichokes everywhere. I missed a few last winter and I've now got a lovely tall green patch in the middle of my squash plants. They do make a lovely hedge or screen. I', planning to dig a trench along my Lottie border and plant out with this years' extras to create a bit pf privacy and keep the Ramblers away from my Lottie. I've got a Public Footpath running along one border of my patch and last week some Ba****d stole all my Globe Artichokes in one night. About 15 superb specimens ready for picking. If someone had asked for a couple I would gladly give them some but to come onto the Lottie at night and steal them   >:( >:(

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm planning to get rid of mine this winter; we don't eat them and the hedge is now thick enough not to need an additional screen. I can see that bed standing empty until planting-out time, and I'll get rid of them as they come up.

[greenfingered fiend]

Hmmm! I wonder! If I climbed to the top would I meet a giant?

6-8 ft! I thought 3-4 ft at the most.

To sum up then - In Autumn/Winter (when they start to wilt) - cut them down to within 2 ft of the ground - cover with straw - then harvest as required.

Is that a fair assessment?

I would be interested to get any and all recipes for this - not too complicated one preferred.

Many thanks all.

GF.

[supersprout]

Sounds like a perfect assessment! ;D

If you do a search in 'Recipes' for artichoke, you'll find loads of great ideas - including a great tip to reduce the windy consequences by adding a pinch of asafoetida when you cook them :o

I have just pruned my artichokes at 4 ft, they will bush out nicely now and not overshadow the beds to their north. If you do this they won't flower.

[greenfingered fiend]

Thanks Supersprout.

Another couple of great tips.

GF

[supersprout]

JAs cut down to stumps, snuggled up in straw, and ready to harvest now or sometime in the next four months.
Thanks to jennym for these gorgeous large smooth tubers - variety is Fuseau :D

[Hyacinth]

So that's what they look like :-[

I've only ever had the harvested 'chokes & like cooking them, so when a friend this afters offered me her entire crop (in exchange for the carrots I'd taken) if I'd like to go out into the garden to dig them up I was well pleased. .....but I couldn't find them & didn't like to ask ??? So, they were that 8' clump of green leaves after all.....duh!

I'll go round next weekend with a hatchet ;D

[supersprout]

sounds like a good deal lish :o it would be nice to have someone grow artichokes on another plot cos they never go away - but jennym's tubers were well worth planting.

one of them had keeled over completely, it was time to rescue them and go for the chop - see the adventurous angle of some of the others even before winter gales ... and they were staked! ::)
possibly because as a no-dig gardener I don't put them in deep enough ???

[Hyacinth]

so.......I could save some of the tubers I dig up next weekend & plant in the spring? Would like to have them against the hedge between me and the neighbour-from-hell next door. 8'+ will be just about right  8)

[supersprout]

yep you can - even better, leave them on the plant til March then transplant the fattest you can find to their new homes

[Barnowl]

Hi Supersprout, htose JA stems stilll look relatively green. Ours are dark brown but still quite sappy so we haven't cut them yet. Do you think we're leaving it too late?

No idea what varietyy ours are, but like the look of Fuseau, so might try two types next year.

[supersprout]

Hi Supersprout, htose JA stems stilll look relatively green. Ours are dark brown but still quite sappy so we haven't cut them yet. Do you think we're leaving it too late?

I don't think it's critical with JAs at all barnowl, they are tough as old boots. Cut them to suit YOUR convenience - some peeps don't do it at all! ::)

[Barnowl]

Thanks SS - no need to head out tonight with the lantern, then :)