jerusalem artichoke patch

jerusalem artichoke patch. they're about head height by now, and just starting to flower as we head into October. There's been a light frost a few times this month and like sunflowers they shrug it off until, though some time in the next couple of weeks we start to get some cold mornings and a good -5C will brown off all the top growth. Then it's time to dig up all the tubers, and replant enough for next year. This is actually 8-10 separate beds with a rhizome barrier, to keep them mostly separated (purple and white are easy to sort out anyway) but it helps when glowing a few different types near each other. this patch is a separate garden because these guys grow back vigorously from tubers left in the ground, they'll crowd out anything nearby so chose your location carefully, or grow in an isolated bed or large pots.