Growing artichokes yourself – planting and care

The artichoke not only beautifies every garden with its beautiful flowers, but is also considered a medicinal plant whose active ingredients have a positive effect on digestion. Furthermore, gourmets of the upscale cuisine see an absolute delicacy in the plant, because it enriches the menu in a healthy way and gives every menu a touch of exoticism and decadence through its extraordinary appearance. The plant is originally native to the Mediterranean region. Italy and France in particular are considered to be the main growing countries of the noble plant, but the plants are also offered on the markets in Morocco, Spain, Egypt and Turkey. The artichoke, like every thistle plant, loves the sun and warmth.

Brief historical review

The artichoke is neither a modern breed nor a newfangled advancement. As early as 500 BC The Egyptians discovered the beneficial and flavorful effects of the plant and cultivated them increasingly. The plant finally reached Italy and Spain by sea and trade at the beginning of the 13th century, and from there to England and France at the beginning of the 16th century. The French saw in the prickly plant an immense enrichment of the French gourmet cuisine and the consumption was mainly reserved for the nobles. They wanted to underline their status, because an artichoke on the menu represented wealth and a decadent way of life in their eyes. To this day, the most diverse creative artichoke recipes come from French cuisine. The plant found its way into Germany as early as 1540 and was preferably grown in the area around Nuremberg and Stuttgart. Today the artichoke is at home in many allotment gardens and is loved and adored by hobby gardeners and plant lovers, especially for its decorative appearance.

The artichoke in a panoramic view

If you decide to grow artichokes in your home garden, you can benefit from the plant for three to four years, because the plant is considered perennial. However, the plant also has some requirements in terms of care, location and soil quality.

• needs a sunny, warm location,
• is considered to be deep-rooted,
• likes loose, nutrient-rich and deep soil,
• sheltered place ideal,
• need winter protection,
• Fertilization with compost or manure,
• Germination temperature 20 to 25 degrees Celsius,
• Heavy eaters, love pH values ​​of 6.5 to 7.5.

If the requirements are taken into account, the eye of the beholder can enjoy an ornamental shrub for a long time, which stretches its imposing, colorful and thistle-like flowers into the sky and offers ideal living conditions for many small useful insects. In order to achieve a large harvest yield, the sun-drenched plant should be given a south-facing slope bed.

A special kind of eye-catcher – important care tips

In order to be able to develop and thrive properly, the artichoke prefers a warm, sunny location sheltered from the wind. As a so-called deep-rooting plant, the noble plant likes nutrient-rich, deep and loose soil, which should be watered from time to time, especially during the growing season. Waterlogging should be avoided at all costs. However, just like all other thistle plants, the artichoke can cope with short dry spells without being damaged. Most suitable as a location are hill or raised beds that have been prepared with compost or manure. The fertilization is carried out for the first time at the end of March – beginning of April and the rest of the time several times over the entire planting year.

The modes of reproduction – sowing

Hobby gardeners and plant lovers have two options to start the successful propagation of artichokes. Generative propagation by sowing is one of them. When propagating by seeds, it is important to ensure that only high-quality, germinable seeds are used. The ideal sowing date is from the beginning of February to the middle of the month. To grow the plants, the seeds are placed in small pots, which ideally have potting soil. Three to four seeds per pot are ideal for sowing. To speed up the germination process, it is advisable to soak the seeds in lukewarm water before sowing and let them soak for about 2 to 3 hours. Artichokes need a high germination temperature, which is in the range of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. The plant pots should preferably be placed on the sunny windowsill or in the warm winter garden. The first seedlings are already visible after 2 to 3 weeks. To toughen them up, the offspring can occasionally receive a small fresh air treatment on sunny days. When the last frosts have disappeared, the small plants can be planted outdoors. The artichokes need a lot of space for optimal development, so make sure that the planting distance is at least 80 x 80 cm. From the month of April onwards, sowing can also be carried out outdoors, but then the harvest and flowering will not take place until the following year. To toughen them up, the offspring can occasionally receive a small fresh air treatment on sunny days. When the last frosts have disappeared, the small plants can be planted outdoors. The artichokes need a lot of space for optimal development, so make sure that the planting distance is at least 80 x 80 cm. From the month of April onwards, sowing can also be carried out outdoors, but then the harvest and flowering will not take place until the following year. To toughen them up, the offspring can occasionally receive a small fresh air treatment on sunny days. When the last frosts have disappeared, the small plants can be planted outdoors. The artichokes need a lot of space for optimal development, so make sure that the planting distance is at least 80 x 80 cm. From the month of April onwards, sowing can also be carried out outdoors, but then the harvest and flowering will not take place until the following year.

