[willowish]

i just got half an allotment and, on my first visit, i was pleased to find i had inherited a huge clump of jerusalem artichokes. a few days later, i returned to cut them down so they didn't get windrocked...only to find all the foliage had turned black due to the cold weather. 
i lifted a few the other day & the seem ok but i was wondering if anyone knew if it would affect the crop? do i need to dig them up & store them?
thanks 

[Nikkithefoot]

You can't store Jerusalem artichokes for mo re than a very few days once dug. They are kept in the ground until needed and they need using up now otherwise they will start to grow again.

Generally speaking you don't start harvesting them until the tops die back, but you can cut them down, but leave a foot or so so you can see where they were.

I almost guarantee you wont dig them all out, they are like weeds.

[Kleftiwallah]

I agree with Nikki, 

mine are still in the ground waiting to be boiled with spuds (and suffer the results !).  If you chop down the stems as winter arrives and lay them over the ground, it keeps the frost off the ground so digging the tubers is much easier.   Cheers,   Tony

[willowish]

thankyou kindly people 
i didn't know they didn't store, good job i didn't dig the lot up! this patch is about 4ft x 5ft and there's only me, so there's no way i can (or would dare to!) eat them all..
so do i need to dig most of them up once the tops have died off, to get a good crop next year??

appreciating your advice, jules 

ps great tip about using the tops as frost protection tony!

[Nikkithefoot]

I would dig up what you can and either replant a few at a 1-2 foot apart each. That way you should get a fair crop. I usually work on about a dozen plants and that feeds 5 of us quite well. I use them mostly for soup, although roasted is nice too.

[willowish]

thankyou, i will do as you advise...just as soon as the rain & the mud subsides! haha