Artichoke

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Artichoke (lat. Cynara) belongs to the category of perennial plants of the Asteraceae family, or Asteraceae. In the wild, the plant in question grows in the Mediterranean. Nowadays, the artichoke is widely cultivated on the territory of many European countries, less often in Russia.

Description

The artichoke is represented by herbaceous plants that reach a height of up to two meters. They have large pinnately dissected foliage, green or gray-green in color, pubescent from the inside, may have small spines. The root system of the artichoke is strong.

The inflorescence is in the form of a basket, consisting of tubular flowers of yellowish color and marginal flowers of blue color. The artichoke is considered to be warm and light-loving, therefore, in the territory of the Russian Federation (especially in the middle lane) it is grown exclusively as an annual. The culture is sensitive to spring frosts, withstands frosts down to -1 C.

Location

The artichoke thrives on nutritious, well-cultivated, loose, water- and air-permeable soils with a neutral pH reaction. Sandy loam soils are the best option for the cultivation of the crop in question. It is undesirable to grow an artichoke on waterlogged soils, as this threatens with rotting of the roots, and subsequently the death of the plant.

Growing features

The artichoke is propagated by seed and vegetatively (by layering and root suckers). When growing crops by seed, the seeds need pre-treatment, more precisely, a weekly germination. They are placed in a damp cloth and placed in a container filled with well-moistened sand. The optimum temperature for germination is -20-25C. As soon as the seeds hatch, they are removed to a cold place.

Then the seeds are sown in a container with a soil mixture composed of nutrient soil, humus and washed river sand, taken in equal proportions, and kept at a temperature not lower than 17C. With the emergence of the seedlings of the first true leaf, the pikes dive the seedlings into the pots. Artichoke seedlings are transferred to open ground in the third decade of May - the first decade of June. Sowing in a greenhouse or greenhouse is not prohibited.

Reproduction of artichokes vegetatively is an easier, but no less effective way. Cutting offspring is carried out from the mother plant, using a sharp knife, previously disinfected. Each offspring should have a small portion of the rhizome. Before planting, sections of the material are treated with wood ash and planted for growing in a greenhouse. between crops of an artichoke, you can plant llatuk sowing, parsley, onions, etc.

Care

Of the methods of care, moderate watering, feeding with organic matter and complex mineral fertilizers are required. Feeding is carried out every 2-3 weeks until the end of July. Many gardeners advise leaving no more than 3-5 baskets on the plants, the rest are removed. This approach will allow for larger baskets. Collect the artichoke baskets as they begin to open at the very top. It is not recommended to wait for flowering. The artichoke can be kept in the refrigerator.

With the onset of autumn, the entire aerial part is cut off, leaving small stumps, which are covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves or other material. In Russia, this is not required, because the plants will not tolerate severe frosts. For the winter, the plants should be dug up, cut off all foliage and placed in the cellar. In the third decade of February - the first decade of March, the overwintered material is divided and planted in pots. In the first decade of June, they are transferred to open ground.