Jerusalem Artichokes

[VolesAteMyPeas]

As the globe artichoke season is coming to its end, I 'm turning my attention to the other kind that dwells below the surface.
So, when should I be cutting the foliage back? Or even should I be doing so at all? I'm not exaggerating when I say that the stems are ten feet high now and still going strong. Interestingly though, they haven't flowered. All the different books I own say different things.
Surely the foliage dying back is what feeds the growth of the tubers. Or is that not true? Is the growth now taking up energy that it should be putting into tuber formation? But at this rate, I'm not going to have any tubers at all or at least no crop until March!
Any advice? This is my first year growing them. Almost as exciting as digging up potatoes.

[Mr Bones]

Ours are just starting to show flower buds, we normally cut them and stick them in a vase then wait until the leaves die back before harvesting. Once the tubers are ready they can be dug up and stored in damp compost to avoid further exposure to slug damage. The best piece of advice I could offer is don't be tempted to eat too many at one sitting.

[Chippy Minton]

But at this rate, I'm not going to have any tubers at all or at least no crop until March!

You may not get a harvest until March but rest assured you'll get a harvest every year from now The Jerusalem Artichoke, the gift that keeps on giving!

[arpoet]

Once the tops start to look sad, I cut mine by half. As they die back and the frost blackens them I cut back again to 2 foot above the ground.
I tend to dig mine up as needed from mid December but if a severe frosts or prolonged snow is forecast, I dig em up and store them in peat in the cold greenhouse.

[Nicos]

I find they are best harvested fresh...they go wrinkly and rubbery pretty quickly if not stored well.

We don't start taking ours for a while yet.

Go on....have a furtle...you know you want to!

[alldigging]

You may not get a harvest until March but rest assured you'll get a harvest every year from now The Jerusalem Artichoke, the gift that keeps on giving!

I left some in a bed deliberately.
That worked a treat. Not one has come up!

[alldigging]

They are left in the ground until you want to eat them. No point in digging them up until then.

[Guest]

I have found you can cut the stems whenever it does not seem to affect the crop.
I usually leave about 1-2ft so I know where they are. I used to have a problem with red ants so I dug the chokes up and left them on top of the soil to get frosted and found they taste a little bit yummier for it.
Also try and dig the entire crop by the start of the next season and watch where you put the soil as they may become invasive at the point.
As for the windy downside, apparently if you cook them with winter savoury it helps. Don't know if it is true as I still have not managed to try it.
Apart from that enjoy, I have found these guys to be very abuse tolerant as far as growing and they are a welcome addition in my veg patch.