[dmg]

I am looking to try Jerusalem Artichokes out this year but only want 1/2 plants can I use shop bought tubers?

thanks
dmg

[GrannieAnnie]

Apart from the possible disease problem, I don't see why not, but if you only want 1 or 2, grow them in a pot!  They are very difficult to keep contained.  I grew some the other year in an old bathtub, but my OH didn't like them, so didn't bother again.  They kept growing for 3 years until I managed to get rid of them all! 

And in an allotment down the road, the man never looks after it and the WHOLE plot is JA's year after year after year!!!

[BabbyAnn]

A few years ago I bought some JAs from the supermarket to see what they were like and planted the rest on the plot.  The first year they seemed to be riddled with slug holes and a big disappointment but after that the tubers grown from the first season seemed to "toughen" up and were fine with only the odd slug hole (nothing like damage to potatoes).  No disease problems whatsoever.  Tuber size and yield seem to get bigger too.  The downside is that the plants also got taller (easily 8-10 feet tall) but not too big a problem as I had them right at the back of the plot near the shed where I couldn't grow much else - they do need some sort of support otherwise a strong wind at that height knocked them over.  I didn't find they spread too far from their original planting area but if you decided to grow them in the garden/on the plot, choose a spot where you are not intending to grow anything else as any tuber missed in the harvest will grow into plants.

[willp]

I`ve grown mine from supermarket stock and have had no problems.

Absolutely love them though - I have a dedicated bed at the end of the plot where the plants form a great screen in the summer. Make good cut flowers too later in the year.

It`s a good idea to get them all out when harvesting if you don`t want them to spread - it`s easy to mop up stragglers in the spring when they are small though.

Will

[thestens]

Once you get them you never get rid of them but I dont care they are great. I read on here though about people having flowers. I have never had any flowers in about 15 years of growing.

As other posters say its perhaps a good idea to have a dedicated bed so you can harvest some, save some to plant and if any others come up its a bonus and also a great screen.

[Kleftiwallah]

The variety "Fuseau" is far less knobbly than other's.

BEWARE.      Cheers,   Tony.