Growing Jerusalem artichoke, including how to care for a plant in the open ground, as well as a description of varieties with characteristics and reviews

Jerusalem artichoke is a very interesting and healthy plant; little is known to Russian gardeners. But lately, culture is gaining popularity. This is facilitated by the general unpretentiousness in leaving, high productivity, the ability to adapt to not always favorable climate and weather vagaries.

What is Jerusalem artichoke

Jerusalem artichoke is a very interesting perennial plant belonging to the Astrov family. Its aerial part is very similar to sunflower, tubers ripening in the ground are similar to potatoes or sweet potatoes.

This plant is extremely tenacious and unpretentious. At home, in the Americas, it grows like a weed, including on roadsides and wastelands.

Jerusalem artichoke has been known for a long time, since the beginning of the XVII century. Portuguese sailors brought him home with Indian slaves from the tribe called Tupinamoas. Hence the name came from. For several centuries, the plant managed to acquire many nicknames. The most common is the "earthen pear." But Jerusalem artichoke is also called tuberous sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke, Volga turnip, bulb, eternal potato.

The stalk of Jerusalem artichoke is powerful, as if faceted, covered with a short stiff “pile”. It can withstand even strong gusts of wind without damage to itself, despite the fact that it reaches 3-4 m in height. The leaves are large, heart-shaped or egg-shaped. They are rough on both sides, slightly nicky under their own weight.

The root system of the plant is very similar to that characteristic of potatoes. Many tubers of rounded or elongated shape are attached to rhizomes. Depending on the variety, the color of the skin varies from cream-beige and sand-brown to reddish and mauve.

The vegetative period is not too long; 4-5 months are enough for the tubers to ripen. Harvested at the end of September or in the first half of October. This makes Jerusalem artichoke suitable for cultivation in most of the territory of Russia. But some gardeners leave tubers in the ground for the winter. This does not harm them in any way, if the temperature does not fall below -40ºС. They motivate this by the fact that after a “winter” in Jerusalem artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke becomes sweeter, more nutritious and healthier. The productive life of the plant with minimal care or without it is at least 40 years. Moreover, the quality of the soil on the site does not deteriorate.

In general, Jerusalem artichoke is a short-day plant. In a subtropical climate, where daylight hours stretch for at least 12 hours, it blooms rather reluctantly, the fruits often do not ripen.

Jerusalem artichoke blooms closer to mid-summer. If it were not for the absence of a seed core, it would be very easy to mistake them for sunflower because of the petals of a similar shape of the same sunny yellow color. Flowering continues until early September. Buds are collected in inflorescences-baskets. Each flower is 6–10 cm in diameter. They also have the ability to turn after the sun. If the plant is grown for the sake of tubers, it is recommended to remove the flowers so that they and the fruits formed in their place do not take away their nutrients.

Video: what Jerusalem artichoke looks like

https://youtube.com/watch? v = hQB7AhUbmDk

The taste of tubers cannot be called outstanding. This is a cross between a cabbage stalk, daikon and radish, but without the bitterness characteristic of the latter, slightly giving away nuts or mushrooms. But they are extremely healthy, it is scientifically proven. In chemical composition, they resemble potatoes, but Jerusalem artichoke has much more pectin, fiber, and macronutrients (iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus) and amino acids necessary for the body, which it does not independently produce (arginine, lysine, tryptophan, histidine, isoleucine and so on Further). At the same time, tubers are in principle incapable of accumulating nitrates, salts of heavy and radioactive metals. Therefore, they are completely safe for health and extremely rarely cause allergies.

The use of tubers is recommended to lower blood pressure and increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood with anemia. This is an effective prevention of urolithiasis and digestive system diseases. Poultices from leaves have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and healing properties. They are used to treat burns, psoriasis, and other skin diseases. They help with problems with joints and spine. In addition, the pulp is rich in insulin, which is vital for diabetes. Juice helps cleanse the body of toxins, toxins.

In addition to eating fresh, Jerusalem artichoke tubers can be fried, stewed, boiled, dried. Dried earthen pear is ground into powder and added to teas, main dishes, soups. It also makes dietary coffee substitute. The tubers are very nutritious, their carbohydrate content is several times higher than in sugar beets. At the same time, Jerusalem artichoke is low in calories (73 kcal per 100 g), this is due to the almost complete absence of fats and fatty acids.

There are no contraindications to the use of Jerusalem artichoke. The only exception is individual intolerance. But it is worth bearing in mind that it activates the formation of gases in the intestine. Therefore, it is still not recommended to abuse it.

