I posted this earlier but it seems to have disappeared.
Anyone try growing globe artichokes as a perennial in zone 7 or colder.
applestar wrote:I love eating artichokes but have yet to try growing them.
I was going to try based on this post by grrlgeek, but didn't get the chance. Maybe for next year....
So I can't answer your question, but maybe you will find this interesting?
Subject: First Harvest of Spring - Coolest thing I've ever grown!
grrlgeek wrote:@webmaster - thank you!
@lakngulf - truer words were never spoken!
@applestar - I bet you could! I think you can dig them up in the fall too, because culture information I've been reading says to divide them when they're nearing the end of their productive years. In the winter I only watered maybe once a week, and just a splash or three. They just sat there, not growing, waiting. The spot they were in got only a few hours of direct sun as well. Here's the seed packet info:
Emerald produces a thornlesss, glossy, buttery flavored artichoke for home gardeners, that can also be used in landscaping. Heads are globe in shape, achieve large size and have wonderful eating quality of the inner artichoke hearts. Emerald is a good source of vitamins A, B, and C. Also a source of potassium, sodium, protein and iodine. Produces quality artichokes over a longer period. Can be used in a variety of recipes. 180-360 days to harvest.
Start seeds indoors in a sunny location 6 weeks prior to warm weather. Transplant outdoors when seedlings display 4-6 leaves and weather is warm.. Seed can be direct-sown when soil is warm.. Thin or transplant when plants have 4-6 leaves. Although heads can be harvested the first year, it is advised that the plants be cut back to allow for greater yields during the following years. Emerald should overwinter well and will produce artichokes to eat in the spring. PVP.
From the breeder's website, https://www.emeraldartichoke.com/emerald.html (which seems to be no longer up and running)
---by Eleanor Kurupas, wife of Tom Kurupas, owners of Kurupas Enterprises---
"Our artichoke experience began over 24 years ago in our orchard when we were given a few plants that were thorny and irregular in size and shape, but were acclimated to our desert temperatures. Every spring Tom gave strict orders not to cut any artichokes to eat. He was going to play "Mother Nature" and cross pollinate plants that had the desired traits we were looking for. A few years later, we extended our planting to 3 acres with seed from selected hand pollinated artichoke flowers. In the selection of our Emerald Artichoke, what we looked for were artichokes that were, thornless, glossy, flavorful and prolific; also we wanted artichokes that could withstand a certain amount of cold weather. Many people who enjoy the Emerald Artichoke encouraged us to seek a plant variety patent from the USDA office. In 1992 we received our patent. As a family, we are offering home growers and ornamental growers the opportunity to grow our artichoke. We are finding out that artichokes can be grown in many areas first thought impossible."
Let us know if you decide to add artichoke to your winter menagerie!
The only part of the artichoke I ever ate was the leaves. Pull off the leaves, scrap leaves with your teeth then throw the leaves and center away. My aunt had an artichoke 40 years ago someone at work said it is good and this is how you eat it. It was not good and she never ate it again. We had artichoke at a friends house once, at relatives once, everyone ate it the same way scrap leaves with your teeth then throw the rest away. How many people are eating artichoke wrong? LOL.rainbowgardener wrote:I still don't know if the one artichoke I planted last year made it through winter or not. Winter is short here, but we did have most of two weeks with nights down in the teens. (On Wed Jan 17, I cancelled a committee meeting I was in charge of, because the afternoon high temperature counting in windchill was about 15 and roads were icy. We rescheduled to the following week, Wed Jan 24 at which point it was 55 degrees and sunny. Weather is a little strange around here!)
In the meantime I have some green globe artichoke seeds planted....
All I have ever done to cook artichokes is steam them. Put an inch of water in a pan and put the artichokes in a steamer basket. Put a tight lid on and steam them twenty minutes or so until the leaves pull off easily. Dip each leaf base in lemon butter or mayonnaise or whatever sauce you like and pull the tender part off. But what people especially eat them for is the artichoke heart that is left when you have pulled all the leaves off. Scrape off the fuzzy prickly "choke" part and cut the heart in pieces and eat them with your sauce. The leaf bases and the heart together are a lot more than two bites.
From the back of the packet:Thornless, meaty and astoundingly productive. Glossy, deep green, oval-shaped buds 5 inches across and 4 inches long have delicious leaves and a full heart. Robust, upright plants. Hardy to zone 7.
Sowing Indoors—Start seeds in 4 inch pots in late January or early February. Transplant out 8 weeks
later when soil has warmed. Due to genetic make- up, about 20% of artichoke plants from seed will be
useless, so cull (pick out) smaller and albino plants at the time of transplanting.
Sowing Outdoors—Not recommended.
Gary350 wrote:I am not motivated to grow artichoke because I have never eaten 1 that taste good. They seem to be too much work to eat for something that is probably a total of 2 bites of food. If someone could prove there is a good way to cook artichoke that makes them taste good I might want to grow them in my garden. Am I wrong??? Wife & I were looking at Artichoke at the store yesterday we have no clue how to cook it or make it taste good?
I never liked pears or pineapples from the grocery store until someone showed me how to make them get ripe before eating them.
Sounds goodapplestar wrote:Yeah, on the smaller flower buds, the “leaves” are not meaty enough to be worth the trouble. That’s the part I’m most concerned about growing my own — I’m going to be a bit more heavy-handed about fertilizing. I decided to try one that other members are not growing, so I ordered Emerald seeds from Territorial and will start them as soon as they arrive. Their growing instructions are worth studying.
We can compare at the end of the season.