Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), or Tuberous sunflower belongs to representatives of herbaceous plants and belongs to the Astrov family. Among the people there is another name for Jerusalem artichoke, for example, an earthen pear, an artichoke or a bulb. The origin of the word is associated with an Indian tribe who lived in South America.
In the 16th century, the plant was brought to European countries, where, several centuries later, it began to be grown as a food crop. Today, in the wild, the earthen pear often grows in North America near roads. The cultivated Jerusalem artichoke is popular all over the world. In some countries, it is considered a weed, because the plant is able to adapt even to the most unfavorable conditions.
Description of the Jerusalem artichoke plant
Jerusalem artichoke is a hard root vegetable colored yellow, red, lilac or white. The appearance of the rhizome resembles ginger. Earthen pear is used for food, it has a light sweetish taste. Many people compare the taste with cabbage or turnips. The surface of strong and erect stems is slightly pubescent. They can grow up to 3 m in length and have a branched crown. The upper leaf blades look oval, the lower ones are opposite ovoid. Basket flowers are formed from tubular buds, painted in a yellow tone, and golden false-lingual flowers are located at the edges. Fruit ripening begins at the end of summer.
For industry, Jerusalem artichoke is grown in America, Russia and Asia. In our area, for several decades, many summer residents have been cultivating it in their garden plots. The ground pear has medicinal properties and is a very nutritious vegetable crop, the chemical composition of which is close to that of potatoes. Root vegetables are edible raw and boiled. There are many recipes on the Internet for preparing various dishes and drinks from this vegetable.
Planting Jerusalem artichoke in open ground
Grow this crop in the garden or in containers. Planting in open ground is carried out in late autumn, before the arrival of frost. You can also do this in the spring, just wait for the soil to warm up. Parts of tubers can be used as planting material. The growing area should be well lit. Since Jerusalem artichoke stems can grow up to 3 m in height, you should not choose a place where the plant will interfere with the growth of other crops. The best option would be a site near the hedge.
The soil
When choosing a soil, it is better to give preference to a substrate with a neutral or slightly alkaline environment. An earthen pear does not develop well in heavy soil and salt marshes, but otherwise is not very picky about the composition. The growing beds must be prepared a few days before planting. The soil is dug up and fertilized with compost.If you plan to start planting Jerusalem artichoke in the spring, then it is recommended not to destroy large earthy clods for the winter. Mineral fertilizers are applied right before planting. Jerusalem artichoke grows well on the site of last year's potato, cabbage or cucumber beds.
Tuber preparation
At the end of spring, you can select the average fruits of the plant and soak them in Zircon, diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 1000. The tubers are planted in a dug groove so that the distance between them is at least 40 cm. The planting depth should be about 12 cm. It is important to maintain a distance of 60-70 cm between the rows. The soil from the trenches is mixed with bone meal and poured back.
Jerusalem artichoke care
Jerusalem artichoke is an unpretentious root vegetable. After planting, the beds are periodically loosened and weeds are removed. As soon as the stems grow by 30 cm, the soil is fertilized with compost, and when the Jerusalem artichoke grows one meter, a garter is made. To do this, posts are placed at the ends of the beds, between which a wire is stretched. The stems are tied to it so that they are not damaged during strong winds. It is better to control flowering and remove the emerging buds, otherwise the plant will spend all its strength. For the same reason, the longest shoots are cut.
Watering
Watering an earthen pear is necessary only under conditions of prolonged drought. Each bush consumes about 10-15 liters of water. When the summer is rainy, you don't have to worry about the condition of the plant, since there will be enough natural moisture.
Top dressing and fertilizers
During the growth, Jerusalem artichoke must be fed. When loosening the soil, the site is enriched with the compositions of potash and nitrogen fertilizers. During flowering, it is recommended to apply only liquid fertilizers. A good effect is provided by fertilizing the soil with a solution of seaweed, as well as an infusion of green manure.
