please tell this is a jerusalem artichoke

[GardenGnome]

[img]https://i1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj565/ericmgilson/2012-06-06_16-40-16_132.jpg[/img]

I mail ordered some roots but left them out and they dried up.
Looked dead but I planted them anyways I'm hoping at least one of them willl grow.[/img]

[bangstrom]

It looks like a Jerusalem artichoke. If so, the leaves should be rough and sandpapery and don't be surprised if the rest of the roots begin to grow. This is a hard plant to kill.

[GardenGnome]

The roots were bone dry I hope so.
Thanks

[cynthia_h]

The leaves look like those of my JAs.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[GardenGnome]

Do they like a lot of water? Any tips ? I put them in a rasied bed.

[cynthia_h]

Mine live on rainfall and the very occasional watering. They're out by the street, between the sidewalk and the street and also between the driveway and a short walkway. They're hemmed in by pavement/concrete on all four sides so they won't spread (invasive, or they like to be).

I clip the flowers before they set seed every year, but of course JAs can propagate by tubers as well. That doesn't bother me nearly as much as the thought of birds, wind, etc. transferring the seeds all over the place.

Cynthia

[soil]

Tips are plant them and forget about them.

[GardenGnome]

Yeah it feels alittle like sand paper thanks all.
Glad they all didn't die and if the others come up then that's great.
But I can live with one to start off.

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah if you start with one and leave it alone, next year you will have a ton of them.

I have JA's in a flower bed. At the end of the season, I pull ALL of them out. The little tubers that break off and get left behind are plenty for the next year. I'm already pulling some of the excess out now to keep it from taking over the bed...

[GardenGnome]

Will they grow down into hard dirt?