Jerusalem Artichoke Plant Profile

Jerusalem Artichoke Plant Profile

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) also known as  Sunchokes are perennial plants grown for their nutritious tubers. Note that is not a type of artichoke, nor did it originate in the Middle East. In fact, it is a sunflower and is native to central North America.

They do best in full sun and are hardy to USDA Zone 2 to 9. They grow best in soils of at least average fertility, very good drainage, and a pH that is slightly basic to slightly acidic. The plants need a long growing season to produce a good crop. They do not do well in containers due to their height and the rhizomes and tubers grow.

Plant them on a site that is large enough for the sunchokes to become well-established and the rhizomes to run  The plants are tall and vigorous, and resemble skinny yellow daisies. The rhizomes that can fill a garden patch quickly in one garden season. The rhizomes produce tubers during the last half of summer each year.

Sunchokes are most often started by planting small tubers or parts of larger tubers, they can also be started from the small seeds produced by the pretty yellow sunchoke flowers.

Sunchoke tubers are low in calories, and are a source of several B vitamins as well as iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. The tubers can be consumed fresh or cooked, and they can be preserved by pickling. They can be prepared in several ways, including baked or boiled. The tubers should be thoroughly scrubbed before preparing them for cooking or consumption.

 After the flowers fade in early fall, they can be trimmed down to a couple feet tall.then the harvesting can begin. Harvesting can be done either all at once or one plant at a time, or tubers can be selected and harvested as needed.

After harvesting is finished for the season, there still may be a few tubers left in the ground. They will overwinter and sprout the next spring.

Jerusalem Artichoke: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Video and Editing by Ellen Isaacson

Additional Video by Madison Korman

 

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If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

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https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2019/07/plant-profile-sunflowers.html

~ Asparagus Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/04/plant-profile-asparagus.html

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Sunflower Fields at the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area

 

Sunflowers as far as the eye can see! This video captures some of sunflower fun at the McKee-Beshers WMA, a 2,000-acre area on River Road just outside Seneca, MD (between Potomac and Poolesville in Montgomery County).

Each summer, McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is planted with several fields of sunflowers. The location and varieties of sunflower planting change each year. Some fields may be a far hike from nearby parking spots; other fields can be situated right near the main road. Local flower-lovers enjoy the annual hunt for the sunflowers and exchange tips online for tracking when they will be at absolute peak.

Read more about the Sunflower Fields at the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in the August 2021 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine.

#YearoftheSunflower

UPDATE: This video placed as a runner-up in the National Garden Bureau’s #YearoftheSunflower video contest.

Plant Profile: Sunflowers

Sunflowers are an annual flowering plant and are a great garden choice for supporting pollinators and wildlife.

You will need a sunny spot to grow them in. (They don’t call them sunflowers for nothing!) They are not picky about soils, but make sure it is well-draining as they do not like wet feet. Seed them about 6 inches apart either in clumps of 3 or in rows. You can start them indoors and plant them out after the last frost, though they are just as easy to direct-sow.

Keep your seedlings well-watered. They will grow fast and a touch of liquid fertilizer will help give them quick energy. Once established, they do not need much watering unless it has not rained in your area for a few weeks.

Most sunflowers do not need staking. If you plant them where they get constant wind or lean out from shade into the sun, then you might want to tie them with soft cloth strips to a sturdy rod of rebar or metal stake.

Sunflowers make great trellises for edible climbing plants like beans or ornamental annual vines. You can also use tall sunflowers to create an almost instant fence and shade around a portion of your garden.

There are an amazing variety of sunflowers available in seed catalogs. You can choose from knee-high to gargantuan. Some produce huge heads full of nutritious seeds, while others are “teddy bear” style covered in fuzzy petals and are practically sterile. Then there are the color choices – classic yellow is always in fashion, but don’t stop there. Check out the chocolate hues, deep reds, and buttery creams.

Sunflowers make a terrific cut flower. One caution though, you want to put them in a bottom-heavy container, so that when they turn to face the sun, they don’t topple down the vase with them.

Leave up your sunflower heads at the end of the season to allow the wildlife to enjoy the seeds and the extra spilled on the ground will grow for you next year. You can also cut the flowerheads and hang them to dry to harvest them for seeds and to share with other gardeners.

Once you are ready to take down your plants, you may find the stalks to be quite strong and fibrous. Chop them up before adding them to your compost pile.

Sunflowers – you can grow that!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.
It was shot and edited by intern Alexandra Marquez.

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

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Bloom Day: Wedding Abundance

 It is the 15th of the month, which means Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day again. To view links to other garden bloggers' blooms around the world to see what it blooming in their gardens today and to read their collective comments, go to http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/2017/10/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-october-2017.html

Here in the Mid-Atlantic USA (USDA zone 7) on the DC-MD border, the past month started off very dry, then the rains finally returned. The temperature has stayed warm and nice, with no sign of frost -- yet.

