Sun chokes
 

Anyone have experience growing these? Looking for some more self relient foods to plant. I have been identifying local wild edibles for about 10yrs now, not a lot of calories to be had (although lots of nutrients to supliment diet in shtf)

The only real high calrry wild ediblea I have on my land is a patch of groundnut, and a very productive mulberry, not bad tasting either.

Re: Sun chokes
 

stock up on beano!!!!!!! known to make one fart inceassantly!!!!!

it is very nutritious!

Re: Sun chokes
 

Yes I am ramping up on my lentil stash (no presoaking required). I just want some fresh stuff out of the yard to supliment when shtf. It will get pretty dull with beans, rice, grain blah blah.

Re: Sun chokes
 

Are these what you are referring to? If so, yes, we grow them and they are delicious when used like potatoes. My wife will substitute them for me as I'm diabetic and white potatoes upset my sugar balance. Sweet potatoes are also a good alternate crop, if they will grow in your climate.

The sun chokes, as you call them, will grow about anywhere if the climate is right. They actually grow wild here in Ohio.

Re: Sun chokes
 

YEAH,

WHAT do you want to know. They're damn easy to grow, like a weed. grow like potatoes are tubers. good eating raw or cooked. Big plant, nice and tall.

Re: Sun chokes
 

What Ferm said. These things grow themselves. It's been a long time since I've grown them, but I remember them being EXCEEDINGLY easy. I used to slice 'em thin and eat 'em raw.

Re: Sun chokes
 

Well I guess my biggest question was regarding clay soil. I am growing in alabama and wondering if anyone else has seen them grow in clay soil. I did read they grow wild in the west. I found a specialty foods store that carried them so i bought a few and planted in mid summer. They came up and seemed to do ok. Just wondering if they will survive winter in the clay soil.

Re: Sun chokes
 

I am sure if other conditions, such as ample light and moisture are present, they should grow just fine. The only problem I can see is growth of the tubers (roots) in heavy clay. If it happens that they don't develop nice size, you might want to use a lot of compost and loosen the soil. They are like weeds and will survive the winter just fine. Once planted in an area, they keep coming back. You can leave them right there and just dig out a few starting in the late fall all winter, as they keep the best right in the ground. They should be (thinned) yearly as they will start getting smaller if you don't.

Re: Sun chokes
 

Thanks for thoughts. I was a little hisitant to invest too much in these (expensive at local specialty mart) unless I could count on a good "hedge" benefit. I am looking for diverse food hedges that will not take up all my time, I think this may be one.

Oh yea, I wanted to share as well my expereicne with millet (foxtail grass). It grows will here everywhere along the main roads. I havested a bunch abnd through it out last year around my place and now have a couple nice patches. It tastes ok to. I highly recommend that as a food hedge. In the top 5 probably for calories and ease of care and harvest.

Re: Sun chokes
 

I planted some of these a couple years ago on the advise of somebody here at GIM. I just let them grow like weeds near the compost pile.

I dug some up for a Thanksgiving side dish this year. The wife sliced them thin 1/4 inch and lightly saut�ed them in butter, lemon and fresh sage. Don't let them get overcooked and soggy. Delicious.

Re: Sun chokes
 

Neat, very encouraging. I plan think I will do a large plot (maybe 40 square feet) and see what happens. Now I just have to hope I can keep paying the morgage so I can eat them latter:yippee:

Re: Sun chokes
 

My experience with sunchokes, or Jerusalem Artichoke, is:
Easy to grow
pretty flowers
will take over your yard if not contained
delicious and high in fiber
makes me fart like CRAZY

Re: Sun chokes
 

I thought they were a bit expensive when I bought the tubers to plant. No need to start with too big a plot. To harvest take a few cuts with a shovel and tip the clod back, pick a few big ones to eat and a few smaller tubers to transplant and leave the rest. After a few years you'll have a huge patch of weeds that 99% of the mutant scavengers won't even recognise as food. Too easy.

Re: Sun chokes
 

You know what they say, there's no fart like an old fart. Just eat them as a side dish with other food.

Re: Sun chokes
 

I grew some, too. I agree that you do not need to start with too large a plot. They will spread themselves, so indeed keep them contained.

Re: Sun chokes
 

Given their tendency to spread, they're a good choice for container gardening, which also lets you control the soil a bit more.

Millet is a nutritious food, but you want to be careful about harvesting grasses alongside roads. You have no idea what has been sprayed there, and if the road sees even moderate traffic, those plants are absorbing exhaust pipe emissions.

Re: Sun chokes
 

Depends on how much clay in have in the soil. In general i would say you need to improve your soil with composting and volcanic ash. See if you have a mushroom farm nearby and go pick up some of their compost waste. keep adding it to your soil. BUILD UP YOUR SOIL! TOO MUCH CLAY WON'T GROW ANYTHING for too long. If it's a good mix of clay and topsoil you may be alright. IMPROVE YOUR SOIL THROUGH COMPOSTING AND CROP ROTATION. ALSO ADD MUSHROOM Mycelium to your soil or add mushroom logs directly to your fields. They'll take care of things naturally. MYCELIUM IS YOUR FRIEND.

Re: Sun chokes
 

yea I have read about roadside contamintion, I just used them for planting though, I didnt eat any.