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I have a row of sunchokes that has branches interlocking, and was wondering if they will overcrowd, or not. I can water them every day, and found this article (done half an hour north from my house) that says I can do two crops in my area in a year, and produce a lot more than doing a single picking.

Is 2' spacing ok even if the branches are touching?

J. Musser
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black thumb
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  • Well I've read your link twice, and I cannot find anywhere that talks about doing two crops in a year - where, precisely, in that article, does it say that? Regarding overcrowding, how far apart were the rows and how far apart from each other were the tubers when you planted? – Bamboo Aug 19 '16 at 10:07
  • the sunchokes are about 2 feet apart in the section I'm worried are over crowding. – black thumb Aug 19 '16 at 15:59
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    If they're two feet apart, should be fine - recommended planting distances are in rows which are 36 inches apart, with the tubers spaced every 18 inches along a row. – Bamboo Aug 19 '16 at 17:15
  • "Most cultivars require a growing season of at least 125 frost-free days. " Perhaps that's being interpreted as two crops per year. – Graham Chiu Dec 21 '16 at 18:10

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Give them at least 18" of space between crowns and you will be fine. It's root crowding that can harm yields, not really top growth crowding. If the stems grow close enough to touch adjacent plants it's a good thing, as it protects the soil.

I don't know about 2 crops in a year. In my area they take too long to mature. While you may end up with somewhat more yield/area in a year, you are also using twice as many starts. You could give it a shot.

J. Musser
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