Multiplication by division

Another possibility of reproduction is vegetative by division. However, this type of propagation is a bit more complex and requires some horticultural skill and sensitivity. With this procedure, strong, healthy plants are separated from the main plant in spring with a knife cut. It is important that each separated section has a well-developed root system and two shoots with leaves. For optimal growth, the leaves should be shortened in the upper quarter. Then the shoot is introduced into the soil according to the planting depth of the mother plant and watered regularly. Even with this type of propagation, the planting distance should be at least 80 x 80 cm. After the third to fourth year, a division is necessary again.

Winter in our latitudes

In order for the joy of the extraordinary noble plant to last for a few years, the plant must also be brought over the winter well. Since the artichoke is native to warmer regions without the risk of frost, it absolutely needs adequate winter protection in our regions. Before the first frosts spread across the country, the leaves must be tied together and the existing shoot cut off above the ground. Spruce branches, peat, run or earth offer optimal protection against icy frosts. A clay pot that is placed over the plant can also provide ideal winter protection in combination with leaves. It is important that the plants are uncovered again in April, as the cold moisture can cause immense damage to the plants. On the other hand, older plants tolerate light degrees of frost very well. If you prefer to be on the safe side when wintering the artichoke, you can take the plant and its roots out of the ground and put it in a box in the cellar in dry sand. The temperature in the basement area should be at least 15 degrees Celsius.

It’s harvest time!

The use of artichokes is very diverse. No matter whether as a culinary delicacy, as a medicinal plant or as a noble ornamental plant for dry arrangements – it gives joy for all the senses. When the plant is ripe, the outer fleshy scales stick out slightly. The size of the plant does not always say something about the quality of the fruit. Even smaller plants can be of very high quality. You can harvest from summer until well into autumn, but usually only from the age of two. As soon as the level of ripeness is reached, the harvest should begin, as the edible soil is no longer edible once the artichoke has bloomed. That is why the flower heads are removed from the month of August to mid-October before the decorative bloom. The flower base and the fleshy calyx leaves are considered an excellent delicacy by gourmets all over the world. The flowers are prepared using salt water, which is provided with lemon juice or a dash of vinegar. The flowers have to cook in this brew for about 40 minutes. If the leaves can be pulled out without resistance, the artichoke is ready to eat. The small flakes are very rich in vitamin A, minerals and bitter substances. Furthermore, the fruit base of the flower head and smaller flowers can be preserved and made long-lasting by soaking them in olive oil. The flowers have to cook in this brew for about 40 minutes. If the leaves can be pulled out without resistance, the artichoke is ready to eat. The small flakes are very rich in vitamin A, minerals and bitter substances. Furthermore, the fruit base of the flower head and smaller flowers can be preserved and made long-lasting by soaking them in olive oil. The flowers have to cook in this brew for about 40 minutes. If the leaves can be pulled out without resistance, the artichoke is ready to eat. The small flakes are very rich in vitamin A, minerals and bitter substances. Furthermore, the fruit base of the flower head and smaller flowers can be preserved and made long-lasting by soaking them in olive oil.

Diseases and pests

The artichoke has so many positive properties and yet has enemies who want to spoil its life. The black bean louse in particular likes the plant’s fleshy leaves and prefers to settle right there. Dark discolorations indicate an infestation. After eating, the black bean louse secretes a secretion which drips onto the leaves and then marks them with black soot. Colony formation is a particular hallmark of the black bean louse. Hosts of crawling animals can attack the plants and lay their eggs. At the first sign of an infestation, the shoots and leaves must be removed immediately or, as a first aid measure, sprayed off with a strong jet of water. This can prevent it from spreading to other plants.

However, the black bean louse is not the only enemy that can bother the artichoke. The vole also loves to shorten the fine roots. These vegetarians are considered to be extremely picky when it comes to eating, but when it comes to the artichoke, they probably join in with the excellent taste of humans. Getting rid of such a vole can be an immense effort. Whoever owns a cat has a clear advantage, because they are a natural enemy that it is better to avoid. It also makes sense to set up vole traps or use chemical agents. Ultrasound probes can also successfully drive voles away.

Conclusion
The artichoke is much more than just an ornamental plant. Those who manage to establish the prickly noble plant in their garden can benefit equally from the external and internal beauty of the plant. Its valuable ingredients are considered to lower cholesterol and detoxify and have a stimulating effect on the human body. Their outer shape is bizarre and wild and at first glance nobody would expect such a valuable core behind the prickly facade. The artichoke only develops its true radiance when it is in bloom. They are characterized by a wonderful color scheme and their slim, upright growth. If it receives ideal growth and location conditions, it can bloom 3 to 4 years in a row and transform the garden at home into a true, exotic-looking paradise.