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How To Grow Superb Globe Artichokes

Let's have a look at how to grow superb globe artichokes.

These are a vegetable that is not all that commonly grown, largely because many gardeners don't know what to do with them in the kitchen.

Believe me, they're delicious!

If you want globe artichokes in year one, as it were, then sow seed in a propagator in the greenhouse very early in the year. January is not too early.

Sow in 4" or 5" pots perhaps five or six to a pot. Cover with ½" of compost.

When the plants have started to germinate, prick out and pot up into 3" pots.

Grow on in the greenhouse until the end of March or early April. Then plant out into soil that you have previously given a good dose of compost or horse manure, or whatever.

Once planted, the artichokes will last for several years, so it makes sense to get a good rich soil prepared for them.

They make quite big, tall plants, about 4' - 5' high, so need to be planted out about 3' apart.

They need plenty of water and the heads don't reach full size without it. In the first year you will probably only be able to cut one or two heads from each plant, but once established they will produce five to six heads a year.

They do tend to suffer from blackfly, so watch out for this and spray with a soap-based organic fertiliser at the first signs.

Cut the heads before the scales begin to open, otherwise you will finish up with a very pretty flower (which, incidentally, you can use in an autumn dried flower arrangement) but not a vegetable useful in the kitchen.

Boil the heads for 20 minutes in salted water. Allow to cool, then use as a "starter". Make up some vinaigrette dressing, peel each leaf off the artichoke, dip the base of the leaf into the vinaigrette dressing (I add plenty of garlic to mine) and just chew off the base of each leaf between your teeth! It may sound odd, but I promise you it's heaven! What a starter before a main course!

When you get further up the artichoke, you can cut out with a knife the "choke" which is the hairy bit and you are basically left with a fleshy part at the base of the artichoke which you then cut into quarters or whatever and dip into your vinaigrette dressing and eat. Heaven!

Now you know how easy it is to grow globe artichokes you will be itching to start! Promise you, they're easy!

About the Author

Jack West is a garden writer who has been growing for over forty years. His main interests are growing food and flowers for the house. Very recently he has discovered an amazing new way of making garden compost which is FAR, FAR better for plants than traditional methods! This is truly groundbreaking (sorry) stuff! Click here for full details: http://kmeister.turnwill2.hop.clickbank.net/

Author: Jack West

 

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