As someone who loves growing my own food, and not breaking the bank at the same time, ive found that the secret to balancing these two goals lies in utilizing the local resources available to me. Not only is sourcing local materials great for the environment, but it also allows you to get the raw inputs needed for your garden, and often very cheaply, all while helping you to make local connections. In this growing guide, I’ll be sharing the benefits of using local resources for your garden, along with some handy tips on how to find and make the most of these resources.

Benefits of Utilizing Local Resources

First and foremost, using local resources helps to ensure that your plants are acclimated to the specific climate and soil conditions of your area. This means that they are more likely to thrive and produce an abundant harvest but to most readers the main reason you may want to utilize local resources is the cost-saving aspect. To that end local resources, such as seeds and compost, are often available for free or at a fraction of the cost compared to purchasing them from big-box stores or online. This not only saves you money but also allows you to invest in other aspects of your garden, such as high-quality tools or specialized plants. Moreover, by utilizing local resources, you are fostering a sense of community and supporting local businesses and organizations. It’s a win-win for both you and your community!

Types of Local Resources for Gardening

Nurseries

Local nurseries are an excellent source of plants, seeds, and gardening advice. Unlike large chain stores, nurseries often carry a wide selection of native plants that are well-suited to your region. While the selection offered at local nurseries is often more narrow, they more than make up for this by providing valuable insights into which plants thrive in your local climate and they can offer great guidance on proper care and maintenance. Visiting a nursery not only supports local businesses but also allows you to connect with fellow garden enthusiasts and exchange knowledge.

Community Gardens

Community gardens are an incredible resource for aspiring gardeners, especially those who lack the space for their own garden. These shared spaces provide access to land, tools, and the expertise of more experienced gardeners. By joining a community garden, you can learn from others, grow your own produce, and contribute to a vibrant and supportive gardening community. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with other like-minded individuals.

Finding Local Resources

How to Get Free Wood Mulch

Wood mulch is a valuable resource and one way to obtain it for free is by contacting utility companies or landscapers in your area. They often have excess wood chips from tree removal or powerline maintenance that they would otherwise have to pay to have discarded and they are often more than happy to give it away for free. There is one consideration you should make before acquiring mulch in this way and that is the amount of space you have and how much mulch you need. For example, in my area, my utility company will drop off no less than 10 yards of mulch at a time. So again if you don’t have the space, or the need, for this much material this may not be the best option for you. However, if you do, utilizing this resource not only save money but also contribute to the recycling and repurposing of local organic materials.

How to Use Libraries for Garden Tools

Libraries offer more than just books; they can also be a valuable resource for your garden. Many libraries offer gardening tools that you can check out similar to checking out a book. This allows you to try out different tools without having to invest in expensive equipment you may not really need. While the selection of tools at your local library may be limited, you can get access to them often for free. Libraries also provide access to a wealth of digital tools that can aid your gardening journey. From online gardening courses to digital resources on plant care and landscaping, libraries are a trove of gardening information waiting to be explored.

How to Get Seeds for Free

Local seed exchanges are a fantastic way to acquire seeds that are specifically adapted to your climate and growing conditions. These exchanges often take place at community events, gardening clubs, or even Libraries and acquiring seed in this way is almost always free. Participating in a seed exchange allows you to diversify your garden with unique and locally adapted varieties. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow gardeners, share knowledge, and discover new plant species that you may not have encountered otherwise. If you decide to participate in a seed exchange, its always a good practice to give back as much seed as you have taken at the end of the year.

How to Get Free Food Scraps for Making Compost

When most people throw away food scraps, they know it’s a wasteful practice and it gives them an unpleasant feeling and coffee shops are no different. One way to you can help these businesses feel better about the waste they produce and obtain free organic material for your composter is by offering to pick up and compost these scraps for them. Many coffee shops are more than willing to give away spent coffee grounds that are a valuable source of nitrogen for your garden. To make it worth their time and effort it’s always a good idea to provide them with 5-gallon buckets ahead of time so it makes it easier for them to save the grounds for you. Not only does this provide you with valuable composting materials, but it also helps divert waste from landfills all while being free!

