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Growing globe Artichokes in vegetable garden is an excellent choice for any amateur gardener.
Because by growing globe Artichokes (ie Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus (L.) Fiori) he/she will not only be able to harvest fresh flower heads for many years and for many delicious dishes, but he/she will also have the possibility by leaf extracts of the plant to make effective medicines – medicines to treat liver, digestive and biliary dysfunctions.
And if he/she does not want to make drugs from the leaves, then he/she can give the leaves to the domestic animals he breeds, since they are a wonderful animal feed.
Finally, If he/she does not want neither the wonderful animal feed of the leaves nor the fresh flower heads, then there is no reason to go to growing globe Artichokes in his/her vegetable garden.
Globe Artichoke is a perennial vegetable that can be grown in the home vegetable garden, both on the ground and in raised beds.
Soil and climatic conditions are crucial for the successful cultivation of vegetables. Globe Artichoke is no exception to this meaningful finding, so knowing the most favorable climate and soil conditions for its development is not completely useless to the amateur gardener.
Growing globe Artichokes in vegetable garden for many years takes place successfully in those areas of the temperate zone characterized by mild and cool winters and where no sudden temperature changes are observed throughout the year.
The minimum temperature tolerance of the plant is -3 to -5 °C (26.6 -23 °F). However, it is advisable not to plant globe Artichokes where the temperature falls below 1 to 0 °C (33.8-32 °F), as no Artichokes should be growing when the vegetable garden to be planted is in a position exposed to frost.
A particularly favorable climatic factor for the successful cultivation of globe Artichoke in the vegetable garden is increased atmospheric humidity.
The soil of the vegetable garden can be of medium texture or heavy. That is, both clay and loamy soils are suitable for the globe artichoke growing but in any case, they must have excellent drainage as well as be fertile.
Appropriate soil pH for growing globe Artichokes in vegetable garden is between 6 and 8. The Optimum ranges between 6 and 6.9.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
Globe Artichoke is propagated mainly asexual, with Pups (offshoots) and Ovoli (dormant or semidormant underground axillary buds). Seed propagation of the plant is rare and is used mainly for the establishment of new varieties.
The sowing of the globe Artichoke takes place from February to March in the hotbeds. The temperature for germination of seeds ranges between 21 and 26 °C (69.8-78.8 °F). With these temperatures seedlings appear within 8 to 12 days. It is also possible to sow in cold frames during the months of April to May.
The use of offshoots is the most common way to propagate globe Artichoke. However, this presupposes the existence of parent plants from a previous cultivation of globe Artichoke in the vegetable garden or other Artichoke crops to which the amateur grower has access.
Pups are taken in the warmest areas from September to October until March in the colder ones. Generally, the length of the artichoke pups ranges between 25 and 40 cm and must have 4 to 6 leaves. After pups planting follows 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) hilling.
Dormant buds removed from the rhizome during the period of plant rest. Each rhizome piece consists of an underground offshoot which have at least two very well-developed buds.
They are obtained from the parent plants July through August and layered in wet sand until they are ready for transplantation.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
Without being one of the most demanding nutrient crops, however, globe Artichoke also benefits from implementing an annual nutrient program – especially as it relates to the addition of organic matter to the soil.
For the successfully growing of globe Artichokes in vegetable garden, the addition of organic matter is essential. The organic matter may take the form of well-prepared and disinfected manure or compost. The recommended amount generally ranges from 400 to 500 kg per 100 m2 (1/100 hectare) of vegetable garden.
Whether in the soil preparation phase or in an already established globe Artichoke plants in the vegetable garden, the fertilizer amounts for basic fertilization are about the same.
Indicatively, per 100 m2 (1/100 hectare) of vegetable garden are administered in the autumn 0.5-1 kg of calcium ammonium nitrate (26-0-0), 4-6 kg of superphosphate (0-20-0), and 1-2 kg of potassium sulphate (0- 0-50).
For the same area, 0.5-1 kg of calcium ammonium nitrate (26-0-0) are administered by side dressing in March and so in April.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
Globe Artichoke from the beginning to the end of the growing period requires systematic watering.
The grower should bear in mind that about 100 m2 of vegetable garden requires about 25 to 40 m3 of water per year, while the best watering method is the drip irrigation.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
To growing globe Artichokes in vegetable garden for many years (3 to 5 up 7 years) requires very good soil preparation. And the very well-prepared soil contributes to the successful and productive perennial presence of globe Artichoke in the vegetable garden.
