We bought an artichoke plant in a 5 gallon container in October 2013 and planted it in a half wine barrel. I used EB Stone soil and mixed in our own compost. I also gave it a top dressing of worm castings every now and then. The castings are not as gross as you'd expect. It just looks like soil and plants love it because it's full of organic nutrients. Within a few weeks, Archie looked like this:
We over wintered the plant by covering it with hoticultural cloth at night if the temperature dropped below 50 degrees. The cloth was propped up by the bamboo stakes and I attached the cloth to the stakes with binder clips. It kind of created a mini-greenhouse that let in sunlight and water while increasing the temperature. By Spring, Archie was ready to start producing.
We got six artichokes from the plant. I decided to let one go to flower, since I'd never seen the flower in person. I pruned the lower leaves so the plant would concentrate it's energy on producing the one flower instead of supporting its large leaves. Here are a few shots of the flower opening.
I've never grown artichoke before and had no idea what to do when the plant was done flowering. I found a video on You Tube created by gardener Pat Welsh that ended up being hilarious - though maybe it's only funny for fellow garden nerds. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNtP8HTUNfQ.) She totally hacked at the stem with a machete to leave room for the new growth. I will be doing the same as well - though maybe not with a machete.
The artichoke did so well this year that we decided to plant six more, including several in the front yard.
Recipe
Mindy prepares the artichokes by soaking them several times - there are loads of bugs hanging out in there. She clips off the thorns and steams the artichokes for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size. The artichoke is ready when it turns a deep shade of green. For the dipping sauce, just melt butter with salt and garlic.
Recipe
Mindy prepares the artichokes by soaking them several times - there are loads of bugs hanging out in there. She clips off the thorns and steams the artichokes for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size. The artichoke is ready when it turns a deep shade of green. For the dipping sauce, just melt butter with salt and garlic.