Reusing and Repurposing Materials for Garden Projects

Reusing and repurposing materials can add a creative touch to your garden projects. Instead of buying new, consider looking online like at places like Facebook marketplace where you can often find people giving away free used items like buckets, crates, or gardening tools. Transforming discarded items into things like planters not only adds a unique aesthetic to your garden but also gives new life back to useful things that otherwise may have found their way into a landfill. Get creative and let your imagination run wild!

Main Takeaways

Harnessing local resources for your garden is a smart and sustainable approach that offers numerous benefits. By utilizing local nurseries, seed exchanges, libraries, and community gardens, you support local organizations and gain access to plants and seeds that are perfectly suited to your region. Additionally, tapping into free resources such as wood mulch, library tools, and used coffee grounds helps you save money all while making connections with local likeminded people. After all gardening can be a team effort. Happy growing!

As someone who loves growing my own food, and not breaking the bank at the same time, ive found that the secret to balancing these two goals lies in utilizing the local resources available to me. Not only is sourcing local materials great for the environment, but it also allows you to get the raw inputs needed for your garden, and often very cheaply, all while helping you to make local connections. In this growing guide, I’ll be sharing the benefits of using local resources for your garden, along with some handy tips on how to find and make the most of these resources.

Benefits of Utilizing Local Resources

First and foremost, using local resources helps to ensure that your plants are acclimated to the specific climate and soil conditions of your area. This means that they are more likely to thrive and produce an abundant harvest but to most readers the main reason you may want to utilize local resources is the cost-saving aspect. To that end local resources, such as seeds and compost, are often available for free or at a fraction of the cost compared to purchasing them from big-box stores or online. This not only saves you money but also allows you to invest in other aspects of your garden, such as high-quality tools or specialized plants. Moreover, by utilizing local resources, you are fostering a sense of community and supporting local businesses and organizations. It’s a win-win for both you and your community!

Types of Local Resources for Gardening

Nurseries

Local nurseries are an excellent source of plants, seeds, and gardening advice. Unlike large chain stores, nurseries often carry a wide selection of native plants that are well-suited to your region. While the selection offered at local nurseries is often more narrow, they more than make up for this by providing valuable insights into which plants thrive in your local climate and they can offer great guidance on proper care and maintenance. Visiting a nursery not only supports local businesses but also allows you to connect with fellow garden enthusiasts and exchange knowledge.

Community Gardens

Community gardens are an incredible resource for aspiring gardeners, especially those who lack the space for their own garden. These shared spaces provide access to land, tools, and the expertise of more experienced gardeners. By joining a community garden, you can learn from others, grow your own produce, and contribute to a vibrant and supportive gardening community. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with other like-minded individuals.

Finding Local Resources

How to Get Free Wood Mulch

Wood mulch is a valuable resource and one way to obtain it for free is by contacting utility companies or landscapers in your area. They often have excess wood chips from tree removal or powerline maintenance that they would otherwise have to pay to have discarded and they are often more than happy to give it away for free. There is one consideration you should make before acquiring mulch in this way and that is the amount of space you have and how much mulch you need. For example, in my area, my utility company will drop off no less than 10 yards of mulch at a time. So again if you don’t have the space, or the need, for this much material this may not be the best option for you. However, if you do, utilizing this resource not only save money but also contribute to the recycling and repurposing of local organic materials.

How to Use Libraries for Garden Tools

Libraries offer more than just books; they can also be a valuable resource for your garden. Many libraries offer gardening tools that you can check out similar to checking out a book. This allows you to try out different tools without having to invest in expensive equipment you may not really need. While the selection of tools at your local library may be limited, you can get access to them often for free. Libraries also provide access to a wealth of digital tools that can aid your gardening journey. From online gardening courses to digital resources on plant care and landscaping, libraries are a trove of gardening information waiting to be explored.

