This is the perfect vegetable for novice gardeners!
The plants grow tall with tubers spreading quickly, and the plants can easily take over an entire bed.
Consider dedicating a bed just to sunchokes.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Their height and robustness mean they can act as a good windbreak for more sensitive plants.
Jerusalem Artichoke Care
Light
Jerusalem artichokes can be grown in full sun or partial shade.
If they get at least six hours of sun a day, this will help ensure the best yield.
The Spruce / K. Dave
They just won’t tolerate soggy conditions.
However, they grow best in loose, well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic soils.
Water
Once established, sunchokes can handle periods of drought.
The Spruce / K. Dave
An inch of water per week help ensure a good crop.
When planting the tubers, temperatures should be a minimum of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are expecting a hard freeze, aprotective layer of mulchwill help them to survive.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Fertilizer
Fertilizers are not generally needed for growing Jerusalem artichokes.
If your soil is not fertile, add someorganic matterto ensure a high yield.
Jerusalem Artichoke Varieties
There are a few varieties of Jerusalem artichokes.
Westend61 / Getty Images
Why not try a few different kinds to see which ones you prefer to eat?
They usually take around 110 to 150 days to reach maturity.
Add a thick (12 inch) layer of mulch after your first frost to extend your harvest.
This will keep your ground from freezing, buying you a few more weeks to harvest your sunchokes.
Freshly harvested, Jerusalem artichokes can be used in salads, or they can be cooked like potatoes.
They taste similar to water chestnuts.
Pruning
Jerusalem artichokes plants can easily grow to reach 10 feet in height.
Propagating Jerusalem Artichoke
The best way to grow Jerusalem artichokes is by plantingthe tubersin early spring.
They should be spaced around 12 to 18 inches apart and planted no more than 5 inches deep.
verify you don’t plant too deeply as this can result in a poor harvest.
The soil should be moist but not saturated.
