Finally found a source of seed tubers for Jerusalem Artichokes and planted them in a raised bed. The stalks grew 10' - 12' high with 1 1/2 " diameter. Tying them to the deck prevented them from being blown over.
I have now chopped down the stalks and the ground in the area is full of good sized tubers. Now I need to know:
Do I have to dig up all the tubers.
How to store some for replanting next spring.
I live in Vancouver BC where frost is not guaranteed. Will this make a difference in the methods of harvesting and/or storing?
Don't dig them up unless you want to use them. They're perennial, and can take hard winters just fine. Also, if you dig'em up and replant them _elsewhere_ next spring, you'll have jerusalem artichokes in two places.
Resign yourself to always having jerusalem artichokes where they are right now. Every bit of root that's a bit larger will sprout a new plant.
The only way to really get rid of them is for them to contract a sort of root rot. You don't want that, because then you won't be able to grow jerusalem artichoke near that spot anymore. It's a pretty plant, flowering late in autumn. Very tall too: whoever wanted tall plants, this one is one, too.
The leaf can be used as a mineral-rich tea The flower petals are edible but not all that soft. The tubers, when ingested with simple carbs, slow down sugar release into the blood, as they're loaded with inulin (a sugar we can't metabolize)(which is NOT insulin, a hormone we need for our sugar metabolism)(the name inulin comes from Inula, elecampane; inulin was first found in the roots of that plant).
Per the previous reply, they store fine in the ground. To store indoors, put in a plastic bag with a hunk of wet paper towel in the fridge; will keep a couple of months this way, otherwise they go soft pretty quickly. I'm brining some, just for grins and giggles, in a gallon jar; it's foaming nicely... will report later on whether the result is vaguely edible, considering that I'm pretty much an omnivore.
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G
Since you have already been told to leave some of the smaller ones in the ground for next year, the best way to prepare them is roasted in the oven with some herbs. simple preparation, and they taste better than potatoes. they won't last long in the fridge. I usually dig them and eat them within a day. I do the same for potatoes except that when the ground freezes (Dec. 15) I have to lift everything out.
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