How to Get Seeds for Free

Local seed exchanges are a fantastic way to acquire seeds that are specifically adapted to your climate and growing conditions. These exchanges often take place at community events, gardening clubs, or even Libraries and acquiring seed in this way is almost always free. Participating in a seed exchange allows you to diversify your garden with unique and locally adapted varieties. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow gardeners, share knowledge, and discover new plant species that you may not have encountered otherwise. If you decide to participate in a seed exchange, its always a good practice to give back as much seed as you have taken at the end of the year.

How to Get Free Food Scraps for Making Compost

When most people throw away food scraps, they know it’s a wasteful practice and it gives them an unpleasant feeling and coffee shops are no different. One way to you can help these businesses feel better about the waste they produce and obtain free organic material for your composter is by offering to pick up and compost these scraps for them. Many coffee shops are more than willing to give away spent coffee grounds that are a valuable source of nitrogen for your garden. To make it worth their time and effort it’s always a good idea to provide them with 5-gallon buckets ahead of time so it makes it easier for them to save the grounds for you. Not only does this provide you with valuable composting materials, but it also helps divert waste from landfills all while being free!

Reusing and Repurposing Materials for Garden Projects

Reusing and repurposing materials can add a creative touch to your garden projects. Instead of buying new, consider looking online like at places like Facebook marketplace where you can often find people giving away free used items like buckets, crates, or gardening tools. Transforming discarded items into things like planters not only adds a unique aesthetic to your garden but also gives new life back to useful things that otherwise may have found their way into a landfill. Get creative and let your imagination run wild!

Main Takeaways

Harnessing local resources for your garden is a smart and sustainable approach that offers numerous benefits. By utilizing local nurseries, seed exchanges, libraries, and community gardens, you support local organizations and gain access to plants and seeds that are perfectly suited to your region. Additionally, tapping into free resources such as wood mulch, library tools, and used coffee grounds helps you save money all while making connections with local likeminded people. After all gardening can be a team effort. Happy growing!

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Traditional Root Cellar

But first, before we delve into the alternative methods of root cellaring, let’s take a moment to appreciate the advantages of the traditional root cellars. The primary advantage, of course, is the ability to store a tremendous amount of produce in a comparatively small space. A well-built root cellar also provides cool, consistent temperatures as well as high humidity levels, that are ideal for storing root vegetables and other produce so they stay fresh and don’t dry out. They are also very convenient for easily walking in and out of to add or retrieve food.

However, there are a few disadvantages to consider. First and foremost, not everyone has access to a root cellar. And if you’d like to have one built, not many contractors regularly build these kinds of structures any longer so expertise is often lacking which can lead to a poor-quality root cellar. If you are a DIY’er, like many gardeners tend to be, building one yourself will likely still be expensive and time consuming. Furthermore, traditional root cellars require proper ventilation and monitoring to prevent spoilage or the growth of mold, so they are not something you just build and forget about. But fear not, for we have some creative, low cost, yet high value solutions up our sleeves.

Different Methods of Root Cellaring:

Mounds

If you have a patch of land available, creating mounds is another option for root cellaring without a root cellar. Start by loosening the soil in your chosen area and shaping it into mounds. Place your vegetables in the center of each mound, making sure to cover them completely with soil. The soil acts as a natural insulator, protecting your veggies from extreme temperatures. Just remember to mark the location of your mounds so you can easily find them when it’s time to retrieve your stored produce.

Root Boxes

If you’re feeling handy, a root box might be the perfect root cellaring solution for you. This DIY project involves building a wooden box with slatted sides for ventilation. Line the box with straw or wood shavings and place your vegetables inside. The slatted sides will allow for proper air circulation while the insulation provided by the straw or wood shavings will help maintain a cool and humid environment. Place the root box in a cool, dark location, such as your basement, a well-ventilated garage, or even your attic and enjoy the convenience of having your own root cellar alternative.

