The edible part of an artichoke is the flower of the plant.
The two main type of globe artichokes are the annual and perennial varieties, the latter grown for the flower. You can also find Jerusalem artichokes, or sunchokes, which are in a different genus but provide flavorful and tasty roots. California produces 100 percent of the chokes grown commercially in the United States. Artichokes require sun, well-drained soil and warm temperatures to flower. They can be grown as an ornamental plant and provide a floral curiosity in the garden. Annual artichokes are started by seed, and perennial types, which may live five to 10 years, can be started from pieces of root.
Instructions
From Seed
1. Fill a seed flat with seed-starter mix and plant the artichoke seeds 1/2 inch deep eight weeks before the date of the last frost.
2. Mist the flat until it is completely moist and place it in a room that is at least 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the flat misted until germination. Move the flat to a sunny location after the seeds sprout.
3. Clear debris out of a sunny garden bed using a hard rake several weeks before the last frost date. Pull all the weeds and remove rocks and roots.
4. Spread 5 inches of compost in the location where you will be planting and work it into the soil to a depth of 6 inches. At the same time, work in a balanced fertilizer at the rate of 1/2 lb. per 100 square feet of planting bed.
5. Plant artichoke starts three to four weeks before the last frost. Artichoke plants need to experience cool temperatures to promote flowering. If they are planted too late, they will not flower. Artichoke starts are the best bet for most zones. Seed doesn't have enough time to form large flower-producing plants in any but the warmest climates.
6. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows that are at least two feet apart. Cut slits in black plastic mulch and fit it around the plants. This increases the soil temperature and promotes quick formation of roots. Water the plants twice per week during establishment and then provide 2 inches per week over several applications.
From Roots
7. Harvest the flowers in midsummer before they open if you wish to eat them. You can also leave them on the plant and enjoy the unique purplish-blue blooms with the spiky anthers and scaly exterior petals. Most artichokes can produce for three to five years, at which point you need to dig them up and cut them into sections to divide them.
8. Cut the root ball with a shovel or soil knife into three to four sections with a large section of the roots attached. The best time to divide artichokes is in fall. Bury the sections in organically amended soil that is well drained in a sunny location. Set the root sections at the same level they were growing as a full plant.
9. Mulch the plants with at least 3 inches of organic material prior to winter to protect the roots and add nutrients over the season. Cut back the foliage as soon as it begins to die back from the cold. Pull back the mulch in early spring as new foliage emerges from the crown.
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