October: Sunchokes and Pollinators

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October is a colorful month in northwestern Pennsylvania between the leaves and wildflowers. One of the more brilliant yellow flowers blooming are the sunchokes or sometimes called Jerusalem artichokes. Sunchokes are a native North American vegetable, hardy, nutritious and flavorful.

The name Jerusalem artichoke is the result of some language misunderstandings during the early settlement days of America. They have nothing to do with Jerusalem or artichokes. Sunchokes, called by some Native Americans, were also called sun roots. They were cultivated by these early people who introduced them to the early settlers.

Sunchokes are easy to grow in a dedicated spot in the garden. A couple words of caution, they can reach upwards of ten feet and once planted they are there to stay. So it’s best to plant them in a special location.

Like their relative, the sunflower, sunchokes do best in a sunny location in fertile well drained soil. Sunchoke tubers are planted in the spring about 4 to 5 inches under the soil and about two feet apart. They do best with a neutral ph 7.0. The sunchoke is a vigorous grower and doesn’t require a lot of nitrogen. Actually, too much nitrogen will result in smaller tubers.

It’s best to dig the valued underground tubers after the first of second frost. The knobby tubers look like deformed potatoes.Somewhat similar to a potato, any part of a missed tuber left in the ground will promptly re-grow the following spring.

Sunchokes have a sweet taste when eaten raw and used in a dish replacing water chestnuts. They can also be boiled or baked like a potato or used in soups casseroles and salads.

Sunchokes are a low fat food, high in iron, thiamine and potassium. They are often recommended for people with diabetic conditions and there are some indications that sunchokes can help control blood sugar levels. For some individual, sunchokes can cause flatulence so it’s best to start with small portions. For those individuals, it best not to eat them raw but cooked by boiling or baking.

Since sunchokes get tall they can be used as a living fence at least during the summer months in the north. The flowers also attract many pollinating insects and some birds such as hummingbirds and yellow finches, as well as butterflies.

October is the month, after a frost or two to dig the tubers and begin to make some garden plans for next spring. A dedicated pollinator garden is beneficial to both our important native pollinators and for the home grown vegetable garden.

Pollinator populations have dwindling for many years now and some species are in danger of extinction. Loss of habitat and pesticide use are the many culprits, although some invasives are also to blame.

Our native pollinators coexisted with our native flowers for eons. One of the first steps to take is to obtain the seeds of our native wildflowers. They can be collected or they can be purchased. There are several reputable companies online which sell the seeds.

In addition to planting native wildflowers for the pollinators, there are many plans to construct nesting boxes or sites for the pollinators. The Xerces Web site has some very good information and detailed plans, nesting sites.

Pollinator Conservation Handbook: A Guide to Understanding, Protecting, and Providing Habitat for Native Pollinator Insects

Perhaps, the most dramatic decline in pollinators have been the honey bees, bats and the monarch butterflies. Some estimates claim that we have lost somewhere around ninety percent of the Monarchs. There are currently efforts underway to have the Monarchs placed on the endangered species list.

If a pollinator garden is in the cards for next spring, think of planting milkweed essential to the Monarchs.  Milkweed is much more than a weed but rather an elegant plant which when blooming also attracts many bees and other pollinators.

The bees have been in trouble for quite some time, particularly the honeybee. One of the main culprits in honey bee declines has been a mysterious disease called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Pesticides have also a toll on honeybees and other native bee species. Mites have been another consistent problem for the beekeepers.

Weather has also created havoc for honeybees. Last winter was harsh and many hives were lost. A wet cold spring following the frigid winter also took it’s toll. In some areas of northwestern Pennsylvania, the situation was so dire that honey shortages were widespread.

The honeybees, the 4,000 other native bee species, butterflies, bats and a host of other pollinators are essential for the foods we eat and for agriculture. It’s important to take a stand and act. Think Pollinator Garden this October.

And Just for the Heck of It

A tiny fly no bigger than a pinhead is responsible for the

world's supply of chocolate. Midges, tiny flies that live in damp, shady rainforests, are

the only animals that can work their way through the complex cacao flower and pollinate

it;

source: https://pollinator.org/Resources/facts.Gardeners.pdf