Artichokes In The Garden: How To Grow?

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

Artichokes, whose homeland is considered to be the Mediterranean, were introduced into culture long before the onset of our era, but they were first brought to Russia from Holland only in the eighteenth century. At the same time, for a very long time, they were considered a real delicacy that only the richest strata of the Russian aristocracy could afford. And now, if desired, any summer resident can grow artichokes on their own plot. How can this be done?

Best predecessors

Artichokes are best planted after crops, the soil for planting which has undergone deep digging and has been enriched with various fertilizers - such crops include all kinds of root crops (carrots with beets, etc.), as well as potatoes and legumes. It is especially good to plant artichokes after legumes - these valuable predecessors enrich the soil not only with vital nitrogen for it, but also with a number of other, no less important elements.

Plot

The area where artichokes will grow must be reliably protected from piercing winds (and twice from the east and north) and properly warmed up, since the optimal temperature regime for the full development of vulnerable inflorescences is in the range from twenty to twenty-five degrees. And, of course, the soil on the site must be cultivated - the best option for growing artichokes will be sandy loam or loamy soils.

Soil preparation

The soil for planting demanding artichokes should be prepared in advance by digging it to a depth of at least thirty or even thirty-five centimeters. It will not hurt to add good organic fertilizers to the soil during digging - rotted manure will be especially suitable for these purposes. And if you add organic matter, coupled with mineral fertilizers, you can not only increase the volume of the crop, but also significantly increase the early ripening of artichokes. So do not give up the idea of adding ammonium nitrate or superphosphate to the soil!

Seed preparation

Seeds intended for sowing should be fresh, well ripened and calibrated into small, puny and more valuable, full-bodied large ones. For this purpose, without exception, all seeds are immersed in a saline solution (three percent) - in this case, feeble seeds will slowly float to the surface (it is advisable to remove them immediately), and large seeds will settle on the bottom of the container. All settled seeds are thoroughly washed and dried thoroughly. In order to prevent the development of dangerous ailments, it is not forbidden to disinfect seeds by placing them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a quarter of an hour.

To increase the germination of artichoke seeds, they are soaked in water, the temperature of which is forty degrees, and then briefly immersed in a container with water, the temperature of which is only two degrees. And then the seeds are placed on sawdust in a room warm enough to start sprouting little by little.

Growing seedlings

Sprouted seeds are sown in containers filled with either peat or a mixture of sand and turf soil with humus, and they need to be sealed to a depth of about two and a half centimeters. As for the air temperature, during this period it should be in the range from twenty to twenty-two degrees.

Planting seeds directly into open ground

In open ground, artichoke seeds can be planted either wide-row or square. And so that the plants have enough space for proper development and subsequent growth, the distance between the holes should not be less than sixty centimeters. Immediately before sowing the seeds, all the holes are thoroughly shed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and as soon as the soil dries up a little, they immediately start sowing the seeds.

Ideally, a couple of seeds are placed in each hole - this approach will allow, when the first true leaves appear, to thin out the emerging seedlings, leaving only the healthiest and strongest specimens in the holes. The seeding depth in this case should be about four to five centimeters, and as soon as the seeds are in the soil, it should be rolled up immediately in order to facilitate the early emergence of the long-awaited seedlings.

Care

The soil on which artichokes grow should always be kept loose to ensure a constant flow of air to the roots. As for watering, during the period of active growth, artichokes need to be watered abundantly and often, and after this period, the number of waterings can be reduced to once a week. Compliance with these simple rules will help you get a very good harvest!