Jerusalem artichoke propagation
Root propagation is carried out by a vegetative method. For these purposes, tubers or parts of them are suitable. Jerusalem artichoke is sometimes grown using seeds. Only this method takes a lot of effort, requires some experience and knowledge, so only breeders use it. It takes a long time to wait until the seed is harvested.
You can grow an earthen pear outdoors, in special containers or drainage boxes. It is necessary to care for it in the same way, but pay more attention to watering the soil.
Diseases and pests
Although Jerusalem artichoke is a fairly resistant crop, sometimes there are cases of damage to the plant by white rot, Alternaria or powdery mildew.
White rot
The signs of white rot disease are the formation of mold on the stems. Over time, it begins to cover the inner walls. The infection gets through the soil. The disease develops rapidly with high air humidity or sudden changes in the weather. It is important to dig up and burn the affected bushes in a timely manner.
Alternaria
It is considered the most common disease due to which all vegetative parts of the plant suffer. It appears as mottling on the leaves. Over time, the spots cover the leaf blade, which leads to the complete drying of the entire bush. Spraying Jerusalem artichoke with a warm fungicidal solution helps to cope with the problem. To consolidate the effect, it is better to repeat the procedure after two weeks, although in some cases the result is noticeable after one session.
Powdery mildew
This loose white bloom forms on the surface of the leaves during the ripening period of the root crop. They gradually become brittle and brittle. The disease is accelerated by wet weather or saturation of the soil with nitrogen. Bushes are treated with Topaz, Bayleton, Quadris or Topsin solutions.
Jerusalem artichoke can attack slugs, bears and other pests. To protect against them, special anti-slug preparations are poured on the beds.To protect the harvest from May beetles and beetles, the site is treated with Diazonon before planting.
Jerusalem artichoke cleaning and storage
Root crops ripen within three months. You should not dig them up earlier, because the tubers extracted from the ground are not able to ripen. Harvested in late autumn or spring. The fruits are frost-hardy, so they overwinter well in the soil if an additional layer of soil is thrown over the beds. In spring, it is recommended to harvest before the soil warms up, as the tubers will begin to sprout. Such Jerusalem artichoke can no longer be used for food.
Tubers, like any other root crops, are stored in a dry place, you can use boxes filled with sand for these purposes. The collected fruits are thoroughly washed and dried. The boxes are placed on glazed balconies or loggias. If the harvest is small, then it is stored in the refrigerator.
Jerusalem artichoke varieties
Today, breeders are faced with the goal of growing such a variety of Jerusalem artichoke so that it is compact. Basically, the root system of this culture grows strongly. Another task is to breed fodder Jerusalem artichoke with a thickened stem and get zoned varieties.
The most common varieties of earthen pears are divided into two types: fodder and tuberous. Fodder Jerusalem artichoke is distinguished by a dense plant part, a small number of tubers and is grown for industrial purposes. There is also a division into early and late maturing varieties. Let's consider the most popular ones:
- Interest - This is a late-ripening type of Jerusalem artichoke, which is characterized by rapid growth and frost resistance. The plant has thick long stems, large dark green leaves and white roots. It is used in production and grown in warm regions of the country.
- Leningradsky Jerusalem artichoke gives a high yield in the form of white oval tubers. They keep well for the winter. The variety grows mainly in the northwest.
- Skorospelka almost does not need care, it develops well even in darkened corners. The fruits are round and smooth.
- Solar the variety is considered the most productive, matures late and is unpretentious to growing conditions. The bushes have branched strong stems and wide leaves, ovoid roots, painted white.
- Find - This is a late-ripening variety, the root system takes up little space. The tubers are white with pink veins. This Jerusalem artichoke grows, as a rule, in the south.
The healing properties of Jerusalem artichoke
Earthen pear contains a large amount of nutrients and vitamins, for example, potassium, calcium, chromium, fluorine, magnesium, silicon, sodium, B vitamins, pectin, amino acids. Doctors recommend eating it for obesity, gout, urolithiasis. This vegetable contains a lot of fiber and inulin, thanks to which metal salts, radionuclides and toxins are quickly removed from the body.
