All right. I’ll admit it…there is no golden artichoke. They’re either green or purple, depending on the variety you choose to grow. This veggie is truly an adventure for both eating purposes and gardening purposes. Bees and butterflies love them, when left to bloom on their own. Think “Giant Thistle”. And the flavor! Oh my. Even my dog will eat artichokes.
Until recently, there were no varieties available to the home gardener that would work for us outside of the Pacific coast region or the mild Mediterranean. They generally don’t like temperatures below 20 degrees. Don’t we all feel that way? The Imperial Star, which became available within the last ten years, changed all that. This variety can be started from seed (although I prefer seedlings from the nursery) in the early spring. It will produce edibles in about 90 days, once you’ve set out your transplants.
Western Oregon’s climate is generally mild enough to grow these thistles as perennials. They should be cut back and heavily mulched in the winter. After a mild winter, new plants should sprout from the parent plant in the spring. Uncover them in April. Colder winters, such as we’ve seen in the last couple of years, may cause your chokes to not fare as well.
Until the advent of the Imperial Star, ‘chokes grown from seed usually didn’t produce buds in their first season. The Imperial Star is marketed as an annual. The perennial varieties – Green Globe and Violetto – require chilling and are more finicky. Their crowns require around FIVE HUNDRED HOURS of a process called “vernalization” – temperatures between 34 and 50 degrees. This process is said to produce bigger bud yields.
Right now is the time to start, if you’re starting from seed, indoors. Keep them under grow lights for about eight weeks and then harden off. In April or May, you should be able to find them at the nurseries or garden centers.
Select a planting site that has full sun, well-drained soil and lots of organic matter. Set your plants out when the temperature is consistently 50 degrees or higher and the danger of frost is past. Have your soil loosened to a depth of 12 inches as ‘chokes set down taproots that need to be positioned straight down. Give them plenty of room, as they will eventually grow to five feet in height and some 40 inches in width. If it’s hot out, mulch the plants thickly to keep the soil cool. Over 85 degrees of soil temperature and your plants will go dormant. Keep in mind the shade these large plants are going to cast and consider what your companion plants require.
Use a slow release fertilizer such as well-rotted manure, fishmeal pellets or compost. Artichokes are hungry; so don’t skimp on the fertilizer. They need consistent and steady moisture as well. They don’t like wet feet and will develop root rot if the soil doesn’t drain well. A soaker hose or dripper under the mulch is really the easiest and most efficient way to make sure that your ‘chokes are getting the water they require.
Artichokes aren’t much bothered by pests with the exception of aphids and rabbits. Strong sprays of water and insecticidal soap will take care of the aphids. A chicken wire cage or your dog will take care of the rabbit problem.
When the plants reach a good height, a center – or terminal – bud will form. It’s the largest and the first one to mature on the plant. Then side shoots will form, producing more buds – smaller and later ripening. Harvest these buds before they start to open. They will be tight with waxy petals. You can store them in the fridge for up to two weeks, if you can resist that long. They really are best when eaten shortly after they’re harvested.
Artichoke plants should produce for three or four years. Then it is best to dig and divide, as it will produce off shoot plants that will likely crowd the original.
Artichokes and its cousin, the cardoon, are members of the daisy family – as are thistles. You can cut an artichoke, place the stem in water and often the flower will continue to mature and open into the giant violet blue thistle that it actually is. Cardoons, generally grown more for the fleshy base that the leaves we tend to savor, are smaller and likewise open into blue thistle blossoms.
Cardoons are so lovely that they are often grown as ornamentals and can be seen in French gardens along with dahlias and verbenas. Cardoons will afford an adventurous gardener a unique flavor and the pleasure of harvesting into December, and maybe throughout the winter, if the season chooses to be mild.
Cardoons are best grown from seeds. If grown from a root division, the buds tend to be tough and go to flower more quickly. If you’re growing for decorative purposes, that’s fine. If you’re planning on eating the cardoons, get some seeds. Cardoons require about a square yard of space.
Cardoons take their sweet time in getting established and they may not seem to do anything at all for the first few weeks after you’ve set out your transplants. They’re just getting a feel for the area. Keep them watered abundantly, or your cardoons will go tough on you. Water evenly and regularly to avoid bitterness.
In October, when the plant stops growing, it is time to “blanch” your cardoons. Remove all the damaged or rotten leaves. Bunch the leaves up together and tie them at two or three places with soft twine into a cylindrical shape. Wrap the cylinder with burlap or weed barrier or even an old pillowcase and tie the covering in place. This stops photosynthesis from taking place and dissipates any bitter compounds in the leaves. A tuft of leaf tips should protrude from your wrapping. Check the plants frequently as they could rot during this period. If you have a number of plants, don’t blanch them all at once. Once blanched, they must be harvested.
After 3 weeks or so under cover, your cardoons are ready to harvest. Sever the root just below the soil with a sharp, stout knife.
You can treat these plants as you would a globe artichoke. The leaves and hearts are cooked in rapidly boiling water flavored with salt and lemon. To prepare cardoons for cooking, remove any bruised or ragged outer stems. Remove the leaves from their ribs. Using a sharp paring knife, thinly pare the backs of the ribs, removing the tough fibers that run along them. Cut the ribs into two to three inch sections and drop them into some water with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar to prevent oxidization. Remove the fuzz from the hearts.
The flavor of cardoon is very close to that of the artichoke. It works perfectly with black olives, anchovies, lemons and olive oil. It’s also a delight steamed and served with a bechamel sauce. They can be braised with a little bacon (or pancetta), onion, garlic, lemon and olive oil. They can be served cold, as a starter or salad, with hollandaise or remoulade sauce and they can be used in soups.
A final note – Artichoke and cardoon flowers left to go to seed will service as natural birdfeeders through the winter months until the finches have exhausted the oil rich seeds.
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