Trenches/clamps

If you have a medium to large unused patch of yard, trenches are an excellent option for root cellaring without a root cellar. Dig a trench approximately one foot deep and place your vegetables inside, making sure they are not touching each other. Cover the vegetables with straw or leaves for insulation, and top it off with a thick layer of soil. If drainage is a problem in your area, you can also cover the bottom of the trench with a layer of gravel topped with sand before placing your vegetables inside. You can create multiple trenches for different types of vegetables or use one long trench for a variety of produce. Just remember to mark the location of your trenches for easy access when it’s time to dig up your stored treasures.

In-Row Storage

For those with limited space, in-row root cellaring is a space-saving alternative. Simply leave your root vegetables in the ground and cover them with a thick layer of straw or leaves. This provides insulation and protection from freezing temperatures. To harvest your veggies, simply remove the straw layer and dig them up as needed. This method works well for vegetables like carrots, beets, and potatoes that can withstand colder temperatures without spoiling.

Choose the Right Vegetables for Storage

Not all vegetables are created equal when it comes to root cellaring. Some are better suited for long-term storage, while others will quickly turn into a mushy mess. So, before you embark on your root cellaring adventure, it’s important to choose the right vegetables. Root vegetables like carrots, beets, turnips, and potatoes are excellent candidates for long-term storage. These hearty veggies store extremely well in the cool temperatures and high humidity required for successful root cellaring.

On the other hand, vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers are not well-suited for root cellaring. These tender veggies prefer warmer temperatures and are better preserved through other methods such as canning or freezing. So, keep this in mind when selecting which vegetables to store without a root cellar. Now that we’ve got our veggie lineup sorted, let’s explore some alternative methods of root cellaring.

Tips for Successful Root Cellaring and Common Mistakes to Avoid

Now that you’re armed with plenty of root cellaring options, let’s go over some tips and common mistakes to ensure your root cellaring endeavors are a success.

#1 Temperature and Humidity Monitoring: Regardless of the method you choose, it’s crucial to monitor the temperature and humidity levels in your storage area. Invest in a thermometer and hygrometer to keep a close eye on the conditions. For most vegetables, aim for a temperature between 33°F (Near 0°C) and 40°F (4°C) and a humidity level of around 80 - 90% for optimal storage.

#2 Proper Ventilation: When using root boxes, or any other out-of-soil storage method, good air circulation is key to preventing the growth of mold and the buildup of ethylene gas, which can cause vegetables to spoil. Ensure that your chosen storage method allows for proper ventilation, whether it’s through slatted sides or periodic airing.

#3 Inspect and Sort: Regularly inspect your stored vegetables and remove any that show signs of spoilage. One bad apple can indeed spoil the bunch, so it’s important to stay vigilant. Additionally, sort through your stored produce periodically to remove any damaged or rotting vegetables, as these can quickly spread decay to the rest of your stash.

#4 Avoid Storing Bruised or Damaged Vegetables: Only store vegetables that are in good condition. Bruised or damaged vegetables are more prone to spoilage and can affect the quality of neighboring produce. It’s best to consume or process these vegetables immediately rather than risk storing them.

#5 Check for Pests: Keep an eye out for any unwanted visitors in your storage area. Rodents, insects, and other critters can quickly ruin your hard-earned harvest. Consider using natural pest deterrents such as cedar chips or peppermint oil to keep critters at bay. Additionally if you have some chicken wire or mesh screens laying around, this will also help keep mice from stealing your future lunch.

Wrap Up

Root cellaring without building a dedicated traditional root cellar may seem like a daunting task at first, but with a little creativity and the right techniques, you can successfully store your fresh produce for months. With the tips and tricks, I outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying your own homegrown vegetables all year round. Happy root cellaring!

The term “cover crop” is often used as a catch-all for plants whose main purpose is not to yield a food crop but rather to provide desirable benefits to your soil and the actual food crops planted after them. Cover crops are commonly used and associated with industrial farming operations but in recent years gardeners have started to realize their usefulness in personal gardening.

Benefits of Using Cover Crops

The most important benefit gardeners get from cover crops is that they act as a natural weed suppressant. They accomplish this in one of 2 ways. The first is by simply covering the soils surface so small weed seeds like crabgrass or pigweed don’t have the space and sunlight they need to grow.

