[sachkrimbo]

Been looking htrough some catalogues today and artichokes grabbed my eye.  Never thought about growing htem before but fancied a try.  Does  anyone have any tips on them as I had so many failures last year would be gutted to try something new and hav eno harvest again (tried Kohl Rabi for the first time last year and they got destroyed by flea beatle)

[sachkrimbo]

duh, sorry forgot to say, globe artichokes.

[New shoot]

I grew some from seed last year and they were very easy.  They are looking a bit sad after the snow but I am hoping for a small crop this year.  They look lovely in full growth - I've got mine in a raised bed at home surrounded by strawberries.

Kohl rabi were new for me last year and I did well with them and did several crops over the summer.  I started them in pots and planted them out as largish plants and they didn't attract flea beetle, whereas if I try to grow seed direct of any type of brassica, turnip or radish on my plot, they get flea beatled to extinction.

[sachkrimbo]

So I am being stupid now.  Wherever I position them is permanent and they keep going?  Which means my whim of an idea will have to be thought through a little more carefully.

[New shoot]

They are a perennial crop so maybe   

[scousemouse]

I planted seedlings that I bought from the garden centre (8 for £2) and they didn't take off, but grew respectably considering our allotments are quite windy. 

Sadly I forgot to wrap them in newspaper or fleece for the winter and the -17C temperatures in December have turned them into black mush.  I'm leaving them in to see if they send out new leaves in spring, but I'm not hopeful.

[lucywil]

i have one that i bought from a nursery for 5p a few year ago, it is a beautiful plant but i grow it for decoration as i dont like the artichokes>

anyway what i was going to say was think about where you plant them because although they look nothing at this time of year by mid summer mine is usually about 6 to 8 feet across.

[Kristen]

Seed is variable compared to plants grown from cuttings (offsets). Unless there are better varieties of seed since I last looked I only rate Green Globe as "OK", whereas the varieties from offsets such as “Vert de Laon” or “Camus de Bretagne” (which is possibly the less hardy of the two) give great crops.  The Purple varieties are reputed to be hardier, but I think have less taste.

[sachkrimbo]

interesting.  In most o the catalogues I have Green Globe is the only one in all.  Think I night just go for it and try them in a block, like sweetcorn and see what happens.  As long as we get spuds, carrots and tomatoes everyone else in the family is  happy.

[Kristen]

We have them in a block too (we have a "block" at the end of each of our 4 crop rotation beds - Globe & Jerusalem Artichokes, Rhubarb and some herbs.)

If you plant them closer together you will get more, smaller, heads - which is probably not desirable. I think the recommended planting distance is 3'

[PennyS]

I sowed some from seed about 8 years ago and they have done remarkably well.  For the last few years I've been taking the offsets and planting new ones.  I probably do need to start with some fresh ones but I've had consistently good crops.  I don't get huge heads, but that suits us as the main eater is my 7 year old who can't get enough of them.  We hvae a fairly contstant supply over a good few months.

For most of the time they've been in a garden border (sunny spot) but last year I took offsets and put them in my (new) allotment, where they've thriving.

ps it would only have been a bog standard variety, probably Green Globe.

[PennyS]

I planted seedlings that I bought from the garden centre (8 for £2) and they didn't take off, but grew respectably considering our allotments are quite windy.  

Sadly I forgot to wrap them in newspaper or fleece for the winter and the -17C temperatures in December have turned them into black mush.  I'm leaving them in to see if they send out new leaves in spring, but I'm not hopeful.

You might be surprised.  Very often mine look really dead but come spring, they come back to life.  Hang on, don't throw them out yet...