How Do You Grow Sunchokes?

Growing Sunchokes: A Guide to These Quirky Underground Gems

Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes, are sneaky little treasures that masquerade as sunflowers above the soil while hiding knobby, nutty tubers beneath. If you’ve never grown them, you’re in for a bit of a love-hate relationship. They’re hardy, prolific, and forgiving, but grow them once, and they may hang around your garden like an uninvited guest at a dinner party.

What Exactly Are Sunchokes?

Sunchokes are not artichokes, and they’re not from Jerusalem. Instead, they’re a type of sunflower with edible tubers that taste like a cross between a potato and a water chestnut. These relics of indigenous cultivation are nutrient-packed, and their earthy sweetness pairs beautifully with everything from soups to salads.

But here’s the kicker: they’re prolific to the point of being invasive. If you plant them, they’ll try to conquer your garden. Plan wisely, or you’ll spend years yanking renegade tubers out of your beets and basil.

Getting Started with Sunchokes

Pick Your Planting Spot with Caution

The first rule of growing sunchokes is location, location, location. Choose a spot where they can run wild without taking over your entire garden. A dedicated bed, a raised planter, or even a sunny corner that’s walled off will save you a world of regret.

Sunchokes crave full sun and aren’t picky about soil quality, though they’ll thrive in loose, well-draining soil. Heavy clay? Not a problem. They’ll still muscle through it.

Securing Your Tubers

To grow sunchokes, you’ll need fresh tubers. Skip the seed packets; these aren’t fussy, hybridized crops. You can snag tubers from a gardener friend, your local farmers' market, or even the produce section of a grocery store.

Just make sure they’re firm and healthy-looking. Shrivelled or moldy tubers are better left in the compost pile.

Planting and Growing Sunchokes

When to Plant

Plant sunchokes in early spring, as soon as the ground is workable. They shrug off frosts, so no need to hesitate. If you want a late-season crop, you can plant them in early fall as well.

How to Plant

1. Dig holes or trenches about four inches deep. Don’t sweat perfection; this plant isn’t here to win awards for symmetry.
2. Space the tubers 12–18 inches apart. Give them room, or they’ll strangle each other like feuding siblings.
3. Cover them with soil, pat it down gently, and water thoroughly. Then walk away. Seriously, they don’t need pampering.

Watering and Maintenance

Once established, sunchokes need very little from you. Water them during dry stretches, but don’t overdo it. They’ve evolved to thrive in low-maintenance conditions, and soggy soil will just leave you with rotting tubers.

Expect the plants to grow tall—up to 10 feet. They’ll throw cheerful yellow flowers later in the season, but don’t be fooled. It’s the underground growth you’re after.

“Sunchokes are survivalists. Leave them alone for a week, a month, or an entire season, and they’ll still flourish like they’re proving a point.”

Harvesting Sunchokes

Sunchokes need around 110–150 days to mature. The best time to dig them up is after the first frost; the chill transforms their starches into sugar, boosting their flavor profile from earthy to borderline addictive.

Grab a spade or garden fork and dig carefully. The tubers cluster together, but they’re brittle and snap easily. Don’t stress about getting every last piece; leftover bits will sprout into next year’s crop whether you want them to or not.

Storing and Cooking

Sunchokes store well in a cool, dark space. Toss them in a root cellar or a crisper drawer, and they’ll last for weeks. Just don’t forget they’re there, or you’ll end up with a bag of gnarly sprouts mocking your life choices.

Cook them like you would potatoes—roast, steam, fry, or mash—or slice them raw for a sweet crunch in salads. But fair warning: sunchokes earned the nickname “fartichokes” for a reason. Their inulin content can, shall we say, challenge your digestion. Moderation is your friend here.

A Word of Caution

If you plant sunchokes, commit to them. They’re not a one-and-done crop; they’re a marriage. Stay on top of their spread, or they’ll colonize your beds like they own the place. Still, for all their unruliness, they’ve earned a permanent spot in my garden. Once you’ve tasted fresh sunchokes roasted with olive oil and rosemary, you’ll understand why.

Sunflowers are beautiful plants that produce nutritious seeds. Sunchokes are similar to sunflowers with one exception: they are native to temperate climates, not tropical areas. Growing sunchokes is similar to growing sunflowers, and they produce nutritious roots that are similar in taste to yam. You can grow sunchokes in temperate zones and they grow best in soils with a slightly acidic pH and cooler temperatures. To grow sunchokes, you need to plant seeds and provide them with moisture and slightly acidic soil. you can harvest the sunchoke roots when they are small and tender, and you can dry the roots to extend their shelf life. sunchokes are a nutritious plant that can be grown for a long time.