Video: useful properties of Jerusalem artichoke

The only significant drawback is the short shelf life. Fresh tubers lie a maximum of a month, even in the refrigerator or in the cellar. Then Jerusalem artichoke loses its juiciness, becomes flabby, rots. This is due to the fact that his skin is very thin, without the “cork” layer characteristic of potatoes.

Jerusalem artichoke is grown in garden plots not only for eating. It is used to create hedges or "wings" that protect other landings from gusts of cold wind. It is also a good honey plant. Tubers can be used as livestock feed, and greens for silage processing.

Species and varieties popular among gardeners

All available varieties of Jerusalem artichoke are divided into fodder and tuber. The former develops mainly the aerial part, while the latter - the underground. Work on breeding new varieties has been going on for quite some time. Now more than three hundred varieties and hybrids are known. Currently, the main tasks of breeders are to increase the size of tubers, the formation of a compact "nest" with them, zoning of the obtained varieties to a variety of climatic conditions, as well as an increase in the thickness of the stalk of the fodder Jerusalem artichoke.

Most often, the following varieties of Jerusalem artichoke are found on garden plots:

• Interest. High-yielding variety, but compared with the "relatives" is more sensitive to moisture deficiency. But it tolerates cold and heat, differs in growth rate. The stems branch not too intensely, but very powerful. Tubers with a yellowish-white smooth skin, rounded. The eyes are deep enough. Included in the State Register of the Russian Federation. Late variety, tubers ripen only by the beginning of November.
• Leningradsky. The variety is late (the crop ripens in 130-145 days), it is recommended for cultivation in the North-West region, including on an industrial scale. Bushy plant. The stems are deep green in color, noticeably darker than the leaves. Tubers with white skin, very elongated. They are stored in the soil without problems until next spring, the expected loss is no more than 10% of the crop.
• Volzhsky-two. The variety is cold and drought tolerant. The vegetative period is 100-110 days. Pear-shaped tubers form a fairly compact "nest". The skin is white, with lilac-pink patches around the “eyes”. The edge of the leaves is rare and soft, the stem is greenish brown. Leaves are arranged in pairs. The number of tubers in the "nest" varies from 10–12 to 30–35.
• Hurry up. Even against the background of "relatives" stands out for undemanding care. Plants do not suffer from heat, drought, lack of light, tolerate frost well. Their height is no more than 1.3–1.5 m. The variety belongs to the early category (the crop ripens in 110–125 days). The root system is compact, leaves in the shape of a heart, the edge is carved with large cloves. The plant branches intensively. Tubers are medium-sized, of regular rounded shape. Peel the color of butter.
• Solar. Late variety, suitable for cultivation throughout Russia with the exception of regions with a subarctic climate. The plant does not branch out very willingly, the leaves are large, elongated, with a maximum height of about 2 m. Tubers with light beige skin, elliptical in shape. Average weight - 55–70 g. It can be cultivated both as fodder and as a Jerusalem artichoke.
• Find. High-yielding variety of late ripening (170-180 days). Bred specifically for cultivation in the warm southern regions. The leaves are arranged alternately, the stem branches weakly, the "nest" of tubers is compact. They have a pear shape, the skin is white and pink. In the eyes, this shade becomes brighter.
• Vilgotsky. The bush is very powerful, spreading. The stem is dark green with a purple undertone, which becomes more noticeable in the internodes and the points of attachment of the petioles. The leaves are lanceolate, the edge goes only along the veins. The tubers are oval, yellowish-beige, ripen in 120–125 days. Of those that are left in the ground, 98–100% are preserved until spring.
• Pasko. The plant is bushy, tall, powerful, intensively branching. Leaves sharply point to the tip. The flowers are small, with saffron-colored petals. The tubers are elongated, large, weighing 75–90 g, the skin is white or cream. The vegetative period is 170-180 days.
• Omsk white. One of the latest achievements of Russian breeders. The plant reaches a height of 2–2.5 m; it does not branch out too intensely. The stems are dark green, slightly cast in purple. Harvest ripens together. Small tubers (55-60 g), in the shape of an almost regular ball. 1.2–1.5 kg of Jerusalem artichoke are removed from one bush. The vegetative period is 125-130 days.
• Vadim. The plant is intensively branching, densely leafy. Tubers with smooth reddish-pink skin, one-dimensional, weighing 60–65 g. Unlike most varieties of Jerusalem artichoke, they are not bad stored. In the basement or cellar, if you sprinkle them with sand, they will last until the end of winter.
• Hungarian. One of the most common feed varieties. The average height of the intensively branching plant is at least 5 m. The stems are densely leafy. This variety of Jerusalem artichoke is undemanding to lighting, grows well in partial shade, and even in the shade.