For Bloom Day this month I thought I'd share the flowers from my garden that I used for my friend's wedding reception. When she mentioned a tight budget and the possibility of buying all $1 store fake flowers, I was like: "Oh, hell nah!" So I offered my garden flowers as my wedding gift to her. 

She wanted all fall colors from yellow to rust, so that left out all my lipstick-pink Celosia, purple Salvias, and pink Zinnias. The Mums and Sunflowers were my saving grace with some Black-eyed Susans still producing as well. I also cut some grasses and Love Lies Bleeding from my mom's garden for accent use.

It was fun gathering and creating the simple, rustic arrangements. I collected and cleaned every small glass jar I could find and bought 500-feet of twine to wrap around them for a unifying effect. The original table count was 20, but that quickly increased to 27 + the head table as the RSVPs rolled in. Luckily, I could keep on adding and even had a few extra arrangements leftover for the cake table, bar, and bathrooms.

I sent most all the flower-jars home with the guests and came home with a few that I'll bring to the Silver Spring Garden Club tomorrow as door prizes.

So what is blooming in YOUR garden today?

Bloom Day Bouquet

It is the 15th of the month, which means Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day again. To view links to other garden bloggers' blooms around the world to see what it blooming in their gardens today and to read their collective comments, go to http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Here is the Mid-Atlantic USA (USDA zone 7) on the DC-MD border, the past month has continued the odd summer pattern of cooler and wetter than normal weather. I am not complaining! Every day it rains is one less hour spent watering!

For Bloom Day this month I thought I'd share this bouquet created from flowers from my community garden plot to use at our harvest potluck picnic -- Sunflowers, Celosia, and Queen Anne's Lace. We left out the Zinnias on this one. I could add some of my prolific Goldenrod from the home garden to fill it out or pop in some of my highly scented Mrs. Burn's Lemon Basil, but I'll leave it alone for now and enjoy it for its rustic simplicity.

So what is blooming in YOUR garden today?

Video Wednesday: Sunflowers at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area

Our latest video by the summer interns, Ana and Mika, is of the Sunflowers at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area located in western Montgomery County., MD. Each summer, the state of Maryland plants fields of sunflowers at McKee-Beshers for feeding and attracting migratory game birds. (This is a hunting preserve.) Photography and art clubs love it.  It is so big and even with crowds, it is never a problem to get a good shot.

McKee-Beshers WMA is a 2,000-acre area located on River Road just outside of Seneca, Maryland  (between Potomac and Poolesville in Montgomery County). It is not far from the intersection of River Rd and Rt 112. McKee-Beshers is on the left hand side of the road. Just pull in, walk around the gate, go 20 yards around a clump of brush, and BAM! Sunflowers as far as the eye I can see. Totally hidden from the road. 

There are also several more fields of sunflowers planted at this location, but they require a further hike and perhaps some off-road driving, so this main (front) field remains the most popular.

A few more photos we took are posted here in an album at the facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine page. 

If you like birding, go early in the day. We went in late afternoon and saw lots of butterflies and bees. The blooms should last a few more weeks and you can go anytime during daylight hours. Best of all, it is free!  

Sunflowers Still for Bloom Day

It is Garden Blogger's Bloom Day again! On the 15th of each month, we gardeners with blogs share a few bloom photos from our gardens. Here is the Mid-Atlantic USA (USDA zone 7) on the DC-MD border, the past month has continued to be very dry. We have had cold spells, but no real frost/freeze for me yet. It has been so freaking dry that I had to turn back ON my outside water and top off my pond with several hundred gallons of water as it was starting to endanger the pump system.

In my sidewalk median aka the hellstrip, sunflowers are still going strong. I cut one or two every few days to put next to my kitchen sink to enjoy. Each time, I think "this may be the last one" - so far though they just keep on blooming away. 

 What is blooming in YOUR garden today?

Video Wednesday: Sunflower Fields

Sunflowers at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area located in Western Montgomery County. Each summer, the state of Maryland plants fields of sunflowers at McKee-Beshers for feeding and attracting migratory game birds. (This is a hunting preserve.) Photography and art clubs love it, but it is so big and never so crowded that it is a problem.

McKee-Beshers WMA is a 2,000-acre area located on River Road just outside of Seneca, Maryland  (between Potomac and Poolesville in Montgomery County). It is not far from the intersection of River Rd and Rt 112. McKee-Beshers is on the left hand side of the road. Just pull in, walk around the gate, go 20 yards around a clump of brush, and BAM! Sunflowers as far as the eye I can see. Totally hidden from the road.

A few photos I took are posted here at the facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine page. BTW, no need for a step ladder this year (as one friend had recommended I bring), the flowers are all between waist and chest high. If you like birding, go early in the day. I went in late afternoon and saw lots of butterflies and bees. The blooms should last a few more weeks and you can go anytime during daylight hours. Best of all, it is free!