Jerusalem Artichokes

[jdlondon]

These are totally new to me. I googled it and found an article that said you can get them in the supermarket and plant them. I mainly shop at Tesco and I don't think I've ever seen them. Anyone know where I can get some?

Also, are teh leaves edible too?

[veggiechicken]

I grew these from some I had in a Riverford Veg box a few years ago. They were on sale in Sainsbury's last week, - that's what reminded I had some in the garden. I don't think the leaves are edible but I don't know for sure. If you're buying some to plant or eat, look for the tubers which are not too knobbly as they can be difficult to peel. I'll give mine a good scrub and if they look OK, eat the lot.

[kfan]

Anyone know where I can get some?

I think I bought the tubers last year at home-base. Stuck them in the ground and completely forgot about them until these massive plants emerged, they are very easy going.

[arpoet]

Me thinks i have just had a BRAINWAVE. If i dried out and grated J A's and sprinkled them round me cabbages, they might just act as slug control...
If the slugs nibble them, and they have the same effect on them as J A's do on me, then the slugs will either blow up and float away, or let rip and be blasted into next doors garden...................
Roger

[Nicos]

ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!...brill- utterly brill!


( I wonder if you tied a few of those slugs to the end of a stick you could use them in place of a leaf blower????????)

[alex-adam]

This is the yield from one plant. admittedly the largest in the row. 3.1 kilos !!

Grown against a west facing fence in a garden situation.

a-a

jdlondon - I see your location is a balcony - not a subject for container growing as the plants reach over 3 metres in height -The one from which above crop came was 3.4 metres,almost 12ft

[veggiechicken]

Just weighed mine - about 4 lbs from 3/4 plants but I need to go back and have another dig. One very obvious difference between your a-a and mine is that mine are smooth, sausage shaped tubers. I would take a photo but the camera battery is flat.
Arpoet - I'm not sure that your cunning plan will work because, nothing, absolutely nothing, has nibbled at these JAs. Must mean something! What do they know that I don't? Better not answer that.

[alex-adam]

................. One very obvious difference between your a-a and mine is that mine are smooth, sausage shaped tubers............. .

Hi veggiechicken - I think yours must be the variety Fuseau, which are supposed to be the best flavoured, but to be honest I can't tell much of a difference. I tried Fuseau a couple of years ago but not such a good yield as my ' common or garden' variety.

a-a

[veggiechicken]

I'm sure you're right a-a about them being Fuseau. They were in the Riverford veg box and looked very growable!

[jdlondon]

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jdlondon - I see your location is a balcony - not a subject for container growing as the plants reach over 3 metres in height -The one from which above crop came was 3.4 metres,almost 12ft

I was thinking of using it as a decorative windbreak as well as an exotic foodsource, but twice the height of my balcony? - yeah, I think I will leave this until I get a ground garden.

[veggiechicken]

I was at a gardening talk once when the speaker was talking about JAs and how useful they could be in the garden as screens because of their height. One of our small group asked, in all innocence, whether they would make good breakwinds! We all fell about laughing!!

[alex-adam]

jdlondon

You asked in a earlier post where you could get some JAs - Waitrose have them in their veg dept at £1.69 for 500gr - I imagine there is a branch not too far from you in London.

Other members who want to grow these - buy from Waitrose and plant these - much cheaper than the catalogues or even Ebay when you add postage.

ps - I have no connection with Waitrose, just thought the hint may be helpful

[dirtgirl]

I've bought JAs from Tescos before. Found them near the Okra

[Bren In Pots]

I had a good dig around and got about 3lb from one plant.

This year my Jerusalem artichokes failed after having a good dig around today I ended up with ½lb from a total of 6 plants, and here's me thinking I'd have lots of meals from them because they did produce a fair few flowers.

[chris]

Mine were rubbish - the tubers had hardly swelled. Here was me thinking I'd fill the MIL, wife and kids up on them!!