Jerusalem Artichokes - removing them

[DuncanM]

Hi all,

I currently have an infestation of JA's..this is despite my wife having dug them "all" out 2 years ago. Anyway, I was re-reading January's GYO magazine and the section on JA's said this:

"Any space you use to grow them can only be used for grass for the next four years"

I've had a look online and through these forums but I've not found anything to explain why or what happens if you attempt to. Are there any plants that would grow?

[Jay-ell]

Sorry i don't have any useful input but I was wondering is tagetes minuta (Mexican marigolds) would have any effect against JA? Start off in pots and plant out to give them a decent chance.

[Mr Bones]

"Any space you use to grow them can only be used for grass for the next four years"

Glad I didn't see that, I moved mine and grew courgettes in the same spot the following year. Any stragglers that popped up were hoed off and soon gave up.

[DuncanM]

So from your experience there was nothing that stunted/killed the courgettes? That's good to know, thanks

[Bohobumble]

Glad I didn't see that, I moved mine and grew courgettes in the same spot the following year. Any stragglers that popped up were hoed off and soon gave up.

I'm moving mine this season, they're going into my useful flower area, but corn/beans/squash will be where they were.... all vigorous so should be able to hold their own

[Lumpy]

Lu Lu Lottie is a bit over run to the side of the poly tunnel - an area we hav'nt got to yet. I though I might take our elderly labradore down there a few times and encourage him to tiddle on them - his toxic piddle kills everything!
Other than that all we can do is control through obliteration.

[greenishfing]

I dug mine up a few years ago and planted potatoes the following year. I then yanked some JAs out that sprouted, got a good potato crop and the JAs were gone for good.

[sparrow100]

Hi all,

I currently have an infestation of JA's..this is despite my wife having dug them "all" out 2 years ago. Anyway, I was re-reading January's GYO magazine and the section on JA's said this:

"Any space you use to grow them can only be used for grass for the next four years"

I've had a look online and through these forums but I've not found anything to explain why or what happens if you attempt to. Are there any plants that would grow?

What a load of twaddle! Wonder how that got printed...We dug them out of my friend's plot in his first year and he's been growing all sorts since with the occasional volunteer trying its luck.

[Scarlet]

What a load of twaddle! Wonder how that got printed...We dug them out of my friend's plot in his first year and he's been growing all sorts since with the occasional volunteer trying its luck.

Mine were gone after the first year. I hated them, so dug them out....perhaps I was lucky but they never came back at all.

[Bren In Pots]

I moved my JA's a couple of years ago and replaced it with a bean row and not had any problems.

[stevejohnson53]

This post is reassuring, I too have just dug up my JA as they dont like me. Agonising WIND! (I have tried all the tricks to limit the wind but none worked) plus not too keen on the taste. So it was by mutual agreement they came out. I had planted them in an area that was under a big beech tree and the roots from the tree made it difficult to harvest the JAs. I spent hours digging and redigging trying to get them ALL out after hearing how they will keep returning year after year. I had planned to hoe off / dig up any that reappear over the next few years. Its good to hear they are not as bad as expected to remove them.

Planted goosegogs where the JAs were. Much more my taste than fartichokes

Steve

[ancee]

Interesting thread I planted mine last year, they grew too big and got in the way of the washing, so I moved them, well before they bloomed. They sulked. This year I'm hoping they're going to bloom ( I'm told they look like sunflowers) which is why I've put them in a flower bed. I may dig up some to eat. If they don't taste good, I'll leave them to just be flowers instead

[sparrow100]

I love the flavour, it's just the after-effects I can't tolerate....

[Mr Bones]

Eating winter savoury helps alleviate the side effects to some degree but you need so much it swamps the taste of everything else.

[Jardiniere]

I still have loads left ...some growing in places where nothing else will . I don't reckon them as flowers, cos they are puny compared to sunflowers and as a veg - well I like them.