Photo gallery: common varieties of Jerusalem artichoke

Planting Jerusalem artichoke and preparing for it

The unpretentiousness of Jerusalem artichoke extends to the place for its cultivation. The culture successfully survives in both sunny and shaded areas. But practice shows that in direct sunlight the tubers become smaller, lose their characteristic sweetish flavor.

There are also no special requirements for the quality of the soil in the plant. Any soil is suitable for him: both light sandy and heavy clay. The only thing that Jerusalem artichoke does not categorically tolerate is sour soil. In this substrate, the tubers begin to rot very quickly. Therefore, it should not be planted in lowlands, in wetlands and where groundwater comes to the surface soil closer than 1.5 m. In saline or acidified soil, the plant takes root, but abundant crops can not to wait. An ideal option for culture is a fairly light, but fertile substrate.

When choosing a place, you need to consider what grew in the garden before. Bad predecessors for Jerusalem artichoke are sunflowers and garden strawberries. Earthen pear grows well after potatoes, all kinds of cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini. It is also worth remembering that the height of Jerusalem artichoke reaches 3 m or more. It may well obscure nearby beds. Therefore, most often they take a place for him in the far corner of the site or along the fence.

Planting Jerusalem artichoke is not much different from the procedure for planting potatoes that is familiar to any gardener. But the optimal period comes a little earlier - in the last decade of April or in early May. Although there are supporters of the autumn planting of tubers. They tolerate winter without problems, they harvest the crop in a year.

The bed itself is prepared in advance. If you plan a spring landing - in the fall. The selected area is cleaned of plant debris, dug, while fertilizing. It is desirable to increase the fertility of poor soil with the help of humus or rotted compost (5 l / m²). Otherwise, a complex mineral fertilizer - Nitrofoska, Azofoska, Diammofoska (about 50 g / m²) is enough. An additional additive for acidic soil is dolomite flour, powdered egg shells, fluffy lime (200–400 g / m²).

Only absolutely healthy tubers with a diameter of 6–8 cm (about the size of a chicken egg) are selected for planting. For disinfection, they can be soaked for 2-3 hours a day in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for a day or two, to increase immunity and increase yield - in water with the addition of any biostimulant (Epin, Zircon, Heteroauxin, succinic acid, juice aloe). Those tubers that have noticeably dried out are put in a tank with water at room temperature for 2-3 days, changing it daily.

Jerusalem artichoke is planted in furrows or individual holes with a depth of 7-12 cm (the lighter the substrate, the more tubers need to be buried). The distance between them is 50-60 cm, between the tubers in a row - 35-40 cm. When forming the "wings", Jerusalem artichoke is planted in a checkerboard pattern, leaving between them 20–25 cm. If there are reasonable doubts about your own eye, it is better to mark the bed in advance. A little humus, a handful of sifted wood ash and a little onion husk are added to each hole to scare away the pests. The tubers are sideways. A hole covered with earth is watered abundantly, spending 2-3 liters of water. The substrate must be well compacted. During autumn planting, the bed is mulched with a foliage or peat crumb.

Jerusalem artichoke has the ability to "creep" through the garden like a weed. To avoid this, it is recommended to dig a container into the bed. Its walls will limit the area of ​​distribution of tubers.

The nuances of caring for the crop

If the soil in which Jerusalem artichoke is planted is quite fertile, the plant may well do without any care. But in order to regularly receive a plentiful harvest, you still have to spend a little time and effort on it.

Before emergence of seedlings (usually this occurs 15–20 days after the tubers are planted), the bed must be loosened shallow. If the summer is rainy, seedlings that grow to 15–20 cm are spud, deepening the furrows. In addition, practice shows that regular weeding has a positive effect on the size of tubers. It is not necessary to cover emerged seedlings, even if there is a threat of frost. Plants can tolerate temperatures up to -5ºС.

Jerusalem artichoke does not require regular watering. It has enough natural rainfall. But if the weather in the summer is abnormally hot and arid, you can moisten the soil once a week, spending 10-15 liters per adult plant. It is also advisable to water the garden every 7–10 days in August, at which time tubers are forming.

If the bed for Jerusalem artichoke was prepared in compliance with all recommendations, for the next 2-3 years the plant is provided with the necessary macro- and microelements. Later in the spring, it is fed with nitrogen. 15–20 g of urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate are distributed in the bed in a dry form or dissolved in 10 l of water. Do not exceed the recommended dosage. Excess nitrogen in the soil reduces plant immunity, provoking the development of many fungal diseases. Once every 2-3 years in the spring, along with loosening the soil, a rotted compost or humus is distributed on the bed.

