To grow Jerusalem artichoke is not difficult. It is enough just to plant the tuber divisions at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other and periodically water the shoots. During the summer period, tubers are formed in the ground, which are used for food .
As with the cultivation of any other garden culture, it is extremely important to harvest the harvest in time. About when it's time to collect Jerusalem artichoke - let's talk in our article.
Terms of harvesting Jerusalem artichoke
The harvest of this valuable and unpretentious plant is ready near the end of autumn. However, this does not mean at all that the time has come when you must certainly dig out Jerusalem artichoke. Many gardeners leave it in the land until spring. What is the reason for this? Just Jerusalem artichoke, unlike potatoes and other root crops, is poorly stored in the basement, and it is difficult to keep it until the end of winter.
But its natural storage in the soil is a gift of nature itself. Jerusalem artichoke belongs to those few garden crops that perfectly winter right on the garden. Tubers do not perish and do not deteriorate even in severe frosts.
We need only cover this place with dry grass or fallen leaves, and the harvest will not go anywhere until the very spring.
But, however, you can not wait for so long and start harvesting in the fall. So, when you dig out Jerusalem artichoke - preferably before the onset of slush and frost, which will simply complicate the task, and you will most likely prefer to quit this business until spring.
But it's also not worth hurrying. Many lovers put order on the sites by the beginning of October they begin to cut off the high shoots of Jerusalem artichoke and throw them out of the plot. And very vain! The main accumulation of carbohydrates occurs just in the period October-November. And if you do not know when to dig Jerusalem artichoke for food, you can lose the bulk of the crop, because the roots will be too small and
Until late autumn, the plant has an outflow of nutrients from the leaves and stems to the roots. So if you wait for the desired time, you can collect up to 10 kilograms of harvest from one bush.
To collect Jerusalem artichoke before the winter, you need to trim the stems at the height of 20 cm at the end of November and leave the plant in this position for another week or two for ripening. And after that you can proceed directly to harvesting. Experienced gardeners do not collect all the tubers, leaving part for the spring harvest. Only in the spring they need to be removed before the soil is heated until the roots give new shoots.