Sunroots For Sale: Genetically diverse. Prolifically Seeding.

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:
I expect to harvest sunroot tubers for sale. I don't expect to collect seeds.

I guess I forgot to read this post.

I use the term "sunroot" as a generic name for any helianthus species with a tuber that is large enough to be useful as food.

I got tired of having to abandon sections of my field to sunroot weeds, so I stopped growing seeds for use in creating new clones. I have to move the patch every year in order to be able to tell the difference between weeds, and new seedlings, therefore, sunroots were overtaking more and more of my field. To pay myself a modest wage for producing sunroot seeds, I'd have to charge something like $40 per packet. Pots would be a good way to trial sunroot seedlings.

I'm expecting to dig sunroots in the next few days:

I'm willing to ship them to permies readers. I'm asking $15 paper-currency for a small flat-rate box of genetically diverse tubers which includes postage.  If you'd like to please me by paying with silver, I'd accept 5 silver dimes (1964 or earlier) and $8 paper-currency to cover postage. Shipping within usa only.

I started digging sunroots today. They are for sale again for the same price and conditions as the past few years. (Even though online prices right now are through the roof!)

Joseph Lofthouse, October 2017 wrote:I started digging sunroot tubers today, I'm making them available for purchase by permies members. I'm asking $15 paper-currency for a small flat-rate box of tubers which includes postage.  If you'd like to please me by paying with silver, I'd accept 5 silver dimes (1964 or earlier) and $8 paper-currency to cover postage. Some of the tubers are huge, so I'll be chopping them up into smaller pieces so that I can fit about 10 different varieties into a box. They are unnamed varieties that are the first or second generation of offspring from my breeding project. They are clones that have pleased me a lot. Back when I was keeping track of names for them, they got names like Wow!, WTF?, HF!, etc... Shipping to usa only. Send me a personal message or email if you need my mailing address, or grab it from the image on the bottom of my web site.

Joseph, are you planning on selling sunroot tubers this fall? Thanks.

any updates on these for 2020?

Thanks for asking about sunroot availability this fall. I wasn't intending to dig them, cause manual labor appeals to me less each fall. However because of the ongoing interest I dug some as a service to the permies community.  

Joseph Lofthouse -- fall 2017 wrote:... I'm asking $15 paper-currency for a small flat-rate box of tubers which includes postage.  If you'd like to please me by paying with silver, I'd accept 5 silver dimes (1964 or earlier) and $8 paper-currency to cover postage. Some of the tubers are huge, so I'll be chopping them up into smaller pieces so that I can fit about 10 different varieties into a box. They are unnamed varieties that are the first or second generation of offspring from my breeding project. They are clones that have pleased me a lot. Back when I was keeping track of names for them, they got names like Wow!, WTF?, HF!, etc... Shipping to usa only. Send me a personal message or email if you need my mailing address, or grab it from the image on the bottom of my web site. I expect to be able to ship these until the weather turns super-cold (around mid-November), so lets make arrangements before then.

http://garden.lofthouse.com

First I must say I bought tubers the season before last and was very happy with my order.

Otherwise some words of encouragement for you sir to keep doing what you do. The way I see it there are few people these days doing the kind of work you're doing. It's a great service to the preservation of genetic diversity and development of new natural genetics without bastardized GMO BS methods. I figure it's rough digging all those roots and collecting the seeds but it's the work of God in my opinion. It's really awesome what your doing. I know monetary values make it hard to want to continue doing things that take more effort than reward. However it's such a great investment in the future of the species you're working with that please try and view it as charity work for reality as we know it. I'm sure you do to some extent but please keep on keeping on with your projects! I'm sure other permies will concur.

Thanks for what you do!

Thanks Derrick:

Some of the breeding projects that I work on are super-interesting biologically and agriculturally, but have little financial incentive. The sunroots are like that. They have definitely been a labor of love for the plants, and for my community.

Thanks Joseph, I'll be sending you some money!

Do you still have any available? The tuber pictures you posted look less knobby than most of the other varieties I can find online. I'm intending to grow a mixed patch with some endangered verticillatus in hopes of hybridization.

Adam LeCroy wrote:Do you still have any available? The tuber pictures you posted look less knobby than most of the other varieties I can find online. I'm intending to grow a mixed patch with some endangered verticillatus in hopes of hybridization.

There are still plenty available. And a forecast for a week of good weather, in which I could dig more.

There is only one variety, out of the dozen that I grow, which is highly knobby. I try to include a sample of it in each shipment, because it is highly productive.

How long do you think they'll last? My sunflower forest is going to go in behind my shed (sunchokes and helianthus verticillatus) which will be occupied by my composting mulch pile until my covers of daikon and berseem clover are winter-killed.

Sunroots store well all winter in the fridge if a little bit of peat/coir is added to absorb excess moisture.

A shame you're not producing seeds anymore, I would of loved to sample your varieties, but the canadian borders frown at tubers. Do you have recommendations for specific sunchoke varieties that produce seed well ?

