An earth pear is a common name for a plant, Jerusalem artichoke, which is a root crop. In care, an earth pear is quite undemanding, and the benefits of using its root vegetables for food and for cosmetic purposes are quite high. If you follow simple rules of cultivation , then an earth pear can yield several rich harvests during one season.
General information about the plant
The earthen pear belongs to the family of Compositae. She is a close relative of the well-known sunflower. The stems of this perennial are straight, thin, and the leaves to the touch are stiff and rough. Sometimes Jerusalem artichoke grows to a height of three meters, but most often does not exceed two meters. The rhizomes of the earthen pear end with tubers. They can have a different color, from yellowish to dark brown with a red tinge. These knotty tubers are oblong in shape and are that part of the plant that they eat. But they can only be after they spent one night in the ground with the first nocturnal frosts. The negative temperature gives the tubers a characteristic sweetish taste. By the way, externally tubers of earthen pears are very similar to the root of ginger.
Jerusalem artichoke is a cold-resistant plant. If you grow it in the northern regions, then the harvest will ripen to autumn or early spring. In southern latitudes, it is possible to collect tubers of earthen pears throughout the winter.
It is impossible not to mention the healing properties of this perennial plant. It is useful in diseases of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, diabetes , intestinal diseases. It is often used in cosmetology, as the substances contained in Jerusalem artichoke have a beneficial effect on the skin condition.
Rules of cultivation
Growing an earthen pear even for a beginner gardener is a feasible task. You can do this on the open ground and in large containers placed in a greenhouse. But in the latter case, the most important task is to organize good drainage and timely irrigation. Soil for growing an earthen pear is better to pick up loose and slightly alkaline. But on other types of soil it will grow normally. To make the Jerusalem artichoke tubers fully ripe, the length of the garden season should be at least 125 days. And for this period there should be no frost.
If several times during the growing season you will bite an earthen pear, then the yield of tubers will increase. And in July, the plant should be shortened to two meters, the flower heads must be pinched so that they do not pull the Jerusalem artichoke forces on the unnecessary flowering and seed formation. As for feeding, organic fertilizers are the best choice. It can be finished preparations, weak solutions of siderates, seaweed, etc.
There are earthy pears and natural enemies. They include slugs and snails. These pests feed on delicious root vegetables.
Reproduction of earthen pear
Propagation of Jerusalem artichoke root crops.
The harvested crop at the end of the season should be stored in a room with a high humidity level. If this is impossible for various reasons, wrap the tubers in a moistened cloth and store on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. You can use sealed plastic containers for the same purpose.