Jerusalem artichoke

[jacquie]

I read recently that these can spread and take over, and I am aware they get very tall, so my question about these is are they likely to survive without being in the rabbit protected areas.

I have a couple of fence lines that would benefit from a high screen (it's a private allotment where we all have our own boundaries and gates), and where it wouldn't matter if the roots spread a bit. I could start them off under individual chicken wire domes, but one they are too big for that they'd have to fight for themselves.

Jacquie

[Nicos]

Mine have been fine.
I planted mine at the base of a chicken wire- rabbit proof fence...and now can't get at all the tubers to remove them cos of the sunken wire!!!!

...get LOADS every year- and the bunnies have never eaten them

[Maf]

Are they quite rubust? Folks say you can use them as windbreaks but on on a very windy hill!

[Nicos]

I have light peat soil on the lottie- and they always fall over if not tied to the top of the netting. Doesn't stop them flowering and forming tubers- but a bit of a pain.
I imagine they would blow over on my plot!

Still....I'd be tempted to tie them up when they get to about 4 ft high.

[basketcase]

Mine have been fine.
I planted mine at the base of a chicken wire- rabbit proof fence...and now can't get at all the tubers to remove them cos of the sunken wire!!!!

...get LOADS every year- and the bunnies have never eaten them

I read somewhere that rabbits don't like them.

SOMETHING that rabbits don't like!!

I used to like bunnies...

[basketcase]

Afterthought:

Do they grow in containers? If so, how big/deep would it have to be?

[Nicos]

Wellll....ya could....You'd be planting them at about 10" depth ( well I would- although I've heard of as little as 10cm) they'd grow more than 6ft high- so I reckon a wide , heavy base to stop them blowing over.

Here's a bit about growing distances....

Growing Jerusalem Artichoke

[piskieinboots]

I am a fan of JAs - thankfully they do not 'affect' me I like them as plants and am growing some as a wind () break here with the added bonus of some veg

[jacquie]

Many thanks for the replies; I'll got for out of the safe area then.

I haven't seen the rabbits yet but there are loads of droppings and the next door lady was telling me that when they first put a high wire fence between the two plots to keep their chickens in, they would watch the rabbits bouncing off it as they tried to run from one plot to the next as they had been used to doing.

A few days ago I noticed regularly spaced scratch marks in the area I was digging, and found there were parnips below. I started propping up the 'gate' to remind the rabbits that this was a no go area and in just that short time the leaves have grown from nothing to about an inch or two. Shame neither of us like parsnips!

Jacquie