Patrick: A sunroot clone won't produce seeds with another clone of itself. At least two varieties are required, which are not closely related. With unrelated varieties, any combination of varieties may produce seeds. Which may be easier written than accomplished. Just cause varieties have different names, doesn't mean that they have different genetics.

Just wanted to say I planted a 45 foot row in the market garden I work at when the order I got came in. The owner is very excited about the prospect and actually got enough to do two more 45 feet rows. These other sunchokes were acquired from some in CT through facebook. I can't say I know enough of the provenance beyond that to determine the difference between the two collections of sunroot. Hope to report back next fall with results some where around here.

I’m in Australia I was given some but the tubers don’t look quite right to me, how do I add photos here please?

you can upload to a website like IMGUR, then use the IMG option to embed into a post.

Digging 2021 yet?

We had a drought this year. The plants look so stressed, that i haven't even checked for tubers. I'll try to do it soon. Book tours also interfered with farming.....

I'm looking for tubers as well if anyone has them available.  I have quite a few plants already but mine only grow very small tubers.  They are almost more trouble than they are worth at that size.  I'm hoping to introduce some larger varieties if I can find some.  Happy to pay for them or trade comfrey roots.

I may have spoken too soon. I decided to take a look at mine when I got home tonight. I only dug up one plant, but I got the biggest root I've ever gotten from my plants. I'll dig more tomorrow and see if they all did as well.

So this is 3rd time this time I've dove into the sunchoke patch. The first time was several weeks ago and it was alright, but now that the plants are starting to brown I think it's prime.
Each plant produced several  roots nearly the size of my head! plus many more smaller nuggets.


Here's my haul from around 5 plants.


and here they are pinted up to go to the farmers market. >30 minutes of work for quite a bit of food. I'm into it!!
Most of today was planted from tubers I got from Lofthouse, though 2 of our 3 rows are from some one in Connecticut found on facebook market place. The 2 rows from CT were topped of with compost, where as the Joseph row was not. These were planted ~6" deep in  unprepared hardpan clay. Most of the beds were nearly never weeded. Quite impressive stuff!

I've also saved some seed head and hope to experiment with starting with seed just for the experience, and well you know.. continue the genetic diversity!

fall greetings,
minty

I love this! Hopefully there will be some availability in 2022.

Are you selling this year?

Thank you for asking. I will dig sunroot tubers this week. It was a drought year last year, and the tubers are small. That means that more varieties will fit into the small flat rate box. They contain the same great genetics. They are ready to start growing now, so please plan on planting them when they arrive, or storing them refrigerated until you can.

With gasoline being so expensive, I'm asking $20 this year for a small flat-rate box (shipping included). Shipping within usa only. Send me a Purple Mooseage to make arrangements.

I'm very excited to have some of these now planted at our farm. Should I expect to see these doing anything above ground this year, or will it be longer until they put up noticable stalks or foliage?

I expect them to sprout within a week or two of being planted, and to grow 12 feet tall this year.

I dug sunroot tubers a couple days ago, I'm making them available for purchase by permies members.  Some of the tubers are huge, so I'll be chopping them up into smaller pieces so that I can fit about 10 different varieties into a small flat-rate USPS box. They are unnamed varieties that are the first or second generation of offspring from my breeding project. They are clones that have pleased me a lot. Back when I was keeping track, they got names like Wow!, WTF?, HF!, etc...

Send me a personal message or email if you need my mailing address, or grab it from the image on the bottom of my web site.

Shipping to usa only.
$30 Paypal, Venmo, Zelle.
Also accepting cash or 1 ounce silver to my po box.

Let's take care of this soon. They need to be shipped before the weather turns frigid.

Looking forward to trying these out Joseph!  Last winter I lost a lot of my sunroots to voles or something.  Whatever it was ate some of my giant alliums too.  
I'll try these in a different area in case the eater comes back to the scene of the eating this winter.
Paypal sent, thank you.

Is it too late to get in on some Sunroot Tubers?

I expect to dig sunroots in April. Watch this thread for an announcement, or join my author mailing list for an email announcement (link in signature).

I'm checking in here because I'm interested in getting some tubers if/when you have some available. Thanks for all you do!

Joseph, do you still have sunroots for sale?
Best,
Kat

I dug sunroot tubers yesterday, I'm making them available for purchase by permies members.  Some of the tubers are huge, so I'll be chopping them up into smaller pieces so that I can fit about 10 different varieties into a small flat-rate USPS box. They are unnamed varieties that are the first or second generation of offspring from my breeding project. They are clones that have pleased me a lot. Back when I was keeping track, they got names like Wow!, WTF?, HF!, etc...

Send me a personal message or email if you need my mailing address, or grab it from the image on the bottom of my web site.

Shipping to usa only.
$30 Paypal, Venmo, Zelle.
Also accepting cash or 1 ounce silver to my po box.

Please send shipping address by email, and notes about connecting you with the payment, since the payment processors don't always share contact information with me.

Let's take care of this soon. They need to be shipped before the weather turns frigid.

If you would like, you may also request that I add Egyptian Walking Onions, or sunroot seeds to the box. I'll send whole flowers that have some seeds, because the goldfinches didn't eat all of them this year.

All gone (Fall 2023).