Artichoke – Vegetable garden

Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) requires cool nights and warm days. Aside from providing delicious, tender thistles for the table, the plants themselves are gorgeous! They grow to 5 feet across and almost as high with beautiful gray fuzzy foliage. Artichokes are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, while being a rich source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamins which include vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B-6,B-12, A, E, D and vitamin K. Artichokes also provide minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, sodium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc.

Scientific name: Cynara scolymus
Common name: Artichoke

How to grow and maintain Artichoke:

Planting:                                                                                   Plant artichokes in a location in full sun from bare root stock in January or from container grown stock later in the spring. To grow artichokes in cold winter climates, protect the root with several inches of straw mulch or better yet, grow them in large containers and move to a protected location when the temperature drops. Fertilize (after you see greenery) with a small amount of all-purpose fish fertilizer. Micronutrients from seaweed extract can be beneficial also.

Watering:
Artichokes require around one-inch of water every week. This might be given by overhead or trickle water system. Dampness stress may bring about a physiologic issue called Black Tip. The tips of the influenced bracts get to be distinctly dim chestnut or practically dark, dry, and rough. This issue seems all the more as often as possible amid sunny, warm, and breezy days that expansion the development rate and causes intermittent dampness push.

Fertilization:
Soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer (1 tbsp/gal) is added to the potted seedlings about ten days before transplanting. The field soil is fertilized with 10-10-10 at a rate of 1300 lb/A before transplanting. The pH of the soil should be about 6.5.

Harvest:
Buds are harvested when they have reached their maximum size, but not gotten tough and too far along in the floral development process. Generally, they should be picked when the lower bud bracts have just begun to separate. Once the top (primary) choke is cut, secondary chokes will develop.