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Ask a Gardening QuestionGardening Questions & Answers: Plant ProblemsInvasive Sunchokes

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Invasive Sunchokes

#1 · 2nd July 2022, 11:08 am

I have a beautiful old and established garden, unfortunately the previous owner planted some Jerusalem artichokes in the beds which have now spread to all areas of both beds.

I tried pulling them out when young shoots and cutting them back but they are prolific. Hardly anything can compete and soil feels right and difficult to dig into due to their roots and tubers.

All advice I see to eradicate would mean loosing all my beds and starting again. Possibly for the next 2 years. And apparently this is not fail safe unless all traces are removed completely. Is there another way? Even if it means keeping on top of it? Is there a way to kill them without loosing all the cottage garden plants I already have? Is it pointless planting anything if they are in the beds?

I'm not sure I would be successful in digging up all the tubers. They are in everything.

Thanks!

#2 · 2nd July 2022, 12:48 pm

Quote from bob on 2nd July 2022, 12:48 pm
Hello Foxandfen,
Like your good self I had a search on the the Web about these beasts, myself not knowing about them.
If I have got it correct one has to hit the top of the plant first to stop it seeding itself, and discard these cuttings, do "not" compost, then it's a digging job regarding the rhizomes, and slow precise digging, as with most invasive plants/weeds all of the root system must be removed.
Have you enough room in your garden to allow you to create a makeshift bed, or a makeshift bed and include numerous pots/containers?
Then transplant your plants into these beds/pots giving you time to wotk on the shall we say infected bed? Of course unknown to the forum is the size of your flower beds, what you have growing in them etc and do you have enough room for a makeshift bed?
If it were me with the problem, I would risk moving perrenial plants, prepare an area where your plants could go, give it a good dig over making it fully receptive to your incoming plants, holes pre dug to accept rootballs etc, and give your plants a good soaking prior to moving them.
Should you have shrubs, I would dig down as close to their main root as possible, doing this all the way around the shrub, and digging away from the shrub for about twelve to fifteen inches, and if no rhizomes found, back fill the hole.
Then dig the beds in a grid fashion, so that no piece of ground is missed, example start top left, work your way to the right across the bed, place a couple of canes either side of the bed, string between the two, now you know when you commence digging again, you have to start just below your string line. There is of course double digging, dig out a trench, then dig next to this and all the soil from trench two goes into trench one, but you must still be careful not to cut a rhizone in half and leave a piece behind, and of course check the soil that you are putting into trench one.
Apologies for not being able to assist you with a definitive answer, please let the forum know what you decide to do and how you get on.
Best of luck
Bob

Hello Foxandfen,

Like your good self I had a search on the the Web about these beasts, myself not knowing about them.

If I have got it correct one has to hit the top of the plant first to stop it seeding itself, and discard these cuttings, do "not" compost, then it's a digging job regarding the rhizomes, and slow precise digging, as with most invasive plants/weeds all of the root system must be removed.

Have you enough room in your garden to allow you to create a makeshift bed, or a makeshift bed and include numerous pots/containers?

Then transplant your plants into these beds/pots giving you time to wotk on the shall we say infected bed? Of course unknown to the forum is the size of your flower beds, what you have growing in them etc and do you have enough room for a makeshift bed?

If it were me with the problem, I would risk moving perrenial plants, prepare an area where your plants could go, give it a good dig over making it fully receptive to your incoming plants, holes pre dug to accept rootballs etc, and give your plants a good soaking prior to moving them.

Should you have shrubs, I would dig down as close to their main root as possible, doing this all the way around the shrub, and digging away from the shrub for about twelve to fifteen inches, and if no rhizomes found, back fill the hole.

Then dig the beds in a grid fashion, so that no piece of ground is missed, example start top left, work your way to the right across the bed, place a couple of canes either side of the bed, string between the two, now you know when you commence digging again, you have to start just below your string line. There is of course double digging, dig out a trench, then dig next to this and all the soil from trench two goes into trench one, but you must still be careful not to cut a rhizone in half and leave a piece behind, and of course check the soil that you are putting into trench one.

Apologies for not being able to assist you with a definitive answer, please let the forum know what you decide to do and how you get on.

Best of luck

Bob