jerusalem artichokes

[fish]

its my first time growing them,theyre currently over 5foot! how do i know when theyre ready to dig?

[alan refail]

Hi Fish

Quick answer: when your calendar says it's October.

They'll grow to eight foot by then and start dying back.

Alan

[Chantal]

Hi Fish

As Alan says, October is when to start digging, but only dig what you need to eat and leave the rest to grow.

I leave whatever is left over to grow the following year and have a permanent bed, but they can spread like mad. Some people dig out every last tuber and then replant what they need.

[Granny]

How they manage to do that beats me. An old boy in the village once told me that you could never get them all out - and from experience I've been inclined to agree! A bit like picking runner beans - you always find one enormous one lurking somewhere. Your fellow allotmenteers must be very thorough!
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Granny

[fish]

thanks peeps !!!8 feet! wow nice looking plant too!

[Monika]

Do watch how many you eat, fish. They tend to have rather socially unacceptable consequences! Just a warning.

[alan refail]

But after the first, explosive, reaction, the more you eat, the less the effect.

Alan