Can I suggest not picking all the Artichokes, let them flower the bees & others will thank you & your neighbours will bee very envious & wont have a clue what you are growing & will want some. (Vivid Purple)
With mine the big ones are a bit ropey anyway so I save them for the neighbours(bees really)! Had some last night boiled with olive oil & balsamic vinegar!!
Hi David. A neighbouring allotment, close to mine, has some fantastic globe artichoke flowers with many buds forming. My plants only went in this season (Imperial Star and Purple Globe Romanesco) so I will have to wait until next season to see them in their full glory. Thanks for your suggestion.
Hi String, Mine are very tall (8’+)now & only just beginning to flower, they are still growing little beauties too,
Of course I put loads of compost down before winter; this year I started giving some off-shoots away.
They work as a great windbreak & screen which is why I put them in originally. Apart from my weeds these are the only triffids(ok rhubarb too) that I have in my vege garden.
Look forward to next year with a bumper crop the following year.
I noticed that one of mine had rotted on the plant so cut the rest, only to find that they were alive with ear wigs and also rotting from the inside out 🙁
Any idea why this had happened and how to prevent it happening again?