A patch of Jerusalem artichokes can spend summer reaching skyward, then reward you with knobby tubers tucked below the soil. The key to growing them well is planning where they’ll live: even one tuber left behind can send up a new plant next year.
Plant tubers in early spring, as soon as the soil is workable, often a few weeks before your last frost. Give them sun, room to grow, and a boundary you can manage, and you’ll be off to a strong start.
1. Understand what you’re planting
Jerusalem artichokes, also called sunchokes, are native North American relatives of sunflowers. They’re grown for their edible, knobby underground tubers, while their leafy stalks can reach about 6 to 10 feet tall and produce small yellow sunflower-like blooms in late summer.
The name can be confusing: they aren’t true artichokes. Think of them instead as a vigorous perennial root crop with a summer show above ground and tubers developing below.
2. Choose the spot, and decide how to contain the patch
Before you plant, consider whether you’re ready to dedicate space to sunchokes. They return from tubers left in the soil, including small pieces that are easy to miss when digging. That persistence can be welcome in a permanent crop bed, but troublesome if the plants wander into nearby vegetables or lawn.
A few practical options:
- Choose a dedicated corner where a returning patch won’t crowd other crops.
- Install a sturdy, continuous physical barrier or deep edging around the planting area. Check its edges over time for tubers that escape.
- Use a suitably large container with good drainage if you want a more confined planting.
An open-bottom raised bed alone may not contain them. If you’re planning a bed that will stay in place, our guide to planting a long-lived perennial crop like rhubarb offers another example of the value of choosing a permanent site thoughtfully. Sunchokes are one of several crops to consider when planning a garden with perennial vegetables.
3. Find a sunny, well-drained place
Sunchokes grow best in full sun and loose, well-drained soil. They tolerate a range of conditions, but soggy ground can leave tubers sitting in overly wet soil, while dense, compacted soil makes digging more difficult.
Because the plants can grow taller than many garden vegetables, place them where they won’t shade crops that need sun. A position along the north edge of a garden can help keep their shadow off shorter plants. If your garden is exposed to strong winds, choose a sheltered spot or plan to support the stems.
Local frost dates are a useful guide to spring timing. For help using them alongside climate information, see our guide to hardiness zones and planting in your region.
4. Plant tubers in early spring
Sunchokes are planted from tubers, not started as ordinary seed. Use whole tubers or cut larger ones into egg-sized pieces, making sure each piece has at least one healthy eye: the small bud from which a shoot can grow.
Plant each piece about 4 to 6 inches deep, with eyes facing upward when you can identify them. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart, and leave at least 3 feet between rows so the patch has room to fill in and you can work around it.
Tubers don’t store especially well out of the ground, so plant them soon after you source them, whether they’re garden-saved or from a market. If you’ve cut a large tuber into pieces, don’t leave those pieces sitting out until they dry. Cover them with soil promptly, then water the planting in.
5. Care for the patch through the season
Keep the young bed clear of weeds. Before sunchoke shoots emerge, competing weeds can take advantage of the open soil. Once the plants are established, their height and leafy growth will shade much of the ground beneath them.
Mulch after shoots appear. A layer of mulch helps conserve moisture and limit weeds. Keep it loose around the stems rather than packing it tightly against them.
Water when the soil dries. Sunchokes tolerate some drought, but occasional deep watering during prolonged dry spells (especially as the plants are growing) helps keep the bed from going bone-dry. Avoid turning regular care into constant watering; good drainage still matters.
Go easy on fertilizer. Compost worked into the bed before planting is generally a sensible start. Too much nitrogen can favor leafy growth over tubers, leaving you with impressive tops but a less satisfying underground crop. In gardening, balance is often more useful than abundance.
6. Give the tall stems room and support
As the season advances, sunchokes can rise well above the surrounding vegetables. They may need staking in windy locations, particularly if the soil is loose or the stems are exposed. A fence or other sheltered position can help buffer strong gusts.
Think about shade as the plants grow, too. Their tall stems and broad leaves can cast a long shadow, so avoid tucking them beside sun-loving crops that need light all day. A dedicated row or garden edge is often easier to manage than squeezing them into the middle of a mixed bed.
7. Watch for flowers, then let the tubers develop
Yellow blooms often appear in late summer, bright against the green stalks. Beneath the soil, the tubers develop through fall. The flowers make a cheerful garden display, but the crop’s lasting legacy is underground: each tuber you leave behind may sprout again next season.
The tubers are known for their inulin content. As an eating note, some people find that sunchokes cause gas or flatulence; if you’re new to them, try a modest serving and see how they suit you. Individual experiences vary.
Harvest timing and storage are a separate part of the growing cycle. For those details, see our guide to when to harvest Jerusalem artichokes and how to keep them.
8. Dig thoroughly if you want to control regrowth
Sunchokes are generous returners, but they don’t always respect a tidy bed outline. When you eventually dig the crop, work carefully through the soil and check around the edges of the planting. A small tuber or tuber piece left behind can become next year’s plant.
If you want the patch to continue, leave a few tubers in the area you intend to keep. If you want to reduce or remove it, be patient and thorough: one dig may not catch every piece. That’s the trade-off of a crop that comes back so readily.
Sunchokes reward the gardener who thinks ahead. Choose a place you’re happy to keep, plant tubers once spring soil is workable, and give the tall plants room to catch the sun. With a little planning, a summer of golden flowers can be followed by a winter harvest, and, if you choose, another season of growth.