Jerusalem Artichoke Growing Guide
Growing Jerusalem Artichoke is easier than you think. This guide walks you through everything you need — from planting your first seed to harvesting.
At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -34°C
Plant Family
Asteraceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
Also grows well as
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Plant whole tubers 10 cm deep, 45 cm apart, in spring. They sprout into 2–3 m sunflower-like stems and crop the same autumn. Plant only where you're happy to have them forever.
Also called sunchokes — tall sunflower relatives grown for knobbly tubers. WARNING: ferociously vigorous and near-impossible to remove once established (any tuber regrows), so give them their own permanent corner. Tall stems can shade neighbours, so plant on the north side.
When To Start
First Chance to Plant
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Last Chance to Plant
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When should you plant Jerusalem Artichoke?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Jerusalem Artichoke Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
The Journey Ahead
Jerusalem Artichoke's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
10 cm
Seeding Depth
45 cm
Plant Spacing
90 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1About the easiest perennial vegetable: plant and forget.
- 2Stake the tall stems in windy spots, cut them down after frost, and harvest through winter.
- 3The only challenge is keeping them in bounds — dig thoroughly if you ever want them gone.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
250 cm
Mature Height
60 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
60 days
When to Pick
Dig tubers from autumn through winter, after the tops die back
How to Harvest
- 1Once the tops blacken with frost, dig tubers as you need them through autumn and winter — they store best left in the ground.
- 2Leave a few behind and you'll have a crop again next year (whether you want one or not).
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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