No sign of growth yet, is it too early or has the harsh winter finished them off?
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
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.
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.
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.
Remember, they grow to 10 feet tall!
(http://allaboutallotments.com/artichokegrown.jpg)
http://www.allaboutallotments.com/index.html
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
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.
....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....
Quote from: artichoke on March 14, 2010, 09:11:54
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
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".
Quote from: artichoke on March 14, 2010, 20:05:21
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.
Quote from: artichoke on March 14, 2010, 09:11:54
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 :)
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).
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 !!
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!
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.
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.
My cardoons are barely showing yet. If I look closely I can see a small, battered leaf, but that's all.
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.
Quote from: artichoke on March 14, 2010, 20:05:21
Squash - I would absolutely love to have some Romanesco globe artichoke seeds! Would you be interested in some Gigandes saved seed in return?
Ooh... sorry to hijack... someone has given me some of these seeds (might have been you even :D).... when's best to start them, early and live with fighting a jungle in the GH before they go out or slightly later?.... my rootrainers will become available in about a fortnight I expect (another replacement set of broadies in there ATM) so they could start early if that's sensible, or selse I can start them with the rest of the half-hardy climbing beans in about a month-six weeks....
chrisc
I grew purple globe artichoke from seed last year but they are certainly not showing signs of being evergreen. I am hoping they will sprout from the base. Some are showing signs of a little bit of green. I will be gutted if they all die.
Squash - I have to apologise for posting your gigandes only this morning, but they should be with you soon, and thank you very much for the artichoke seeds which arrived much more promptly.
chriscross1966 - these gigandes are a form of runner beans (in spite of tasting like butter beans) so treat them the same way, whatever it is that you do. Germination does seem unpredictable, which is why I advise keeping them in warm damp cloth for a few days to check they are going to grow. Once started, they grow away very strongly, and reach 8' or more. They make poor eating as runner bean pods, so I leave the pods on until they swell and go brown and papery in the autumn. I love them.
Last time I tried growing them (2008), I had very poor germination in the mini-greenhouse, and the only one that grew sulked after I planted it out until the slugs ate it. The advice I had at the time was to soak them before planting, and I'm going to keep them on the windowsill as well this time, until they're well away.
Many thanks re:advice......Don't get so het up about seed postage... I was getting quite stressed over my tardiness getting a seed swap I organised back out again... then I realised it was at least 2 months before anyone would be sowing them....
chrisc
I uncovered some artichokes today and this is what was under the straw
[attachment=1]
Some of the leaves were a bit crispy but at least the plant is alive.
However, this cardoon was not covered at all and is much bigger than the artichokes
[attachment=2]
I grew giant purple in '08 and they all turned out to have serious thorns on each bract - lots of work with scissors before I could put them into a plastic bag without shredding it!
The picture in the catalogue showed a bud covered in the usual friendly notches not an instrument of torture.
Is it worth sowing the rest to find they are all the same?
Anyone know a reliable (cheap) source of thorn-free purples?
Cheers.
just checked the packet and it says "...produces rounded, violet flower heads aloft spineless stems ..." :) I know Nickys Nursery do them, but I'm sure others have them as well
1066, I have just belatedly posted your gigandes, sorry about delay. Glad to say that some of your artichoke seeds are up; and can also report that I have had almost 100% germination from the gigandes after soaking them in damp cloth/plastic bag in warm place, so I wish you success with yours.
Phew!! My 2 seedlings are doing fine and dandy ;D
Looking forward to the beans and thanks for the tip on germination :)
Mine are starting to poke through now, quite surprised after the winter we had. Had plans for the space they are in but still quite pleased they have survived.
Yes mine has popped back up as well, I guess it will just be a little late in flowering this year. Surprising, the cold they can withstand! We had many periods of well below zero C this winter... All the other things like strawberries, thyme, sage, tarragon, mint, lemon balm have all popped back up too, although they had no protection whatsoever.
Isn't nature amazing? :)