Bet that header dragged someone in ,Jansman getting political!
Anyone grow 'em? I do. Brilliant prepping crop.High yielding( VERY high),drought resistant,pest resistant and nobody knows what they are to look at.Great guerilla gardening crop too.
I feed the leaves to the fowls and rabbits,and about now I cut the stems down and dry them as kindling for the stove.The tubers are prolific and are a good substitute for spuds.They make a great soup,and a good gratin.Only drawback is that they can make you a little 'windy' Lifting the tubers a couple of days ahead can reduce this a little.
I love Jerusalem Fartichokes, unfortunately I am inulin intolerant and suffer terrible pain if I eat them. We used to grow them as a fodder crop for the Goats and chickens, they love to peck at the tubers, keeps them occupied.
Yacon is another good crop, but again is loaded with inulin, which is a shame as they are more prolific than Artichokes and taste really nice.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
jansman wrote:.Only drawback is that they can make you a little 'windy'
I see you managed to get a Trump in there though
I have a strategy, it's not written in stone, nor can it be, this scenario has too many variables, everything about it depends on those variables, being specific is not possible.
Yes I grow them and have them in half barrels , good for front garden crops as most haven't the foggiest what they are. I have been considering the guerilla gardening aspect of them .
The only " downside" is suggesting them to others. We often have dinner at my sister in lard's or she at ours. She is very resilient to trying "new" things such as Jerusalem artichokes or chard and equally resilient to cooking them as she " hasn't cooked them before and don't have the time to mess around "
Brambles wrote:I love Jerusalem Fartichokes, unfortunately I am inulin intolerant and suffer terrible pain if I eat them. We used to grow them as a fodder crop for the Goats and chickens, they love to peck at the tubers, keeps them occupied.
Yacon is another good crop, but again is loaded with inulin, which is a shame as they are more prolific than Artichokes and taste really nice.
I guess you have grown Yacon?.In my quest for more perennials, this could be worthwhile.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.
Robert Frost.
Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.
Brambles wrote:I love Jerusalem Fartichokes, unfortunately I am inulin intolerant and suffer terrible pain if I eat them. We used to grow them as a fodder crop for the Goats and chickens, they love to peck at the tubers, keeps them occupied.
Yacon is another good crop, but again is loaded with inulin, which is a shame as they are more prolific than Artichokes and taste really nice.
I guess you have grown Yacon?.In my quest for more perennials, this could be worthwhile.
Yes I have J, you treat them as Dahlias(to which they are related) and harvest the 'storage' tubers that grow from the 'living' tuber. At the end of each season when you lift them, you store the living tuber for next year and eat the storage tubers. It's a shame I can't eat them as they a like a crispy sweet potato. They can also be used to make a sugar free sweetener syrup. Another useful perennial that would go unnoticed.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
I tried to grow yacon a couple of years ago, but my soil will need years of work before it's ready for tubers. You could cut a block of my soil and call it a brick root crops just don't get the space to grow, unless they're something little like garlic. When I've done as much as I can with perennials, I'll look at root crops again, but not until then, unfortunately
jansman wrote:Only drawback is that they can make you a little 'windy' Lifting the tubers a couple of days ahead can reduce this a little.
I used to grow them on my allotment. The word "little" in the context of "windy" does not do them justice! I stopped growing them because of it, which was a shame because they are indeed easy, prolific, pretty, and bullet-proof. That said I have a friend who scoffs them with no side effects whatsoever. YMMV!!! I didn't try the lifting a few days ahead though. Might acquire me some tubers in the spring and see what gives this year...always game to try again!
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التَكْرَارُ يُعَلِّمُ الحِمارَ "Repetition teaches the donkey" Arabic proverb
"A year from now you may wish you had started today" Karen Lamb
root crops just don't get the space to grow, unless they're something little like garlic. When I've done as much as I can with perennials, I'll look at root crops again, but not until then, unfortunately 
I stopped growing them because of it, which was a shame because they are indeed easy, prolific, pretty, and bullet-proof. That said I have a friend who scoffs them with no side effects whatsoever. YMMV!!! I didn't try the lifting a few days ahead though. Might acquire me some tubers in the spring and see what gives this year...always game to try again! 