Growing Artichokes
Tips On Growing Artichokes
Growing artichokes takes a little more care and effort than is the case with most vegetables. Artichokes are an extremely nutritious vegetable, and have a nutty flavor. Some will say that you have to acquire the taste, other simply say it is delicious, a vegetable which can be prepared for the table in a number of ways.
Most home gardeners and commercial businesses growing artichokes, grow them as a food product. The flower buds, while still tightly closed are what we see in the grocery store. The roots are also edible. The plant can also be grown as a landscape plant, as its attractive foliage grows to over 4 feet in height, and nearly twice as wide. The artichoke is a member of the thistle family and, if the buds are not harvested, will produce large purple-blue thistle-like flowers, very attractive in cut flower arrangements. What ever reason you are growing them for, you will follow the same planting and maintenance procedures. The only difference is, if you are growing them for the foliage only, they can get by with less watering. If grown for food or for attractive flowers you need to give the plant adequate water.
Artichokes do best in warmer climates. Growing artichokes in cool weather or short season locations can be a bit risky. If this is the case, the Star Imperial variety will give you the best chance of success. In warmer locations, most any variety can be grown, with Green Globe probably being the most widely planted. Check with your local nursery to see what variety suits your area best, and whether you should plant from seed, purchase seedings for later transplanting, or plant from root stock. The plant is a perennial so root stock planting is an option.
Artichokes, like most vegetables, should be planted where they will get full sun. It is best to work the ground to at least a foot deep, and work in compost or other organic matter. Artichokes need a rich, well drained, and preferably somewhat sandy soil. When you choose a location, remember these plants grow to 4 or 5 feet tall and may shade out other plants if you're not careful.
Whether you sow seeds directly outside or transplant seedlings, you'll want to place the plants about 3 feet apart. By taking that into consideration you won't waste seeds by placing too many in a small area. Plant seeds or bare roots when all danger of frost is past. If you have started the plants indoors from seed, or purchased young plants from the nursery, they need to be hardened before planting in the garden. Set the plants outside, in a sheltered location, for several days. Keep them out a bit longer each day, bringing them in each evening. In about a one week the plants should be able to stay outside all day, if the weather is cooperating, and are ready to be transplanted.
Soak the ground where the plants are to be placed. Also, it's best to transplant on a cloudy day. In any event don't transplant them during the hottest past of a sunny day. This practice will lessen the shock a plant sustains when transplanted. If you're planting a root ball, dig a hole about twice the size of the root ball and then cover with about 1/4 inch of soil. Now that your planting is done you need to keep the plants moist. The plants don't like to be in standing water, which is why you want a well drained soil, but still need to be kept moist if you want good results.
Artichokes are quite disease and pest resistant, but you still will want to keep and eye out for earwigs and an occasional infestation of aphids. If you live in an area shared by snails and slugs you'll want to have bait in the vicinity of your plants. Give the plants an occasional feeding of fish fertilizer. Some gardeners will tell you that artichokes absolutely thrive on blood meal. Either one will do the job for you. Then sit back and wait for the flower buds to form. Harvest them before they start to open up, as once that happens, they'll start to loose their tenderness. If you want to see what the flowers look like, when harvesting the buds leave one or two. Enjoy the best of both worlds. If you live in a warm season area, you should be able to cut the foliage back after first frost and wait for sprouts the following spring, when a new cycle of growing artichokes gets under way.