The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Not according to a book I read - can't remember which. It said that they
reproduced entirely vegetatively.

In that case, you're not talking about jerusalem artichokes. Other books
say they don't flower in the UK, or they flower only rarely in the UK.
And the 'jerusalem' is thought to be a corruption of 'girasole'
referring to the habit of the *flowers* of turning to the sun.

My guru says that the word 'girasole' means just that, and is applied to
the common sunflower, so to differentiate between two types of
artichoke, the 'Jerusalem' one was called 'the sunflower' artichoke
because it is so closely related.

I've grown them for years, and never
seen flowers on artichokes - not even last year, when they grew quite as
high as an heffalump's eye and I watered them all the year too.

I haven't grown them as long as you, but have grown them off and on
since about 1960, and have seen flowers once - the year before last, or
maybe the one before that.

I have some sunflowers which look like shorter versions (to three feet)
of the artichoke, and I'll be moving those shortly. I wonder whether
those might have roots like artichokes? I suspect a case of
closely-related species here.

Watch this space.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Not according to a book I read - can't remember which. It said that they
reproduced entirely vegetatively.

In that case, you're not talking about jerusalem artichokes. Other books
say they don't flower in the UK, or they flower only rarely in the UK.
And the 'jerusalem' is thought to be a corruption of 'girasole'
referring to the habit of the *flowers* of turning to the sun.

My guru says that the word 'girasole' means just that, and is applied to
the common sunflower, so to differentiate between two types of
artichoke, the 'Jerusalem' one was called 'the sunflower' artichoke
because it is so closely related.

I've grown them for years, and never
seen flowers on artichokes - not even last year, when they grew quite as
high as an heffalump's eye and I watered them all the year too.

I haven't grown them as long as you, but have grown them off and on
since about 1960, and have seen flowers once - the year before last, or
maybe the one before that.

I have some sunflowers which look like shorter versions (to three feet)
of the artichoke, and I'll be moving those shortly. I wonder whether
those might have roots like artichokes? I suspect a case of
closely-related species here.

Watch this space.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Tim Tyler contains these words:

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote or quoted:

Never tried this with salsify, but I cook jerusalem artichokes in their
skins, cut them in half and scoop out the flesh using a teaspoon.

If you've cooked a jerusalem artichoke, eat the skin too! ;-)

I usually do, but it depends what you're doing with the squidgy stuff inside.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from (Mike Lyle) contains these words:
Tim Tyler wrote in message
...
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote or quoted:

Never tried this with salsify, but I cook jerusalem artichokes in their
skins, cut them in half and scoop out the flesh using a teaspoon.

If you've cooked a jerusalem artichoke, eat the skin too! ;-)

John Seymour's solution is to let them flower and seed, then shoot the
pheasants which are attracted. I haven't had a gun for decades, but it
seems sound to me. The vegetable itself leaves me cold.

Jerusalem artichoke neither flowers nor seeds. You must be thinking of
globe artichokes, if so, I would agree wholeheartedly with John Seymour.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/