By adding small chains and increasing agitation, you can convert a potato digger to a Jerusalem artichoke digger. Tops, roots, and tubers can be sorted as they are harvested, or they can be dried and then sorted. Artichoke tubers will wilt and soften much faster than potato tubers and thus cannot be left at low humidities too long before storage. Tubers can be harvested in the fall or left in the ground for winter storage and spring harvest. Tubers should be stored at 33 to 340 F and at very high humidity.
Spoilage is more prevalent with diseased, bruised, or skinned tubers.
Tubers that are kept for seed should not be frozen in storage. The variety and time of harvest determine the yields for both the tops and tubers. Economic considerations for artichoke production will depend on numerous factors, including equipment and labor costs. Additional expenses can include storage, transportation, and supplemental seedstock. Between 1980 and 1982, the largest market was for seed tubers, which required a constant expanding production.