Pruning Jerusalem Artichokes

[Chippy Minton]

OK, I think I've finally lost the plot, been on this forum too long......

I bought 3 Jerusalem Artichokes (just need a few for some soup) and planted them in an old potato barrel (to keep them contained). However, they are therefore already 2' off the ground and if they grow to 10' the wind catches them and blows the whole thing over (tried it before with even a concrete block in the bottom).

So ......

If I prune them at 4'-5' and keep them in check will they bush up and will it affect my crop (which doesn't have to be record breaking anyway)?

[nickdub]

could you knock a long metal pole down through the barrel, then tie the top of it off in 3 or 4 directions ? - much easier to keep things upright by fixing the top than weighing down the bottom.
(no idea on your original question BTW)

[no_akira]

Jerusalem Artichokes are really good are breaking up recently opened virgin soil.

A pot might limit there growth and also turn a nearly maintenance free plant into one you have to water every couple of days...

I find the best way to prune them is wait until a sort of flower head of leaves starts forming at about 5.5 ft. I just pull off this false flowerhead and then they start sprouting from down below.

(Finbarr Saunders)

[Greenleaves]

I made the mistake of planting them in open ground, took 3 years of digging and sifting soil to get rid of them. I don't know but give pruning a shot.

As regards good for breaking soil I would rather dig the plot with a dinner fork than repeat the above

[Bren In Pots]

I grow mine in the bottom corner of the garden they only have to compete with the blackberries and rhubarb. I do love JA's

[Greenleaves]

I grow mine in the bottom corner of the garden they only have to compete with the blackberries and rhubarb. I do love JA's

Glad there is a few counties between us Bren

[Chippy Minton]

Thought I'd do a quick update. Thanks for the responses. We understand the use of JA's to break up new ground but we don't have any new ground and really just actually wanted to grow them because we like them. Also agree with the consensus that once you have them they're difficult to get rid of, hence the growth in a container.

We decided to take my normal advice of "there's only one way to find out.."!

Didn't have too much problem with watering as they're next to the equivalent container of spuds which needed watering anyway. Fed them, watered them.

Pruned them and they did as expected and bushed out, but didn't seem to harm or restrict them. Kept them to around 5ft (1500mm) above the top of the container. No problems so far, although a low wind year (apart from the greyhound! !)

Will report back on the yield.......

[annie8]

Cut my JA down a few weeks ago leaving a wee bit sticking out so I know where they are. Harvested the first two last weekend. Got quite a few but struggled to peel. Tried par boiling but that didn’t seem to help much and they went soft quite quickly so felt like a faff. Any better ideas for how to peel?

[Bren In Pots]

Chippy this past week I've trimmed my JA stems to around 6 inch can't remember were I read that info but its something I've been doing ever since I started growing them.

[Bren In Pots]

Cut my JA down a few weeks ago leaving a wee bit sticking out so I know where they are. Harvested the first two last weekend. Got quite a few but struggled to peel. Tried par boiling but that didn’t seem to help much and they went soft quite quickly so felt like a faff. Any better ideas for how to peel?

Annie if I'm using them in a stew or gratin I just wash them leaving the skins on.

[4Shoes]

I always thought you left the skins on. I had a good crop in Glasgow, but not been any good now that I've moved here.

Grown in ground and the mid spring wind chops the tops off them and knocks them back. Going to have to move them.

[Chippy Minton]

Thanks Bren and Annie. Haven't cut ours down as RHS (apparently they know what they're doing ) and Dr Hessayon (the master) both say to wait until the leaves go yellow. Curretly the plants are a bright verdant green, although starting to yellow from the bottom. They've dropped a bit in the mornings, probably due to frost, but perk up around mid morning (much like myself). COuld be because they're in a potato barrel and protected from the ground frosts. I think I'll leave them until they properly yellow, then cut them off.

BTW Annie, Dr Hessayon also suggests cooking with skins on and then peeling.