In the middle of summer, phosphorus and potassium are fed. You can use simple superphosphate and potassium sulfate, infusion of sifted wood ash, or any complex fertilizer (Zdraven, Kemira-Lux, Agricola).

Video: tips for growing an earthen pear and caring for it

Jerusalem artichoke suffers from diseases extremely rarely. But heavy rainfall in combination with low temperature throughout the summer can trigger the development of fungal diseases - rot, alternaria, powdery mildew. In the first case, the base of the stems and petioles of the leaves turn black, become slimy to the touch. Gradually they are tightened with a layer of fluffy grayish plaque with small black blotches. Powdery mildew is easily recognized by white coating on leaves and stems, similar to sprinkled flour. Alternaria is characterized by brownish-beige spots with a yellow border.

Photo gallery: Jerusalem artichoke diseases

For prevention, Jerusalem artichoke is dusted once a month with tobacco chips, sifted wood ash, crushed chalk. Having found suspicious symptoms, even minimally affected parts of the plant should be immediately cut. For the treatment of fungal diseases, any fungicides are used. Time-tested remedies are copper sulfate and Bordeaux liquid, but there are many more modern copper-containing preparations (Abiga-Peak, Kuprozan, Topaz, Skor, Bayleton and so on). Usually, if the disease is noticed at an early stage, 2-3 treatments with an interval of 5-8 days are enough. In severe cases, the source of infection is eliminated, the soil in the place where the diseased Jerusalem artichoke bush grew is disinfected by spilling with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Of the pests, Jerusalem artichoke can cause damage to bears, slugs, as well as larvae of the May beetle. They gnaw through tubers, eat them from the inside, as a result of which rot quickly develops. Effectively protect the landing can be done with the help of homemade traps. Deep containers filled with bait are dug into the soil - any porridge with honey or sugar for the bear and slices of cabbage, potatoes for slugs and larvae. Once every 3-4 days it needs to be changed, while getting rid of trapped pests. In case of a massive invasion, insecticides are used. Medvetox and Diazinon are used to combat the bears; Thunderstorm, Meta, and the May bug help the slugs to effectively destroy Fury and Confidor-Maxi.

Photo gallery: pests dangerous to Jerusalem artichoke

In addition, pests are repelled by strong pungent odors. Therefore, not far from Jerusalem artichoke, it is desirable to plant herbs, marigolds, nasturtiums. Many of these plants are also quite good honey carriers, attracting bees to the site.

Harvest of Jerusalem artichoke is harvested in late September or October. There is no point in rushing into digging up tubers. Those that are extracted from the soil ahead of schedule will no longer ripen. The harvested crop is not stored for a long time, so part can be left in the spring. Wintering tubers does not hurt, on the contrary, it will positively affect their taste. The stems of such plants are pruned in early November, leaving “stumps” 10–12 cm high.

The maximum shelf life of Jerusalem artichoke is 30–40 days. To do this, the tubers are stacked in boxes so that they do not touch each other and with the walls, and are covered with sand, peat, sawdust.

Video: Jerusalem artichoke harvest

Breeding methods

At home, Jerusalem artichoke most often propagates vegetatively. Fruits that contain seeds in regions with a temperate climate often do not have time to ripen due to late flowering. In addition, the generative method of reproduction is rather laborious and does not guarantee the preservation of varietal characters. It is most often used by breeders to produce new hybrids.

The most common way to breed Jerusalem artichoke is with tubers. But with a shortage of planting material, you can use parts of them or even individual “eyes”.

Tubers are divided immediately before planting, so that each piece has at least two “eyes”. The knife with which they are cut must be sharpened sharply. After each incision made, it is disinfected by dipping into a saturated pink solution of potassium permanganate. Then the sections are dried for an hour, before being discharged into the ground they are dusted with sifted wood ash or crushed chalk. A pin of colloidal sulfur is added to the hole during planting for the prevention of rot.

When propagated by "eyes", they are carefully cut from the tuber together with a layer of surrounding tissues with a thickness of not more than 10 mm. Planting material for 2-3 days is placed in a saucer with water or on a damp paper towel, providing a temperature of about 30 ° C and daylight hours of at least 12 hours. As soon as the growth buds "wake up", the "eyes" are transplanted into small peat pots filled with universal soil for seedlings. Further care for them is to water and fertilize once a month. Such plants are planted in the ground from late May to early August.

