Cardoon

[KERNOW CHICK]

I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE GIVEN 16 DIFFERENT HERBS FROM MY LOCAL GARDEN CENTRE FOR FREE (£25 WORTH!).

ONE OF THE HERBS IS CALLED CARDOON BUT I CAN'T FIND IT IN ANY OF MY GARDENING BOOKS AND I'VE NO IDEA WHAT I CAN DO WITH IT.

[Nicos]

Here you go....

BBC - Gardening - Plants - Plant Finder - Cynara cardunculus

They grow quite a bit of it in France. I bought a packet of seeds this year and never got round to sowing them


Oh....and welcome to the Vine!

[JennieAtkinson]

I was really lucky in that Jeanine sent me a cardoon head, but so far I've had no luck in getting any seeds to germinate. I see Nicos that its ideal for a beginner! I must be doing something wrong!

[HeyWayne]

My favourid cardoon wad alwayd Top Cad as a kid.

Sorry, bit of a cold.

[Snadger]

I'm growing cardoon again this year and found the seeds very easy to germinate even though they were last years seed!

I sowed it last year then chopped it off with a hoe thinking it was a thistle. I had a few seeds left and sowed some again this year and they are just about ready to plant out. Hopefully I know what they look like now and won't do the same again.

Just as an aside I also grew Seakale last year from seed but the pigeons annialated it and I thought I had lost it. I decided to put blackcurrants in the bed it was in and low and behold it then decided to make an appearance. I now have two plants of it with wonderdul flowers similar to a large gypsophilia!

Looking forward to the cardoon flowering, but it may not be until next year now!

[piskieinboots]

and from on Kernow chick to another - take ya caps lock of please It makes it hard to read your posts - yer I know, I know, moaning ole bat that oi is

[theothermarg]

I,v grown this from seed easy once you get past the slug dinner stage! not sure which part is edible just like the look of the plant.had 2 flowers on last year looking forward to more this year
marg

[Snadger]

I,v grown this from seed easy once you get past the slug dinner stage! not sure which part is edible just like the look of the plant.had 2 flowers on last year looking forward to more this year
marg

I think you blanche it like celery by wrapping a hesian sack filled with straw around it!

[kentvegplot]

Once you've got a cardoon, it'll get bigger and bigger. I (rather roughly) moved one from my mother's garden, lifting 5 pieces from what had been a small plant last year. Transplanted into rough ground and all showing flower heads (I don't grow it to eat, the books suggest it's not very, umm, interesting)

[burnie]

I always thought that since victorian times it was only grown for it's flower,indeed I'm sure Geoff Hamilton said it tasted "awfull".Try letting your globe artichoke go to flower as they are similar.I used to put them in as a wind break for my veggies when down in the midlands.

[Snadger]

I always thought that since victorian times it was only grown for it's flower,indeed I'm sure Geoff Hamilton said it tasted "awfull".Try letting your globe artichoke go to flower as they are similar.I used to put them in as a wind break for my veggies when down in the midlands.

If you have a look at the Victorian Kitchen Garden DVD I'm sure there's a section on there where Harry Dodson is blanching cardoon with a straw rope!