Growing Jerusalem artichokes from the supermarket

[spanish_gardener]

It's very surprising to find anything unusual here. Today I bought some Jerusalem artichokes in Sainsburys and I was wondering if I can grow one of them... Last year I sow different garlic cloves from the supermarket and most of them failed. I would love to grow JA as I know is fairly easy because it is such a hardy plant. I don't want to buy tubers at seed sites because my plot is very small and I only have space for a two or three of JA plants. Should I give it a try or I shouldn't bother? Thank you.

[veggiechicken]

I've done it, SG.
Give them a wash off first, in case they've had anything sprayed on them to inhibit sprouting, and plant them out.

[spanish_gardener]

Thank you. You don´t know how happy makes me to hear that because there are so little plants hardy enough to survive our weather here plus I love the JA and potato soup and they are so difficult to find... I think there was an article about JA in March or some recent GIY magazine.

[veggiechicken]

Hope they grow for you SG Once you have them established, they'll keep coming back year after year

[spanish_gardener]

I'll update the progress in this post as other 'new shoots' might be interested in this 'survival' crop too.

[alldigging]

Planted 3 smallish tubers and got 2 bucket fulls.

[spanish_gardener]

Planted 3 smallish tubers and got 2 bucket fulls.

I wonder why they aren't more popular. They are heavy producer plants and they seem to be almost pest and disease free.

[veggiechicken]

I think its the wind effect that puts most people off them

[spanish_gardener]

True, although I've never experienced it, but I only use one per four or five potatoes, a handful of mushrooms and milk to make soup.

[Tadpole123]

I wonder why they aren't more popular. They are heavy producer plants and they seem to be almost pest and disease free.

Because they taste disgusting.

Grew mine from 2 tubers reduced price at supermarket, took 3 years to dig every one out and stop them coming up.

[Bill HH]

So jerusalen artichokes, spouts and pickled onions would be quite an explosive mix.

[veggiechicken]

So jerusalen artichokes, spouts and pickled onions would be quite an explosive mix.

I don't have any problems with "spouts" Bill

[spanish_gardener]

Because they taste disgusting.

Grew mine from 2 tubers reduced price at supermarket, took 3 years to dig every one out and stop them coming up.

I suppose not everyone's cup of tea... I don't know how you cooked them. From my point of view the flavour is quite overpowering and if reduced they are yummy. Not sure how people eat them here... We baked them them with nuts and orange juice, it's kind of a healthy cake; we too used them as a spread made by mixing the JA once boiled and soft with sobrasada (raw cured pork sausage); soups, etc.

[Bill HH]

I don't have any problems with "spouts" Bill

Sorry VC I am having a bit of R's trouble.

[Kristen]

Last year I sow different garlic cloves from the supermarket and most of them failed.

Might well have been a Mediterranean variety - which would need a lot more warmth than we get here most years That's a risk of buying Supermarket varieties ...

My suggestion would be to buy a decent, UK grown,variety suitable for your location, which will cost a fair bit, and thereafter to keep & re-plant your own from that (provided that you don't have any disease). Some people say that Garlic adapts over several generations, so over time it will adapt to better suit your conditions - although you need to start with a suitable variety in the first place