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who has an abundance of sunchokes?

Posts: 700

Location: rainier OR

posted 13 years ago

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I have $100 set aside to buy me some sunchokes I'd like enough to eat and plant and I'd like them from someone else growing "west of the cascades" so that I know the ones I plant will like the clamate.

I drive the I 5 corridor from Seattle to Portland way to often so I can pick up anywhere in coastal Washington or Portland area

oh and if the price is under $2 a pound I may buy more to replace my potato habbit

Anna Carter

Posts: 66

Location: Lacey, Wa

posted 13 years ago

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Have you tried the farmer's market? I got mine from a local farmer, and they seem to be doing quite well with me ignoring them. If not, if you're ever by Lacey, Wa at some point, I'm sure we could strike a deal.

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Brice Moss

Posts: 700

Location: rainier OR

posted 13 years ago

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all the farmers near me who do farmers markets seem to truck it down to Portland, so unless I want to drive an hour to buys some local produce its not such a good situation

how big a a bucket of roots could you dig up for me? I'll be through lacy Thursday the 14'th t kinda late and Sunday afternoon transporting my kids and if you're coming to the convergence that weekend I could meet you there.

ones that do OK with mostly being ignored is what I'd like

Charles Kelm

Posts: 181

Location: Western Washington (Zone 7B - temperate maritime)

posted 13 years ago

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Sorry, north of Seattle, but I just bought 4 pounds at F.A. Farm in Ferndale @ $2.50 a pound. I'm going to plant some of it, but I fear it may be too late.

Western Washington (Zone 7B - temperate maritime)

Anna Carter

Posts: 66

Location: Lacey, Wa

posted 13 years ago

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Brice, I don't get on here very often, so sorry for the late reply. I wasn't planning on digging them up until the first frost (that's when you are supposed to start harvesting them)/when the canes start dying down. They are healthy green and flowering right now, so I'm not sure it's a good idea to dig them up right now.

Charles, it's not too late, unless they're all dried out and shriveled. They can be planted either in fall or spring, so if they're still healthy looking I'd pop them in the ground now.

Charles Kelm

Posts: 181

Location: Western Washington (Zone 7B - temperate maritime)

posted 13 years ago

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Hi Anna - I have lots of shady areas, and a fun sunny. I would love to plant them in the semi-shade (gets some sun, but not all day) unless you think that would be a mistake. How deep do you plant them. Does it matter how big of a chunk I cut off of a huge tuber to plant? Must I mulch them to protect them from the cold? Thanks for your insight.

Western Washington (Zone 7B - temperate maritime)

Anna Carter

Posts: 66

Location: Lacey, Wa

posted 13 years ago

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I'm not sure about the shade, as mine get full sun. I plant them about 3 inches down, and I use whole small tubers, or cut them to about 3 inches and make sure they have three eyes on each piece. I haven't mulched them, but you are further north than me, so you may have too.

Also, keep in mind that I'm not exactly an expert- I've only been growing them for 3 years now!

Matu Collins

Posts: 1947

Location: Southern New England, seaside, avg yearly rainfall 41.91 in, zone 6b

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posted 11 years ago

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This is an old thread, but I thought I would mention that in my experience sunchokes do better in fullsun because they are susceptible to powdery mildew.

Craig Dobbson

steward

Posts: 2719

Location: Maine (zone 5)

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posted 11 years ago

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I'll add that just a few tubers will seriously multiply! I started with 6 small tubers 2 years ago. After the first season, I had a five gallon bucket full. I replanted half of them and this year harvested a couple wheel barrows full. I know I left a lot in the ground so I expect to do just as well next year. I fed most of the harvest to pigs and chickens.

I paid 4 dollars for the original tubers and they've produced all that food plus tons of biomass. Oddly though, none of my animals like to eat the leave even though I've read that the supposedly love them.
I can't imagine what 100 dollars worth of tubers would do to my landscape.

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Julia Winter

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Location: Moved from south central WI to Portland, OR

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posted 11 years ago

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I can vouch for the cold hardiness of sunchokes. They thrived in my Wisconsin garden. They are borderline invasive--you want to be careful where you put them.

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Robert Ray

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Posts: 3285

Location: Cascades of Oregon

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posted 11 years ago

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I bought some at the local Whole Foods a couple weeks ago. Might be worth a look if you have a store like that close by.

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