Helianthus tuberosus
Jerusalem artichoke
Common names: topinambur, earth pear
Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
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
Soil type
sandy, loamy, well-drained, humus-rich, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
Propagation
Methods
- Offsets
- Division
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.
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