The second way some cover crops suppress weeds is through allelopathy. Allelopathy in a nutshell is when a plant produces certain chemicals with the express purpose of disrupting the germination, or inhibiting the growth, of other plants around it as a means of chemical competition. This reduces the need for manual weeding or the use of harmful herbicides saving you time, money, and labor all while keeping your garden looking neat and tidy.

Furthermore, some cover crops improve soil fertility by fixing nitrogen. As I’ll explain more below, crops in the legume family have the ability to fix nitrogen into the soil and as a result food crops planted after a legume cover crop grow healthier and produce higher yields.

Types of Cover Crops for Vegetable Gardens

Now that you understand the benefits of using cover crops, let’s explore the different types.

Legumes

Legume cover crops, such as crimson clover and hairy vetch, are excellent choices for enriching the soil with nitrogen. They have the unique ability to form nodules on their roots that house nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form. You can think of them as the supplementary “N” for nitrogen in the NPK macronutrients your plants need.

Grasses

Grass cover crops, like rye and oats, are great for adding organic matter to the soil. They have deep root systems that help break up compacted soil, improve drainage, and prevent erosion. Grasses also act as green manure, enriching the soil with essential nutrients as they decompose. As with all cover crops it’s important to use annuals and not perennials. Otherwise, you will turn your entire garden into a yard. :)

Brassicas

Brassica cover crops, such as mustard and radish, are known for their bio-fumigation properties. When these plants are terminated and left to break down into the soil, they release natural compounds that suppress soil-borne pests and diseases. Brassicas also help improve soil structure by penetrating deep into the soil with their taproots.

Planting and Growing Cover Crops in Your Vegetable Garden

Now that you understand the types of cover crops out there, it’s time to get your hands dirty and start planting!

Site preparation

Before planting cover crops, clear the area of any debris or weeds. Optionally you can choose to loosen the soil with a garden fork or tiller to ensure better seed-to-soil contact.

Seed selection

Purchase high-quality cover crop seeds from a reputable supplier and follow the instructions on the seed container for the recommended seeding rate and depth. While you can buy pre-mixed cover crop seeds, you can also purchase individual cover crops and mix them later. Doing so allows you to mix the exact varieties and amounts to meet your needs.

Planting method

For the small vegetable grower, the best and easiest method is just good ‘ol fashioned broadcasting. This involves spreading seeds evenly across your growing area and then watering them in. You can do this with a hand-crank spreader or you can simply spread the seeds by hand.

Pro Tip #1

Cover your newly spread seeds with a thin layer of compost after they are watered in. This layer provides needed nutrients to the soil and helps keep the seeds moist to ensure even germination. It also hides your seed from the birds!

Pro Tip #2

You can optionally soak your seeds in water for 12 - 24 hours before planting. This will shave a day or two off of the germination time and reduces the amount of watering you will need to do to get your cover crop established.

Managing Cover Crops for Maximum Benefits

To maximize the benefits of cover crops, proper management is key. Be sure to consider:

Timing of termination

Cover crops should be terminated before they set seed or become too mature. This ensures that they do not compete with your vegetable plants for resources or become a nuisance. The best time to terminate a cover crop is when it begins to flower. At this stage most cover crops begin to dedicate a lot of their resources into seed creation and terminating them at this point helps to ensure they will not regrow.

Termination methods

There are 3 main methods for terminating cover crops which are mowing, tilling, or winter kill. The first two are referred to as mechanical termination and the last is simply using the cold winter temperatures to terminate crops for you. If your area receives sufficiently cold winters, winter kill is a viable option for you. However if you live in a place where winters usually do not get cold enough to kill your cover crop, or it can withstand very cold temperatures like crimson clover, then you will need to use mechanical termination in the spring.

Incorporation into the soil

After termination, you can choose to till your growing area and incorporate the cover crop residues back into the soil. However, if you do not want to till your soil, you can simply use the bagger on your push mower to collect the residue and then put it back on top of the soil to let the organic matter break down over time. Sometimes you will find that there is still some residue on the top of the soil that did not break down sufficiently, simply clear off the remaining residue with a rake and add it to your compost pile.