Initially, deep plowing takes place up to 50 to 60 cm and at the same time incorporating the organic matter. It follows normal plowing, where the basic fertilization is incorporated and then 1 to 2 tillings until finally the planting holes are opened.
Globe Artichoke’s planting takes place either in spring or autumn.
The planting distances depend, amongst other things, on whether the variety to be installed is thorny or not. Generally, it could be said that thorny globe Artichokes needs more room to spread.
Therefore, for these varieties it is recommended that the planting distances be 0,80 m on the rows and 1,60 to 1,80 m between the rows, while for the globe Artichokes varieties without thorns the distances are 0,70 to 0,80 m on the rows and 1.40 to 1.60 m between the rows.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
Surface management of the vegetable soil, for weed removal and for breaking any soil crust, is extremely beneficial to globe Artichoke. Equally beneficial is the stems cutting of the plant.
As long as there is the possibility of using mechanical means, two or three tillings are made between the rows together with cultivating or hoeing on the rows. Otherwise, the amateur gardener save money for the gym, doing all the work by hand.
In the last autumn cultivating, all the stems cut to the ground except 3 to 4 – the strongest per plant.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
Globe Artichoke protection against the effects of low winter temperatures is included in the annual cycle of essential cultivation work. Depending on how low the temperature in the particular area of the vegetable garden ranges, the plants can be covered by soil or PVC, or they can stored.
If the cultivation of globe Artichoke in the vegetable garden occurs in areas where winter temperatures are approaching its inferior tolerance limits, after the last fall cultivating, the plants are soil covered to protect them.
This technique requires to cover the plants with a layer of soil of 10 to 15 cm, and after that, the addition of another layer of 10 to 20 cm of organic mulches, such as straw or wood chips.
In areas where winter temperatures are prohibitive for the professional cultivation of globe Artichoke, the amateur gardener can grow the plant in his vegetable garden.
But what he/she needs to do is, approaching the winter, to dig up the globe Artichokes and store them in sheltered places, putting them in moist river sand or peat.
The following spring, he/she can divide the plants and replant them.
In the same areas, plant protection can be done using the double tunnel method. Initially, a layer of organic material 10 cm thick is left around the plants.
Then the first, lower tunnel is constructed, covered with frost protective fabric.
Finally, the higer tunnel, which contains the lower and is covered with a transparent PVC thick greenhouse plastic sheet, is constructed. In case that snow covers the tunnel need to remove if it gets too heavy.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
Although in general the growing globe Artichokes in vegetable garden, being small scale, does not usually present serious problems, however, phytoparasites are not lacking. The recording of the most important of these immediately below is not intended to terrorize the potential amateur grower of globe Artichokes, but the plant pests & diseases themselves.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
As with all vegetables, and for the globe Artichokes, crop rotation and combined cropping are cultivation practices that contribute to the health and productivity of plants and the vegetable garden.
At the end of growing globe Artichokes in vegetable garden the amateur gardener will replant Artichokes after 2 to 3 years. In place of Globe Artichokes can be planted potatoes.
Artichoke companions plants are lettuce, green onions and radishes.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
After the hard work of the amateur gardener for growing globe Artichokes in vegetable garden, the harvest time comes.
He/she goes up to the garden and with decisive moves cuts 8 fresh Artichoke flower heads. He/she intends to cook the Artichokes à la Polita – that is, the way they cooked this particular food in Constantinople, Istanbul, ‘Polis’, both Greeks and the Turks.
And he/she is willing to share the recipe (but not the food) with the always patient and full of understanding reader of ‘Kalliergeia’.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
The ingredients listed by the amateur gardener have calculated them to produce 4 dishes of normal stomach capacity. He/she has also figured out that the preparation time is about 30 minutes and the cooking time another 30 minutes.
Growing Globe Artichokes in Vegetable Garden
Having all the ingredients in front of him, the amateur gardener – henceforth called the Cook – unfolds his great culinary talent.
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Cook tastes and the result satisfies him. Now the food is ready for serving, the wine is waiting and the vegetable garden is full of bliss – as the great Chinese poet of the Middle Ages Li Po could say, vindication the effort, the work, but most of all the wine. The wine – and unfortunately not globe Artichoke – is also mentioned in his poem A Vindication.
With Pomp and Circumstance
The recipe can be from Istanbul-polis but the music is from Izmir: Tunisian Dhafer Youssef at a concert given to Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Center there.
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