Artichokes
Question from Susan:
I am a beginning gardener in a community garden There is a very big artichoke plant in the garden but no sign of any buds… will they ever come?
Answer from Pat:
Yes the plant will bear buds in spring and will bear fruit again next year if given appropriate care, including removal of suckers and adequate fertilizer and water. The main woody stem will only bear once and should be cut down after harvest. In Southern California most artichoke plants usually bear fruit once a year in June.
When I inherited my garden plot it already had this artichoke plant in it. Since June when I began gardening, the plant has grown large in the garden.. is it possible that it may have bloomed already before I got the plot? Or does its growth in size imply that the blooming is yet to come. Thanks for your previous answer.
Sometimes when artichokes are allowed to bear too many leaves that’s all they do. I have no way to know if yours bore fruit or not. Choose one stem as the central one. Snap off all the others except four of them. Protect from snails and slugs. Begin in March to fertilize and water regularly and you should have a big harvest in June.