When to harvest Jerusalem artichokes

• When to harvest Jerusalem artichokes

  by Cath | Wednesday, 18 February 2009 9:27 p.m.

  I have grown some Jerusalem artichokes, which are growing well, although not flowering yet. When should I harvest them? Do they need to be harvested all at one time? Any tips for storage?

• The tubers grow best in late autumn,

  by RT_Alan | Monday, 23 February 2009 11:42 a.m.

  while it is best to let the stay in the ground as long as possible, at least until the leaves have wilted. The tubers are hardy and will keep well in the ground throughout the winter, but in hard frost, they are nearly impossible to dig out. A layer of straw will prevent this problem. If you harvest the tubers, they will easily dry and become soft. The best way to keep them is in moist sand, the same way as carrots. If you just take the tubers you need and leave the rest in the ground, you will soon have a thick hedge of artichokes!

• Some have died off, some were rotten

  by Cath | Tuesday, 24 March 2009 1:56 p.m.

  2 of my plants died off, so I dug the tubers. A few were rotten, I guess because of all the rain, or maybe they got too much shade from the pumpkin which was invading.

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