Growing Jerusalem Artichokes, also Sunchoke

Helianthus tuberosus : Asteraceae / the daisy family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                    P P

(Best months for growing Jerusalem Artichokes in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • P = Plant tubers
  • Easy to grow. Plant tubers about 5cm (1.5") deep.. Best planted at soil temperatures between 46°F and 59°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 12 - 18 inches apart
  • Harvest in 15-20 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Tomatoes, cucumbers

Your comments and tips

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02 May 20, Fiona Buchanan (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Hello I've just been given a huge bag of Jerusalem artichokes. No problems in using them but I want to keep some tubers to plant out at then of winter /spring. Can anyone tell me how to store them until then.
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08 May 20, Anon (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Plant a few them out now. As sunflowers, they are prettier in a north facing spot. They'll be fine as long as they get a bit of water. Be warned they can be quite invasive over a couple of year period if you're not careful.
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06 May 20, Anon (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Google how to store them.
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02 Apr 20, Anne (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Do you think I could grow these in the Wairarapa? We have frosts to about -5 in winter.
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07 May 20, Christie (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I’ve seen them growing in a few Wairarapa gardens - not sure if people water them but I’ve also seen them growing along side the Ruamahanga under one of the bridges so I guess it should be fine!
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04 Jan 20, Elaine Brown (New Zealand - temperate climate)
hi, I found keeping the tubers in damp sawdust was ok, but the last season I dug what I wanted and left the rest in the ground over winter dug up in september and planted them out, now I have a forest of them . hope this helps
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04 Nov 19, STEPHANIE LIEBERT (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi I bought some Jerusalem Artichoke tubers on trade-me a few months back and they have been dormant in the ground since about June. I am in Auckland, and the spot they are in is sheltered and sunny. NOTHING has come up yet. Should I worry?
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07 Nov 19, Another gardener (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Try checking here before planting anything. You planted early winter instead early spring. This is what happens when people plant out of season. If you had a wet winter they may be rotten. Dig around the tubers to see how they are.
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20 Aug 19, Brian GRIBBEN (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Where can I acquire some tubers to grow I live in Auckland?
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26 Aug 19, Anon (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Search on-line where to buy JA in NZ.
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Showing 11 - 20 of 45 comments
See comments for all plants

Hi Roy Jerusalem Artichoke is great for diabetics. It is ALWAYS better to eat the real thing than rely on tablets or capsules. Tablets have no 'life force' and are basically a way for the pharmaceuticals to make money so they can increase their profits and distribute dividends to shareholders. There is no money in real food for big pharma so grow your own plants. They are very easy to grow and are extremely good for you. For numbness and tingles incorporate good quality salt into the diet eg himalayan or celtic sea salt. Salt allows the electrical signals or spark of information travel throughout every cell in the body via the nervous system. The salinity and mineral component of good salts is the same as our blood. AVOID table salt - it is a chemical substitute.

- Nikki Mackenzie

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