vince pitelka on sat 23 mar 02
> Sorry to get off topic, but I know alot of you are gardeners. I want to
> grow some artichokes, but have had poor luck in the past. I live in
> Charlotte, NC which translates to zone 7. Fairly mild winters (usually no
> lower than 10 F) and hot humid summers. Clay soil ammended with compost.
> Any advice would be appreciated.
Valerie -
Personally, I LOVE these little off-topic snippets. There are so many
different kinds of artichokes, bred for different growing conditions. You
just need to research the available ones. As I remember, they like hot/dry
and sandy soil. So add lots of sand to the beds, and plant them on hills so
that they will be well ventilated.
While we lived in Fargo, ND we actually found a short-season artichoke which
produced very well, and if you can grow them in Fargo, you can grow them
ANYWHERE in the continental US. Our neighbors thought we were nuts when we
planted them, but now they are all growing artichokes.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Elca Branman on sat 23 mar 02
my advice...move to california.
On Sat, 23 Mar 2002 16:07:20 -0500 Valerie Hawkins
writes:
> Sorry to get off topic, but I know alot of you are gardeners. I want
> to
> grow some artichokes, but have had poor luck in the past. I live in
> Charlotte, NC which translates to zone 7. Fairly mild winters
> (usually no
> lower than 10 F) and hot humid summers. Clay soil ammended with
> compost.
> Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> Valerie
> Charlotte, NC
>
>
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> melpots@pclink.com.
Elca Branman.. in Sarasota,Florida,USA
elcab1@juno.com
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Valerie Hawkins on sat 23 mar 02
Sorry to get off topic, but I know alot of you are gardeners. I want to
grow some artichokes, but have had poor luck in the past. I live in
Charlotte, NC which translates to zone 7. Fairly mild winters (usually no
lower than 10 F) and hot humid summers. Clay soil ammended with compost.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Valerie
Charlotte, NC
Raku Lou on sun 24 mar 02
Hi Valerie,
Here is what I have learned after growing
artichokes for the last 3 years in zone 7 near
Birmingham. I planted seeds of the Imperial Star
variety from Parks Seed Co. on the 21st of Jan.
1999,and transplanted three plants when the weather
warmed and the plants were big enough. That summer the
harvest was good(can't remember how many), and the
plants died back a bit toward the fall. I removed any
dead leaves and mulched them for the winter. The
plants stay small throughout the winter and need
protection from the weather,especially hard freezes. I
used a wire frame and canvas to protect them. As
spring rolled around the plants began to GROW and the
harvest was about 30 artichokes per plant. At the end
of that summer I divided the largest plant and moved
it into the greenhouse so I didn't have to cover and
uncover the plants throughout the cold season.I have
three nice plants out there now about 18 inches tall
and growing every day,and I am looking forward to
another nice harvest this summer.The soil they were
originally grown in was rocky,clay with a lot of
organic stuff mixed in, no chemicals and no poison,
they seem to have few pests here(yet). OK,thats about
it as best I can remember,Lou
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Michael McDowell on sun 24 mar 02
Valerie,
Having just lost, or I fear so, about 40 artichoke plants to a late cold snap
here in Northwest Washington state, I may not be the most accomplished
artichoke grower who will respond to you. As you no doubt know, Castroville,
CA bills itself as the "Artichoke Capitol of the World". If you take a look at
that environment, you will see that it very rarely even gets below freezing
there because of the strong marine influence, and it rarely gets really hot
for the same reason. This is the climate where artichokes thrive. Winters that
reach 10 F are certainly cold enough to freeze out the only moderately hardy
roots, and the heat of your summers may be a problem too. I wouldn't know
about that for sure since we get very little true heat up here. Our winters
sound as if they are comparable to yours though.
Success with artichokes here is possible, but not always predictable. To do
really well with standard globe artichokes, you have to get them going for
multiple years. That way the plant produces several stalks and primary heads.