Gardeners reviews

According to my observations, if you do not dig Jerusalem artichoke or dig a bed, other plants displace it. Two buckets from the bush is not a fairy tale, but simply a good result. Wherever there is a vacant lot near the house - I plant. It is convenient to feed cattle (rabbits) in the fall. Bushes reach 2.5 meters in height. My father worked all his life at the state farm - he says he’s not silting very much.

Got Jerusalem artichoke tubers! They gave it away with joy, got rid of it, as if from an infection, and even warned that if I put it in, it would be difficult to get rid of it.

Jerusalem artichoke is very useful. A taxi driver for my wife accidentally asked me, she suffers from asthma, then I flew off on vacation, so they called to give more stems. He says while drinking tea from the leaves, she forgot about asthma. It is also good for fresh animals (and they give it to everyone: cows, geese, pigs, rabbits), you can dry it. There are a lot of recipes on the Internet for cooking, but she ate raw. The taste of turnips, but tastier (for me). He does not like places where water stands for a long time in spring.

And, he is tasteless, this Jerusalem artichoke. Raw - starchy. After heat treatment - nauseating. But its endurance is striking, in my climate it extends up to 3 m in height by autumn, what are its roots, that without watering and fertilizers it sucks everything it needs from the bowels. She planted a strip along the border with the neighboring dacha, abandoned, even if it protects from wormwood-ragweed. I suspect that you can use it as a green manure; I’ll plant it in the summer.

Two years ago, he planted, taking from a neighbor, Jerusalem artichoke along the fence. With a backstage purpose, for beauty, in general. The place there is in the shade, wet to the same. In the first year - it was barely noticeable. In the second summer, he sold out, became a meter and a half in height, and started up flowers. It grows, in general, neither shaky, nor swollen, it did not form a tight backstage, but it does not vegetate at all. But! I tried to transplant, plant further along the fence - and foolishly made an intermediate bunch of nodules in a corner of a high bed. So - in the spring he replanted, by autumn they climb on the garden, and Jerusalem artichokes climb! Grew almost higher than the fence, and despite the fact that times three or four tore it out, cut it flush with the ground! Accordingly, Jerusalem artichoke easily propagates even by small, almost invisible scraps. On good soil, in a bright place it grows much better than in poor conditions. In order to remove lime from the garden, apparently, in spring, all the soil from that part of the garden should be removed, replaced with fresh humus. Regarding the taste: this is something like not a bitter radish, such tubers are juicy! All more or less large nodules were eaten, along with the child. We went smaller to the fence. The nodules are small, but not at all cunningly twisted. Rather, really pear-shaped. Easy to clean, almost no need to clean. I remember, about 20 years ago, they were digging with my grandmother - so there the nodules were like grown peanuts - oblong, cracked. And this one is flat, pear-shaped. Apparently, the varieties are different... The tubers in the earth are quite deep - on March 9, the earth, even on a high bed was thawed about a bayonet shovel, so it’s clear that part of the Jerusalem artichoke tubers is still there, in frozen ground, deeper than a bayonet, stayed.

It is necessary to dig up Jerusalem artichoke tubers in the early spring. After frosts, it becomes sweeter. And in the fall I don't like him at all. I used to buy from grannies, children love how to chew carrots. Two years as I planted. And very happy. This weekend I went with the youngest to the country. Preparing the beds, and the baby climbed the garden. I dug up her roots. So I walked with a stump in the beds, I asked again. When there is still nothing edible in the garden, Jerusalem artichoke is just that.

I had experience growing Jerusalem artichoke many years ago. Before setting up a garden in a vacant lot, I decided to strangle perennial weed with Jerusalem artichoke. Then they still did not hear about the Roundup. Plowed, planted in the spring, like potatoes. A green wall grew, taller than my height, I had to chop the stems with an ax, the harvest was decent, but it is very difficult to dig. Weeds strangled underneath. The next year, he planted seedlings and sowed the entire area with a mixture of herbs. Jerusalem artichoke tried to choose carefully, but he climbed in the summer throughout the garden. Every year I mow the garden at least twice a season, I pull out Jerusalem artichoke with a root, and it still occurs in the garden. And almost 20 years have passed.

Our Jerusalem artichoke grew three years in the corner of the site, but in one year there was water all winter and spring. All tubers are wet, not a single one is left.

In the cultivation of Jerusalem artichoke there is nothing complicated. Even a not too experienced gardener will surely cope with this. But in order to regularly receive plentiful harvests, you still have to devote a little time and effort to the culture. However, recommendations for caring for an earthen pear do not contain anything supernatural. And the plant, to the "requirements" of which they have listened, will thank the owner with a harvest of tasty and healthy tubers.