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Helianthus tuberosus

Jerusalem artichoke

Common names: topinambur, earth pear

Jerusalem artichoke

This description was machine-translated.

Description

Jerusalem artichoke is a hardy sunflower relative whose knobby tubers taste nutty-sweet and can remain in the ground throughout the winter. The plant can grow over two meters tall, blooms late with yellow flowers, and spreads vigorously, give it its own corner.

Care instructions

Plant the tubers in March or April about ten centimeters deep; thereafter, Jerusalem artichoke requires little care. When wind is strong, add a small amount of soil to the tall stems. Harvest from October as needed; when digging, deliberately leave some small tubers in the ground if you wish to preserve the crop, otherwise remove all tubers, because any forgotten tuber will sprout anew in spring.

Soil & site

Soil pH

4.0pH 6–7.58.0

Soil type

sandy, loamy, well-drained, humus-rich, nutrient-rich

LightFull sun
HardinessHardy
Crop rotationComposites
Water needMedium

Feeding

Medium feeder

Companion planting

Good neighbors

carrot family (Apiaceae)

Calendula and Tagetes next to carrots keep the carrot fly away with their scent.

For example Carrotcelery rootDillParsleyCarrot fennelCoriander and 19 more species in the catalogue

Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)

Rather not

nightshade family (Solanaceae)

Sunflowers release substances into the soil that inhibit potato tuber growth, and they also compete for water and nutrients.

For example Sweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberryChiliPeperoni and 7 more species in the catalogue

Source: basic crop-rotation rule

Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.

Some of these explanations were machine-translated.

Diseases & pests

1 relevant

From the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.

PesthighMar–Nov
Water vole

Arvicola terrestris

The water vole, commonly called a burrowing vole, lives underground and feeds on roots, tubers and the bark at the root collar.

More on Water vole

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