Anyone growing jerusalem artichokes?

[gwydion]

Anyone growing Jerusalem Artichokes? I've been growing them for both vegetables and as flowers. I made a new bed, well manured and the tubers grow very well.

However, the flowers do not develop until the end of September and the weather changes, becoming too cold for the flowers to open properly.

The plants grow well and stoutly and I have several flower heads. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I'm going wrong? Or should I just forget the flowers and concentrate on the vegetable crop?

I admit that I have no problem with them as a vegetable, the tubers are large and sweet and they crop very well.

 

[Jed]

I've been growing Jerusalem artichokes for years against a wire fence for a wind break. They have never really flowered and I have been puzzled why.
Maybe the temperature is too cool for the flowers.
I do use the tubers as a vegetable but can only ever eat them by themselves boiled in the skin. I find the flavour too strong to add to other vegetables.