You generally can only expect to get one stalk going the first year, and after
the main head is taken, the subsidiary heads are quite diminutive. One thing
that growers around here have tried is a somewhat different variety called
Imperial Star. These plants are much more productive of secondary and tertiary
heads off that main stalk. This can make growing just an annual plant more
worthwhile.
Another approach is to provide some supplemental protection for your artichoke
plants to get them through the winter in good shape. The best protection I've
found is the use of greenhouse plastic clipped to plastic hoops to make low
tents or cloches. You cut down the plants to about 10" height in the fall and
cover them under these tents for the coldest part of the winter. They seem to
handle the upper twenties just fine without protection, but are definitely in
peril when temperatures reach the teens. My apologies to those of you who are
using a more sensible temperature scale.
Good Luck,
Michael McDowell
Whatcom County, WA USA
michael@mcdowellpottery.com
http://www.mcdowellpottery.com
Richard Jeffery on mon 25 mar 02
this gels with experience over here - artichokes have long been an important
crop in Brittany - mild, maritime climate. mind you - they do well in
italy, too....
Richard Jeffery
Web Design and Photography
www.theeleventhweb.co.uk
Bournemouth UK
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of Michael McDowell
Sent: 25 March 2002 01:43
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: OT - gardening/artichokes
Valerie,
Having just lost, or I fear so, about 40 artichoke plants to a late cold
snap
here in Northwest Washington state, I may not be the most accomplished
artichoke grower who will respond to you. As you no doubt know, Castroville,
CA bills itself as the "Artichoke Capitol of the World". If you take a look
at
that environment, you will see that it very rarely even gets below freezing
there because of the strong marine influence, and it rarely gets really hot
for the same reason. This is the climate where artichokes thrive. Winters
that
reach 10 F are certainly cold enough to freeze out the only moderately hardy
roots, and the heat of your summers may be a problem too. I wouldn't know
about that for sure since we get very little true heat up here. Our winters
sound as if they are comparable to yours though.
Success with artichokes here is possible, but not always predictable. To do
really well with standard globe artichokes, you have to get them going for
multiple years. That way the plant produces several stalks and primary
heads.
You generally can only expect to get one stalk going the first year, and
after
the main head is taken, the subsidiary heads are quite diminutive. One thing
that growers around here have tried is a somewhat different variety called
Imperial Star. These plants are much more productive of secondary and
tertiary
heads off that main stalk. This can make growing just an annual plant more
worthwhile.
Another approach is to provide some supplemental protection for your
artichoke
plants to get them through the winter in good shape. The best protection
I've
found is the use of greenhouse plastic clipped to plastic hoops to make low
tents or cloches. You cut down the plants to about 10" height in the fall
and
cover them under these tents for the coldest part of the winter. They seem
to
handle the upper twenties just fine without protection, but are definitely
in
peril when temperatures reach the teens. My apologies to those of you who
are
using a more sensible temperature scale.
Good Luck,
Michael McDowell
Whatcom County, WA USA
michael@mcdowellpottery.com
http://www.mcdowellpottery.com
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
John Baymore on mon 25 mar 02
I want to grow some artichokes, but have had poor luck in the past. I li=
ve
in
Charlotte, NC which translates to zone 7. Fairly mild winters (usually n=
o
lower than 10 F) and hot humid summers. Clay soil ammended with compost.=
Any advice would be appreciated.
Valerie,
Dig up a section of the clay soil that has NOT yet been amended with
compost. Pick out the larger rocks, twigs, and other exteraneous matter=
. =
Mix with a large amount of water in a large bucket until a thin slip. Po=
ur
it through a piece of 16 mesh window screen into another bucket. Dig a
shallow depression into the ground and line it with a pice of canvas with=
no holes in it. Pour the slip into this shallow "bowl". Let the excess
water drain thru the canvas and also evaporate from the surface of the sl=
ip
until it is a plastic mass. Remove the clay and wedge the heck out of it=
. =
Do some test bars of it and fire to progressively higher temperatures to
see what the maturing range of the clay is. Utilize it as either a glaze=
material or as a clay body material, as appropriate.