Tips for Integrating Cover Crops into Your Vegetable Garden

Integrating cover crops into your vegetable garden can be a game-changer. Here are some tips to help you seamlessly incorporate cover crops into your gardening routine:

Plan ahead

Consider cover crops when planning your garden layout and crop rotation. Determine which areas will benefit from cover crops and schedule their planting accordingly.

Start small

If you are new to cover cropping, start with a small area to gain experience and assess the results. Once you feel confident, gradually expand the coverage to other parts of your garden.

Experiment

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different cover crop combinations and planting methods. Every garden is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. Keep a gardening journal to track your observations and learn from each experience.

Final Word

Using cover crops in the garden is a simple and completely organic way to provide many primary and secondary benefits for you and your garden. Using cover crops does require some planning, expense, and garden space, but it’s a worthwhile tradeoff to help build a productive garden that can provide healthy food for you and your family. So please do yourself a kindness this next growing season and give cover crops a try!

To put it very simply, Jerusalem artichoke is something like a combination between a potato and sunflower. Most varieties produce 10-foot-tall sturdy stalks much like a sunflower but under the soil produce knobby (some might say ugly) delicious little tubers. While Jerusalem artichoke is very popular in western Europe among vegetable gardeners it is actually indigenous to the central United States. It is also part of a very small handful of crops still around today that were originally domesticated by North American natives’ well before European settlers arrived in the Americas.

Tips on Finding Seed Tubers

The first step to growing Jerusalem artichoke begins by finding some of those sweet, sweet tubers. You can start your search by looking online at places like Etsy or even Amazon but you will soon find that these little tubers are not the cheapest especially when compared to seed. With that said, usually their cost is in line with most other live seed tubers and realistically they’re no more expensive than potato seed tubers. However, unlike potatoes once you’ve grown Jerusalem artichoke, you will likely never need to buy tubers again.

If buying tubers isn’t your bag there is another way to get them, its free, but you’ll need a bit of luck. Some folks view Jerusalem artichoke as something of a weed, so if you happen to come across other like-minded gardening folks and mention your interest in growing some, they may just point you in the direction of some tubers you can have for free. I procured some tubers this way last spring and the deal was what I dug up, I got to keep. So make sure to ask around because who doesn’t love free?

Where and When Jerusalem Artichoke Should Be Planted

While getting tubers is important, WHERE you plant them in the garden is equally as important. This is because most varieties of Jerusalem artichoke are usually between 10 and 12 feet tall. This is likely to be the tallest “annual” crop you will ever grow. It’s easy to make the mistake of planting this crop in the middle of your garden where it WILL shade out every other sun loving crop around it. For that reason, it’s best to plant it in a block at the north section of your garden where it’s out of the way. If full sun is not an issue but very hot summers are, you can get strategic and plant your tubers in the far west section of your garden where it can provide some much-needed shade to heat sensitive crops in the middle of summer.

Jerusalem artichoke is versatile in the sense that your tubers won’t come out of dormancy until the soil temperature increases in spring. This means that at any point in the fall, or even early winter, so long as the soil is workable you can plant them and they will lay dormant until the time is right. If this process sounds similar to garlic, it is! However, unlike garlic, Jerusalem artichoke does not begin growing its roots in the fall like garlic does, so the timing of its planting in the fall/winter has no consequence on its productivity for the following year. It can even be transplanted in the spring in case you forget to move those sleepy little tubers in time.

Pro Tip: If you live in a windy area, it’s best to put up large stakes that are at least 5 feet tall with rope or twine around the perimeter of the bed you’ve planted your tubers in. This of course can be done later in the spring after top growth has started but its best to put up stakes at the time of planting so your plants don’t get blind sided by abrupt and windy summer storms.

Seasonal Maintenance

Jerusalem artichoke isn’t bothered by much, but If you live anywhere where beetle larva or grubs are an issue, growing plants that produce tubers can be a real challenge because those little grubs love delicious tubers just as much as you do! These grubs would shake you down and take the food right out of your mouth if they could. The good news is that there’s an easy, organic, and natural fix for this: beneficial nematodes.

