Artichokes

[AndrewB]

No sign of growth yet, is it too early or has the harsh winter finished them off?

[allaboutliverpool]

I presume you mean Jerusalem artichokes.

They are practically impossible to kill. Mine are not showing yet either.

Globe artichokes are evergreen and mine are fine.

 http://allaboutallotments.com/index.html

[Jayb]

If you are talking Jerusalem arties, I agree with the above. I dug a few in the week to eat and they are showing no signs of sprouting yet.
Sorry can't help with Globe arties.

[realfood]

Um, my globe artichokes are certainly not evergreen this year, but I think that it depends on where you are. Mine look completely dead, similarly with my cardoon. But I live in hope that eventually they will sprout again from the base.

[Squash64]

Most of my globe artichokes look ok. I covered them with straw before the winter but if I move it, there are signs of life underneath.  However, one of the (uncovered) cardoons is quite big and healthy-looking.  Looks like it wasn't necessary to put the straw on the artichokes.

My Italian brother-in-law grows loads of globe artichokes, at least a hundred, and he has been complaining that many have died this winter.

[allaboutliverpool]

Remember, they grow to 10 feet tall!



http://www.allaboutallotments.com/index.html

[AndrewB]

Sorry, I meant globe artichokes - suspect form replies they may be dead - maybe I'll give them another month and maybe replace if nothing emerges.  Cheers

[artichoke]

All mine but one have died, and I am very sad about it. Can anyone recommend a good strain to start again with, and where to get the seeds?

Usually I do nothing for them over winter and they survive well.

[artichoke]

....and what is the strain they grow in Brittany? Those huge juicy perfect ones? Any one know?

I remember the Brittany growers paralysing Paris with lorry loads of them sprawled all over the boulevards. What a waste....

[Squash64]

All mine but one have died, and I am very sad about it. Can anyone recommend a good strain to start again with, and where to get the seeds?

Usually I do nothing for them over winter and they survive well.

I have some spare Romanesco seeds if you would like them.


I've also grown 'Emerald' from Dobies in the past and they were very good, fruiting the first year.

http://www.dobies.co.uk/Shop/Vegetable+Seeds/Artichoke+Emerald+seeds+431438.htm

[artichoke]

Squash - I would absolutely love to have some Romanesco globe artichoke seeds! Would you be interested in some Gigandes saved seed in return?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigandes_plaki

http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/269

When I offered these a year or two ago, some people had trouble with germination, but what I recommend is soaking them in damp cloth/warm place for a couple of days to see which are sprouting and worth planting. Mine are the offspring over 2 years of beans bought in Greece, sold for cooking.

We could exchange addresses via emails. Thanks for your advice about "Emerald".

[Squash64]

Squash - I would absolutely love to have some Romanesco globe artichoke seeds! Would you be interested in some Gigandes saved seed in return?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigandes_plaki

http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/269

When I offered these a year or two ago, some people had trouble with germination, but what I recommend is soaking them in damp cloth/warm place for a couple of days to see which are sprouting and worth planting. Mine are the offspring over 2 years of beans bought in Greece, sold for cooking.

We could exchange addresses via emails. Thanks for your advice about "Emerald".

The beans sound very interesting, I'd love some please.  Have pm'd you.

[1066]

All mine but one have died, and I am very sad about it. Can anyone recommend a good strain to start again with, and where to get the seeds?

Usually I do nothing for them over winter and they survive well.

I'm trying some from seed this year - a purple artichoke "Violet de Provence". Only just sown them, so yet to see for certain. I only have a couple to spare tho, but you're welcome to some if you like

As to the ones in the ground - mine had a right bashing from the frosts but seem ok so far - unknown variety tho 

[artichoke]

Thanks, I'd love to try the "Violet de Provence" as well. Would you like a few gigandes in return? They grow about 8' tall and with luck you would get quite a dried crop for eating and sowing next year (large white dried beans like butter beans but bigger).

[1066]

oooo sounds good. I think my friend also has some of the artichoke seeds so I'll ask her this week and see if I can bump up the number of seeds a bit !!

[antipodes]

My globes did really die off badly this year but I have noticed that there are tiny green shoots right in the middle so I will wait and give them a chance now it has warmed up. I would wait a little, they are hard to kill off!

[artichoke]

Too late....I dug one of mine up yesterday: immensely deep roots and not a single sign of growth. I know what the new shoots look like at a very early stage, but there weren't any. And I'm in the South East.

[Torreya]

If you count Cardoons as 'chokes, mine were up about 3 weeks ago, but had a battering with the last of the weather. A lot are now rotting in the centres, but I'm giving them a bit longer to recover.

[Robert_Brenchley]

My cardoons are barely showing yet. If I look closely I can see a small, battered leaf, but that's all.

[Kea]

I've got a lot of leaves on the cardoons but only shoots on the globe artichokes and I think I may have lost the seedlings I planted I can't see them.