Topinambour - cultivation in a polytunnel GUIDEBOOK SERIES ON TUNNEL CULTIVATION
TOPINAMBOUR Topinambour is also referred to as Jerusalem artichokes. In gardens, it is planted both as a decorative and edible plant. The bright yellow flowers look exceptionally attractive on display, and the underground part of Jerusalem artichoke makes tasty tubers. One plant is able to produce up to 70 of them! Topinambour has many valuable nutritional and healing properties. It is recommended for diabetics and people with high blood sugar, acting as a natural regulator thanks to the inulin contained in the roots
WHAT IS JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE? The plant has been cultivated by Indians in North America for a long time. With time, it made its way to Europe. In Poland, it appeared in 1730, becoming part of the Silesian cuisine. The French call it perennial sun, while the English named it Jerusalem artichoke. Topinambour consists of a high stem reaching up to 3.5 m and green leaves. The lower leaves have a heart shape, but those located closer to the top of the plant, get a more ovoid shape. Bright yellow flowers strongly resemble the well-known sunflower , even though they are much smaller.
SOIL Although the plant is very easy to grow, it needs a sunny site and warm soil in order to optimally mature. The more fertile the substrate, the more mature the yield. Although on clay soil, Jerusalem artichoke gives fewer tubers, it cope much better on less fertile ground than, for example, potatoes.
PLANTING
POSITIONING Topinambour can be grown for a maximum of 3 years in the same place, after which the soil needs to be enriched with the missing ingredients. It is a very invasive plant, so you have to remember to remove all underground parts when you stop growing it.
Jerusalem artichoke is planted from tubers. To guarantee a good yield, about 15 tubers are needed for about one square meter . In November or December, the tubers are placed at a depth of 15 cm, or just 10 cm if we intend to plant in spring
WHAT REQUIREMENTS DOES JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE HAVE?
SPACING When planting Jerusalem artichoke in rows, you need to keep an interval of 0.7 to 1m, and 60 cm between plants. However, if you are admirers of Jerusalem artichokes and have access to a large polytunnel, it is worth keeping a distance of 1.5 m between the rows.
HARVEST OF JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE Tubers can be harvested in autumn until the first frosts. It is much better to collect them after the frost, because the plant then develops a more intense flavor. Unfortunately, despite robustness during cultivation, it is poorly suited to storage after harvesting, which is why it is much better to pick it directly from the ground. That way, you will be able to enjoy fresh crops even during the winter. If the foil adequately protects from the cold, the soil will be so soft enough to extract the tuber from the ground without any problem.
USE AND PREPARATION OF JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE Topinambour is grown as animal feed, a fungus substrate is prepared for it, and thanks to its high energy properties, it represents a good biomass ingredient. Topinambour was and is still used for the rehabilitation of degraded lands in which ecological disaster occurred. The roots take all the constituents from the soil, storing them in tubers, after which, heavy metals, organic compounds, oil-derived material, and even radioactive elements can be removed together with the biomass of the plant.
ECOLOGICAL TUBER Jerusalem artichoke is highly valued in the kitchen, tubers can create a lot of nutritious dishes that have many health properties. It is a much tastier and healthier alternative to potato. Tubers can be eaten raw, fried, baked, cooked, steamed, as part of salads and used as a substitute for lemon in tea. Ecological, tasty, nutritious and healthy, quickly yielding, resistant to frost, and also very versatile : this is topinambour, worthy of a growing space in a garden tunnel.
GUIDEBOOK SERIES ON TUNNEL CULTIVATION
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