Forum home Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Growing globe artichokes...

Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267

I'm growing them for the first time and expected the plants to be 5ft high before producing any artichokes. I've one artichoke, just a bit smaller than a tennis ball on a plant 2ft tall image. Can I pick it or do they get bigger?

I've also several plants and realise now, they've been planted to close together although the others are still quite small with only one starting to produce the huge leaves. Can they easily be transplanted and when is the best time to do this?

...And how many artichokes will each plant produce, the biggest plant has a couple of side shoots with smaller artichokes developing image.    

Posts

  • Lizzy CJLizzy CJ Posts: 35

    image

     this is mine from his 2nd year,  now in 4th year is 4ft tall, and same width roughly, and has three globes developing.  Stunning eerie glow at twilight from the blue flower,  and the bees go crazy on it!  buzzing with ecstasy!

  • Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267

    Wow. Mine are 2nd yr plants.

    One, I found amoungst the weeds at the top of the plot and transplanted it, that one has produced two stems from the crown although it's looking very pale.   

  • Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267

    Bumping up...are Lizzy and I the only posters who grow globe artichokesimage

  • Gobe artichokes produce more branches as they mature each year. My plants are now 5ft high with several branches, each carrying a bud. I always pull off a few shoots from around the base each autumn and pot them on, overwintering them in a cold frame, just in case we have a bad winter. The mature plants are stunning, gorgeous foliage and wonderfull flowers which bees dive into head first, wiggling their BTMs in pleasure.

  • Lizzy CJLizzy CJ Posts: 35
    Agree about the bees Joyce , They love the flowerhead, its almost as if they do a crazy happy dance when they land on them. Imust try and film it this year.
  • Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267

    Just eaten my first one this evening. It was nice, simply done in the steamer and then steeped in butter.image Next time I'll take more of the outer scales off and trim the top more.

    Thanks Joyce, hadn't thought to save side shoots. The leaves are curling under on the biggest plant, should I be worried. I haven't fed them yet but am using a nettle feed this yr, they are planted in ground which was manured last September. Are they plants just happy to grow without to much TLC.   

    Agree about the foilage and flowerhead.

  • Lizzy CJLizzy CJ Posts: 35
    I live in NorthEast Wales and my artichokes are only golf ball size at moment. There is a huge council planted cherry tree opposite my garden which causes total garden shade, all my plants grow slower - but it does mean that once neighbours have bloomed and faded mine are still ready to go so bees and butterflies have a few more weeks of pollenating.
  • I just give my plants a good feed in early spring, anything to hand. I also trim off the lower leaves as they get damaged and die off, this helps me to keep the area under the plants clear of weeds. The leaves do seem to curl under before flatteneing out so I do not think you need to worry  Zoomer. However, I would keep an eye on the under side of the leaves to check for any little bugs which may have taken a likeing to them. I haven't started cutting mine yet as they are too small, the main central bud usually grows to grapefruit size before I cut them.

    When I cook my artichokes I trim the spiny tips of the scales off, and simmer the heads in boiling water for 20 mins before removing from the pan  then pulling off each scasle to eat the nugget of flesh at the base, before diving into the heart below the flower head, dipping everything into melted, bad for the heart butter.

    Mmmm MMmmm!

Sign In or Register to comment.