Hope this advice is useful ........ You did say ANY advice .
I'm sorry...... I just couldn't resist .
Best,
..............................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
603-654-2752 (s)
800-900-1110 (s)
JohnBaymore.com
JBaymore@compuserve.com
"DATES SET: Earth, Water, and Fire Noborigama Woodfiring Workshop Augu=
st
16-25, 2002"
Janet Kaiser on mon 25 mar 02
Do you mean globe or Jerusalem Artichokes? There is a big difference!
This thread is a really weird case of coincidence... I had two clients
in The Chapel on Saturday, who are staying at a swanky
local hotel, which only uses local produce (they also have some
selected top work acquired from The CoA which is why these people came
to see us! :-) Anyway, they had been served Jerusalem artichoke soup
and were looking to buy a couple of pounds to take home to plant in
Yorkshire. Isn't that odd? No sooner mentioned on Clayart and... Well!
Jerusalem artichokes are the ones which produce tubers, like little
knobbly potatoes. A fiddle to scrap and you have to put them in salted
water to save them discolouring, but I prefer them to Globe
Artichokes, which ALWAYS have earwigs in them and apart from the
base... Well, I think they are vastly over-rated.
GLOBE ARTICHOKES
Do not attempt to grow them unless the soil is well drained. It should
be dry in the summer and sodden in the winter. According to my mother
(who grew both types) they must be sited in a really sunny position,
because the flower heads develop quicker and taste much better if they
got as mulch sunshine as possible. She always used the shoot which
form from the sides to get new plants. They were cut off in the autumn
and put into pots in a cold frame in case of frost. Because it is mild
here, most of the mother plants survived but the cuttings were just
incase there was a hard frost and all the parent plants killed. I
believe that straw is used to protect them over the winter in drier
climates, but that would not be good here... Too wet! Mildew would rot
down unless the straw was renewed regularly. Mum used to plant a few
new each year, so even the oldest plants were never more than 5 or 6
years old. She reckoned they became less productive and tough after
that. I also remember her using dried blood and mulch feed. I don't
know what variety they were... One was "Green" and the other
"Purple"... at least that was what I was sent out to harvest :-)
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES
They can grow to six feet or more high, so they make a great hedge!
They are grown like potatoes and "earthed up" in the same way. I
presume they needed well-drained sandy earth, because they were always
at the top of the garden which was very dry and not much use for
growing anything else, except herbs like thyme. We had to stake ours
because of the winds here on the coast.
The knobbly tubers are left underground until needed over the winter.
We chopped down the tops to about a foot or so from the ground in the
late autumn... November or December. Although we only ever watered
them when they wilted in a severe drought (yes, we do have them
occasionally!), they did receive quite a lot of feed. I am afraid I
cannot remember what exactly, except wood ash from our stove would be
sprinkled over that patch and rotted farmyard manure before planting
saved tubers again in the spring. I can also remember that one year we
used fish, because I was worried the artichokes would taste like the
smell of rotten fish! That wood ash now makes me think they need
potash, which can now be bought as a commercial plant food and if we
put the fish there too, probably a bonemeal would not do them any
harm. I have absolutely no idea what variety they were... Probably
several human generations old (save and plant). Every tiny tuber had
to be lifted, although they had to be a reasonable size to replant as
a food source.
Just as a matter of interest, we grew dahlias to eat too. They were
very similar to the Jerusalem artichoke tubers and prepared in the
same way. They were lifted in the autumn, before any threat of frost.
I am afraid my Mother is no longer around to ask about the details of
any of this... She died in 1997. Just shows how quickly knowledge can
be lost. I do know it was her theory that it was because Jerusalem
artichokes were already prized in Europe, those new fangled New World
tubers caught on so quickly! :-)
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art / Capel Celfyddyd
Home of The International Potters' Path
8 Marine Crescent : Criccieth : GB-Wales
URL: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
postbox@the-coa.org.uk
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