Does anyone know when they get decent sized roots and can have some harvesting? I dug mine last year at frost and didn't check before.

My dad used to have a Jerusalem Artichoke bed, and we ate artichokes from the time they bloomed until after first hard frost. He left them in the ground to overwinter (zone 7 where we rarely have a freeze hard enough to reach more than a couple of inches) under a leaf mulch topdressing, and we raked the leaves back to let the ground warm in the spring. I don't think we gathered any the first year until the frost knocked them back, then we dug about half out to eat and left the rest stay for the next season.

BTW--do you have a good source for J. artichokes--I've had problems with suppliers being out when I try to order.

Thanks.
In 2008 I ordered from Pinetree. I bought 3 small tubers and had 15 gallons in fall. I replanted quite a few of them. In spring I ordered some red sunchokes from Ronniger Potatoes and I also spread out the 2008 tubers so they were in a long row. I don't think any are blooming yet but should be soon.

And why are they so expensive to buy? The things are so prolific! I sold them for 50c each this spring for others to plant since I had so many!

I've wondered about the cost too--they are very prolific and can even be invasive if you don't dig pretty often. Thanks for the sources--I've seen them in Pinetree but not familiar with Ronniger--I'll have to look into it--unless I could buy some from you?

I would be happy to trade some roots!