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Re: Jerusulem Artichokes

Bob Carter wrote:
> 
> Hi Judy,
> 
> > I have several plants.  None has ever flowered.  When are they ready??
> > Judy (zone 7, close-in SS, MD)
> > to e-mail me:  jcosler@mindspring.com
> 
> These are natives to the southern areas of N.America (one of the few indigenous
> n.a. food plants!), so often require a long growing season to bloom.  Varieties
> differ, there are some that will flower earlier (sorry, can't give you any
> specific varietal names).  I started with a few generic roots from the grocery
> store ten years ago and have seen maybe two small and late showing blooms in all
> that time.  But that is of no real concern to me, I grow them for the yummy
> tubers which they produce in abundance (some 5 times as productive as
> potatoes?).  As well they are less likely to flower in the relatively rich soil
> of our gardens than the poorer native soils they habitate in nature.  If you
> want to grow them for their flowers look for an early flowering variety and
> spare the nitrogen.
> 
> Wait until the frost kills the foilage to harvest the roots, they're as big as
> they're going to get at that point.  I leave what I'm not wanting to eat or
> process (fresh sliced j.art. in salads are great, dried slices are interesting,
> pickled ones are delish) in the ground.  We harvest them through the winter and
> spring as needed, until they start to sprout out in mid-spring (they're slow to
> break dormancy).  They're incredibly hardy here, easily withstanding heavy
> freezing and thawing like nothing happened.  I condsider them in the class of
> "survival foods," they're so productive (invasive even) and hardy they'll be
> there no matter what!
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> --
>  Bob Carter  -  bcarter@awinc.com
>  Kootenay Bay, BC, Canada  -  Zone 6b
> --
> 
> Nothing endures but change.           Heraclitus (480 BC)
> 
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