Topic: cutting down globe artichoke in autumn?

[anthea]

I planted 2 artichoke plants this spring. They've grown quite big and I did what the instructions said and kept taking off the baby chokes that tried to grow. I see that the instructions say, in autumn, cut off the dead leaves and cover the crown with leaves or bracken.

My plants have a few dead outer leaves, but the inside ones are fresh and green and seem to still be growing. It seems cruel to cut them down, but is that what I'm meant to do. And what exactly is the crown?

(It might be a bit early to do this, but I'm going away for 3 months next week so I'm assuming better too early than too late)

[caroline7758]

I'll be interested in the answers to this one, as I picked a large artichoke from my plant only yesterday and it's not showing any sign of dying back for the winter, although the next few days may change that if it's as cold as they are forecasting!

[Suzanne]

Mine are the same - still lots of globes on them and very lively. I was just going to leave them like the asparagus, not cut anything back until the top had died in case they need the food stores in the leaves to bulk up the roots.

So very interested for expert opinion on this.

[Eristic]

My advice is to cut off any old leaves as well as completely removing all flowering stems whether flowered or not. Leave any crowns of healthy leaves unless you think there are too many or you need to propagate. I usually mulch mine with manure after the tidy up and general weeding of the area then leave them to their own devices.

[twinkletoes]

Last year I cut back my artichokes late summer after they had finished producing globes and the stems and leaves had started to die back.  The plants rejuvinated and produced masses of healthy leaf growth.  I did not mulch or cover them over winter.  This year I had a great crop of artichokes so I again cut back hard when foliage and stems died back and we are now following the same pattern - ie. plenty of healthy leaf growth...........roll on next years supply of artichokes.   ;D
twinkletoes

[anthea]

I've just rung the supplier I got my plants from to ask for advice. They say that in the mild (?) autumns we've been having recently globe artichokes are behaving differently, with all this green growth and so now need different treatment. Her advice was to cut off any dead leaves, leave any green ones, and pile compost or well rotted manure about 3" thick around the outside, but to leave the growing bit uncovered. Ideally, wait to mulch until late Nov/Dec.

[calendula]

the mulching might help if you are in a particularly cold area as they can succumb - I tend to do what Eristic and Twinkletoes do

[Robert_Brenchley]

I left a couple of seedlings sitting outside in pots in the snow yesterday, and it seems to have done them no harm at all. My cardoons never died back last winter either, though the horrible summer seems to have put paid to them.

[Trevor_D]

I did mine last week (but they had long stopped producing). Cut off all dead & dying foliage, plus dead flower shoots. I don't normally cut back existing green foliage as it dies back when it needs to. I normally mulch with straw, but haven't done that bit yet.

I've had far more artichokes than we can cope with, from early summer onwards, so I assume I'm doing something right. Wouldn't call myself an expert, though....