Globe Artichokes

[Jimbergerac]

Hello! I have just taken on an allotment and there are loads of mature globe artichoke plants, which were cut down just before I got the plot- not sure who by, possibly the council. Anyhow, I love artichokes and want to keep them but understand from my neigbours the plants are a few years old. Any tips on how I can rejuvinate them to ensure I get a decent crop- hopefully this year. Thanks

[alldigging]

Throw some straw over them and leave alone.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-y...obe-artichokes

Doesn't say when to divide. I'd assume now would be ok.

[Kristen]

there are loads of mature globe artichoke plants, which were cut down just before I got the plot- not sure who by, possibly the council. ... the plants are a few years old. Any tips on how I can rejuvinate them to ensure I get a decent crop

It won't matter that the tops have been cut off, they would die down in the winter too (although you may have some fresh growth at the base now, which will survive if we get a mild winter, if not it will go mushy and die down too and fresh growth will come in the Spring).

In the Spring you can take Offsets off the mother plant - leave enough for a decent clump, from which you will get your harvest, and plant up the offsets for future years (and possibly their first year even, if you can get them growing away strongly enough)

The Mother plants get tired after a few seasons, so it is best to regenerate them by growing on a few offsets each year, and culling off the older Mother plants. Best to take offsets from the plants that give you the biggest / most flavourful globes ... but you won't know that until after next Summer's harvest of course

I'm guessing that the ones you have are hardy, but IMHO the best tasting ones are the French varieties, and they are not reliably hardy here and would need some protection for the winter

[WendyC]

Where are you based as climate will have a bearing on advice.

[Noosner]

The usual advice is to to cut them down for winter, anyway, so the council have saved you a job!

Charles Dowding, the no-dig man, claims to have globe artichoke plants that are 14 years old and still producing good crops.

I would cover them just in case, especially if you live in the North, since it could be a cold winter. I lost some of mine one year when I didn't cover them (I live in Yorkshire and it can be nippy up 'ere!

[BertieFox]

First be sure they ARE globe artichokes and not cardoons. Cardoons look identical but grow like weeds and to a huge size, also being much hardier. You will only know when they start to bud and flower next year, but if they are small and spiky, then they are cardoons. You can eat these like artichokes but much more fiddly for very little reward.

The only reason I query the 'globe artichoke' label is that in all my years of gardening, including here in France, I have never had them spread and grow easily while cardoons have often almost taken over our patch by self seeding.

[BertieFox]

First be sure they ARE globe artichokes and not cardoons. Cardoons look identical but grow like weeds and to a huge size, also being much hardier. You will only know when they start to bud and flower next year, but if they are small and spiky, then they are cardoons. You can eat these like artichokes but much more fiddly for very little reward.

The only reason I query the 'globe artichoke' label is that in all my years of gardening, including here in France, I have never had them spread and grow easily while cardoons have often almost taken over our patch by self seeding.