Artichokes are herbaceous perennials belonging to the Asteraceae family, which includes other plants such as dandelions, thistles, and sunflowers. Highly popular in the Mediterranean, these plants are rarely grown in the United States and are considered gourmands, making them very expensive. Luckily, Artichokes are easy to grow. So how do you go about growing Artichokes, and how do you care for the plant? Continue reading to find out!
Easy Steps To Plant Artichoke
Follow these steps to plant an artichoke in your garden:
Choosing a Proper Location
Artichokes need plenty of sunlight and well-drained soil to bear roots and grow well. If the soil is soggy, the root’s crown gets damaged, and you won’t see any growth. You can club these plants with types such as cabbages, peas, and sunflower as they won’t compete with the artichoke for nutrition.
When To Plant Artichokes
Depending on the climate, artichokes are planted at different times during the year. They need to be planted in spring if they are being grown as annuals. In warmer climates, they need to be planted in late summers. Artichokes generally take 85 to 100 days to reach harvest.
Soil Preparation
A good mixture of potting soil, which is loamy in nature, suffices to grow artichokes. It needs to be full of organic material and not be too clumpy. To prepare a bed, dig 8 inches into the ground and mix 5 inches of compost. A rule of thumb is to add 100 lb of compost to every 100 sq ft of garden space.
Planting Artichokes
If you are growing artichokes from seeds, you will have to start indoors at least 8 weeks before the last frost date. The seedlings will have to be 60 days old before you plant them into the bed. Space them apart 6 to 8 ft as their full mature size could go up to 6 ft wide and 4 ft tall. They will need full sun, so crowding is not an option.
Watering the Artichokes
These plants need lots of water to grow their succulent stems and buds. Therefore, hydrate the soil completely at least 3 times a week. If the temperatures outside gets too hot, it will prompt the plants to flower sooner than usual. Therefore, use overhead sprays in such instances to keep them cool. You could also use mulch to keep the soil temperatures low.
Fertilizing
A balanced vegetable fertilizer every two weeks will take care of the micronutrient needs of the plant. Good fertilization can give a high yield.
Harvesting and Pruning
The buds can be harvested once they begin to reach 3 inches in diameter. Then, with gardening shear, snip the center bud at the stem for a harvest. One of the benefits of artichoke plants is that they continue producing buds throughout the year until winter. Thus, they can be protected with mulch through the cold and continue growing the next season.
Storing and classification of artichokes
Usually, the artichokes are sold soon after harvest, but for temporary storage, the farmer can apply a precooling treatment (4-5 °C or 40 °F) and store them at 0 °C (32-33 °F) and 90-100% relative humidity for 2-4 weeks. Artichokes are usually packaged in cartons and boxes classified by size. The most popular size categories in the market are the largest ones (when 18-24 or 36 buds in a box), with the harvested buds to have a diameter between 4 and 4.5 in (10-11.5 cm).
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Video source: Food Processing Channel