Beneficial nematodes are little soil bound predators that feed on specific insect eggs and grubs. This makes them a tuber’s best friend in the garden. Most companies that offer beneficial nematodes sell them as a powder and their application is almost always the same. The instructions on the package will provide you with the water to powder mixing ratio you will need to follow and simply spray or otherwise evenly apply that mixture to your garden beds where your tubers are growing. The mixture only needs to be applied when the plants begin to flower because shortly after this is when the plants begin to form tubers.

Harvesting Tips

You will know when it’s harvest time as you start to see the lower leaves on the plants begin to turn yellow and brown usually around late September or early October (depending on your location).

Getting those little tubers out of the ground is similar to digging up potatoes, with the exception of the large stalk that will need to be cut back to about 6 inches above the soil. This left over “stump” when pulled up is very useful in helping to collect the tubers that are connected to it. Once the stump is removed, continue to search the soil for more tubers about a foot or two in radius around where the stalk was. Harvest is best done carefully by hand or with a broad fork if you have it.

As you start to look over your gold and purple bounty, you may begin to notice that there are often small “baby tubers” that aren’t really worth saving for the dinner plate. These little nickel-sized-nuggets are the perfect seed tubers for next year. While larger tubers will produce larger plants earlier, it has been my observation that larger seed tubers have little to do with how productive that plant will be at the end of the next season.

As you start to look over your gold and purple bounty, you may begin to notice that there are often small “baby tubers” that aren’t really worth saving for the dinner plate. These little nickel-sized-nuggets are the perfect seed tubers for next year. While larger tubers will produce larger plants earlier, it has been my observation that larger seed tubers have little to do with how productive that plant will be at the end of the next season.

Once your seed tubers are identified, simply put them back into the ground where they will become next year’s bounty. It’s best to have already picked out their new home before digging your tubers up, because unlike potatoes, they do not store well out of soil for more than a week or so.

Preparing and Eating

While this guide could have ended at harvest, I think it’s really important to understand how Jerusalem artichoke is best cooked and what it tastes like because after all isn’t that what vegetable gardening is all about? For taste, most tubers I have tried don’t differ much from one variety to next and are usually nutty, sweet, and have a touch of earthy. Like most niche foods, it’s something you really have to try for yourself to gauge whether you will like them.

The best recipes I have tried involve sautéing or roasting the tubers and serving them as a side, but they also go well in soups. While fresh, the texture is similar to a water chestnut and when cooked/sautéed the tubers become softer like a potato. However, if your plan is to use them as a replacement for potatoes, sadly they don’t have that buttery smooth “meat” that readily takes on the flavor of any seasoning paired with it like potatoes do. Jerusalem artichoke has its own unique flavor and texture and stands out in recipes where it is the main event.

Jerusalem artichoke tubers also contain almost no starch and are packed with a type of fiber called inulin. While Jerusalem artichoke has various health advantages over potatoes, they do have one minor downside. Because the average person doesn’t consume much inulin through their regular diet, the first few times you have Jerusalem artichoke tubers in any sizable quantities, they may cause slight GI distress. It’s nothing to worry about and your gut will become accustomed to them over time, but they’ve earned the nickname “Fartichokes” for a reason. 😊 Jerusalem artichoke tubers also contain roughly half the calories per pound that potatoes do and are generally considered to be the healthier option of the two.

Final Thoughts

Jerusalem artichoke is an excellent crop if you want to grow something that is like a potato, but requires much less effort in terms of outside inputs and maintenance. In more ways than one, Jerusalem artichoke really is an incredible plant. So for those who would like to grow a very hardy and reliable crop for your kitchen garden, or you just want to try something new and interesting, Jerusalem artichoke is a great place to start. It’s amazing to watch it emerge from its slumber in the spring, beautiful to watch it flower in the Summer, and exciting to dig up its bounty in the fall. I hope that you will give it a grow this spring!