Jerusalem Artichoke (helianthus tuberosus) against brambles

Hi all

this could be the definitive winning technique against brambles, without using pig (Holzer school) or doing the pig's job (Holzer alternative ).
Couple of weeks ago I went visiting some gardens during a PDC and in one of this the owner have planted, many years ago, a first row of J artichoke, just in front of a crawling wall of brambles. Well now the artichokes are the wall, advancing downhill some meters and the brambles cant pass this wall!!

any similar experiences?

cheers
Roby

Well, this is interesting to say the least!
I've got brambles all over the place and they grow in the most inaccessible places (of course) where I can't easily keep them under control.
I also have a very tasty & productive Jerusalem artichoke that grows to 3 meters high and has a tendency to spread (just a little  ). Never thought of putting them together, but it's a great idea. I'll give it a shot. Don't mind having the chokes spread a bit more. Edible tubers as from november, great compost material, beautiful flowers through september, and best of all NO flipping THORNS!!!
Thanks for the tip!

This would be great, i'll give it a try (i've got no jerusalem artichoke yet, but i definitively got brambles  !)

is there a way to stop jerusalem artichoke that is easier than for the brambles ? (a line of confrey for example ?)

permaguy wrote:
is there a way to stop jerusalem artichoke that is easier than for the brambles ? (a line of confrey for example ?)

I haven't found any plant that can stop them yet. But you can pull them each time an unwanted shoot comes up until the tuber is exhausted (unless if you think digging them up is better  ). The young leaves and stems are great composting material.

have read the only way to remove jerusalem artichokes is to dig them up in June or early July before the tubers start to form but after they have all sprouted so you can find them

if anyone is near central Michigan and wants some J A's pm me, you can come and dig all you want this fall, I have way too many

Brenda Groth wrote:
if anyone is near central Michigan and wants some J A's pm me, you can come and dig all you want this fall, I have way too many

Same for me, south of France (PM me if interested), real artichoke flavor (cook them well, if not you will produce lots of methane to heat your greenhouse with )

permaguy wrote:
is there a way to stop jerusalem artichoke that is easier than for the brambles ? (a line of confrey for example ?)

Bamboo?

Brenda Groth wrote:
have read the only way to remove jerusalem artichokes is to dig them up in June or early July before the tubers start to form but after they have all sprouted so you can find them

if anyone is near central Michigan and wants some J A's pm me, you can come and dig all you want this fall, I have way too many

I'm coming to visit you sometime, soon, Brenda!  We have to get together before the snow flies! 

In my yard, jerusalem artichokes tend to fade out in a season or three unless they are nurtured. Brambles, on the other hand, thrive with whatever neglect and abuse they get in a given year. Hmmm - maybe if I planted sunchokes and pampered them until they conquered the brambles, then I could turn my back on the chokes and they would wither.... ?

Have any of my Pacific Northwet comrades tried this notion in the 12 years since this was posted?  I want to try it but am a bit concerned if I just trade one problem for another in these 20 acres of former pasture I am working to restore to health.

Thank you.

Saskia Symens wrote:

Brenda Groth wrote:
if anyone is near central Michigan and wants some J A's pm me, you can come and dig all you want this fall, I have way too many

Same for me, south of France (PM me if interested), real artichoke flavor (cook them well, if not you will produce lots of methane to heat your greenhouse with )

Have you tried fermenting it? Fermenting lentils for a night in salty water then pressure cooking them seems to reduce bloating a lot.

Jonathan Byron wrote:In my yard, jerusalem artichokes tend to fade out in a season or three unless they are nurtured. Brambles, on the other hand, thrive with whatever neglect and abuse they get in a given year. Hmmm - maybe if I planted sunchokes and pampered them until they conquered the brambles, then I could turn my back on the chokes and they would wither.... ?

I find my 'chokes need very special treatment on my plot, until they're hard and tough enough to withstand slugs. From what I've noticed, molluscs aren't interested in brambles, or seemingly anything in the Rosaceae family