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Do they need to be rotated? I've read they will grow anywhere and also that it's hard to get rid of every trace of them, so wondered if I could be lazy and just leave a few of this year's in the ground to grow again.

The question is not whether you could be lazy or not! It is: do you want to put that much energy in trying to get every tuber or part thereof out of the ground?

Even if you try they will probably grow on the same place next season.
And the next and the next and the next, ad infinitum.

But on the bright side: I have not yet heard of pests or diseases building up around JA's.
So just leave them and enjoy the flowers.

Caroline-yes you can leave them. But in my experience by about the third year you will have a forrest of runtplants.  Take some of the best tubers to replant for your crop and deal with those left behind over time

Mine have always been smallish & knobbly.

Unlike these from Lincs - 6" long!

You wouldn't have obtained them from SS would you Tim?

Tesco, I'm afraid. As I say, can't grow them like that myself, although I know that they did bring in a less knobbly version, by which time I had given up.

sorry to jump in hijack stylee.

i was forking over a border yesterday and came across some JA tubers (yes they were SS's).  If I don't want to eat them,how do I store them for replanting up at the lottie and can I leave the rest in place ?

Cheers.

MrsKP,

in my experience the tubers tend to dry up out of the ground so better to leave them in the ground if you can or put them in some moist compost.

I found them when I took over my plot - it was overgrown and they must have been there for nigh on 10 years. I simply thinned them out and grew them in the same spot ... and have left a small number in each year since (4 seasons) and the crop has been good each time - all in the same spot. Having said that I am actually going to move them this year.

thanks muchly BAK.  a pot it is then ....... for now.

;D

Great- one less job to do, then!

Leave them as long as you want, as they left their diseases behind when they were brought here, and nothing seems to affect them. They do like a nice organic mulch, and if you dig out the majority every year, the ones you leave behind have a chance to develop properly. They're actually quite easy to clear; dig out everything you can, then leave the space for tender veg. By the time you're ready to plant, whatever is left in there will have appeared, and you just dig them out individually as they come.

Love the simplicity of growing the JA - whack it in, up it comes!
I'd eat more if they weren't so windy ;D (Affects OH not me, I am a delicate flower!)

There's enough wind around Glasgow atm without us adding to it lmao

;D

I'd go with Cleo's advice... they do get crowded if you don't dig them out. The Photo looks like Fuseau... a spindle shaped variety...

what I do, apart from them eat them that is, which creates a bit of space for them to continue growing better, is to dig them up a bit just before March and pull out any small ones and chuck the bigger ones back in - they do get a bit crowded in time unless you are eating a lot of them

generally no perennial needs rotating, just tending to

I grew mine in tubs every year just in case it spread >:(

Tim,
I got my red ones from Tesco,
white ones given by friend!

I think they're meant to keep ok in clamps.

Might try it with sand this year as we'll  never get  through them all before March.

Going to halve the bed since we can't find enough takers for the surplus.

Yum yum, roasted Jerusalem artichokes...we all love them (but it is a windy household)

Don't forget they make good soup and freezes well. That way you can have winter gales and summer breezes. ;D

I have to admit, reading this thread and the previous one about the side effects of Jerusalem artichokes makes me rather reticent to try them.

It also makes me wonder what France is like to live in, as they are apparently very popular there...