Globe Artichokes

[gandii]

Hi does anyone know the best time to split the new growth from my Artichoke plants is it now or in the autumn
thanks gandii

[Hilary]

please describe what is happening to your globe artickokes? I planted a row last year - and duly left them - cut them back for the winter - and now i find that the stems i cut back have died off - but a million baby plants seem to be emerging like an army all around the base of the original stems -
what to do?? Either i end up with an artichoke army - or which do i remove? is that the new growth you allude to????

[gandii]

artichoke army nice name for a band!!!!!

yes thats the new growth.monty don says too place a spade between the new and old growth and push down to seperate them ,then dig up and replant elsewhere but when this is done i have no idea,i know there only good for about 4 years but at the rate they divide in 4 years time i'll have a field full

[chickenjane]

i'd get em separated & replanted as sooon as poss.
i don't see how it can be done in the Autumn as the off-sets don't really appear til the spring.
on the other hand they might need some time to establish & therefore you might not get any flowers from the newly planted bits this sumer.

the best bet would be to keep a few of the better looking old plants & replace the weedier ones with the best offsets.that way you should have plants of various ages & be guarenteed some artichokes for supper.

in my experience the longevity of the individual plants is v variable & when they decide to fade is unpredictable.

[Paulottie]

It is done in spring and you are right an artichocke gets over crowded and unproductive after 3 or 4 yrs. Take your described cuttings from best plant...I use an old carving knife to cut them from the crown, and pot them up. plant them in a month or two when they have a healthy root system and the following autumn dig out and discard parent

[gandii]

thanks for all the advice i'll be up there after work tomorrow and sort all this out thanks grow your own for giving growers a awell educated forum