PlantSowGrow
How to grow Jerusalem Artichoke
Helianthus tuberosus
Knobbly tubers with a sweet, nutty taste for soups and roasting, on tall sunflower-like plants that make a quick summer screen.
At a glance: Sow early March to mid April, harvest from mid September.
When to sow, plant and harvest
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Jerusalem Artichoke: what it needs
- Light
- Part shade · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water in dry spells, especially as crops swell
- Soil
- Firm, well-drained soil
- Spacing
- 30 cm, 10–15 cm deep
- In pots
- Only in large containers
- Feeding
- A general fertiliser before planting
- Harvest
- About 200 days from sowing
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 3–9
Step by step
- Early March – mid April · 6 weeks before the last spring frost
Plant Tubers
Plant tubers 30 cm, 10–15 cm deep apart in rows.
- 21–35 days after “Plant Tubers” · Late March – early April
Look for Shoots
Green shoots should be showing. Keep weeds down — these crops hate competition.
- 30–45 days after “Look for Shoots” · Late April – early May
Earth Up
Draw soil around the stems when 30 cm tall to steady them.
- 90–110 days after “Earth Up” · Mid July – early August
Trim Tall Stems
In late summer, cut stems back to 1.5 m so wind does not rock the plants.
- 200–260 days after “Plant Tubers” · Mid September – mid November
Harvest
After the leaves die back, cut stems down and dig tubers as needed through winter.
- 7–21 days after “Harvest” · Late September – early October
Dig as Needed
Leave the rest in the ground and dig as needed. Remove every tuber you can find, or they will come back next year.
