by Leslie Cox; Monday; January 16, 2017

Ever eat a thistle plant? Apparently they are delicious. And they have been around for a very long time.

Native to the Mediterranean, stretching into North Africa and east into Sicily, artichokes are purported to be the oldest cultivated vegetable…as far back as the 8th century BC, so it is claimed. Certainly there is mention of them in records dating back to 75 AD during the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Thanks to those early peoples, the seeds were carried out of their native region and into other countries…what is now called Europe, including France and Spain. But it was the Dutch who brought the artichoke into England in the early part of the 16th century where it was grown in King Henry VIII’s garden at Newhall. Sometime later, in the 1600s, artichokes were carried to the New World, along the few belongings early immigrants took with them.

The part of the plant eaten is the immature flower bud, before it opens up. This is called the ‘heart’ and the fleshy scales encasing the bud are the ‘leaves’. It is certainly not the easiest vegetable to eat but it is packed with healthy vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals…providing benefits against heart and liver disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Only half-hardy, the artichoke plants are typically grown as an annual since they will not tolerate temperatures below -6.6 °C (20 °F). If you live in an area blessed with mild winters, the plants will survive several years…although it is recommended the plants be replaced with new seedlings every four years, or so.

Some claim there is a degree of difficulty in growing artichokes, but with a little patience, you can start them from seed indoors. Towards the end of January, sow one or two seeds in 2 inch pots and place under fluorescent grow lights. They will germinate in 7-16 days given warm room temperatures. Pot up the seedlings as they grow, then start hardening them off about four weeks or so before your last frost date. They need to be gradually acclimatized to the cool spring temperatures and wind.

Preferring an acidic soil in the range of pH 5.6-6.5, artichokes also like a sheltered position out of the wind with lots of sun. Give them free-draining soil too. If your soil is on the heavy clay side like ours, amend the planting hole a little sand mixed in with some humus-rich compost and set them a little higher than the soil level in your garden to keep the crowns up out of standing water during hard rains. Heavy feeders, it does not hurt to stir in a half to one cup of a complete organic fertilizer to the compost you placed in the planting hole. (Click here for my homemade organic fertilizer recipe.)

As for varieties…‘Green Globe’ has been a perennial favourite with many gardeners but it takes 150-210 days to reach maturity from transplanting date. Certainly not the best variety to grow unless you are in Zone 8…and even then your plants will need to be protected from cold winter temperatures. However, there are newer varieties such as ‘Imperial Star’ and ‘Violetta’ which mature relatively early…85-90 days from transplanting. ‘Imperial Star’ was introduced in early 1990s. It is an open pollinated, green variety. ‘Violetta’ is an Italian heritage variety, and purple in colour. (Unfortunately, this cultivar is proving difficult to find in Canada.)

Both ‘Imperial Star’ and ‘Violetta’ are usually grown as annuals and are quite well suited for more northern climates in Zone 7, and some claim even for Zone 6. But don’t quote me on the later.

As I am feeling the drain of our unusually cold winter with overnight temperatures below 0 °C for the last 45 days, except one…and the highs all below the average for the same duration…I have decided to cheer myself up and challenge myself at the same time.

Years ago, John built me a set of shelves, 8 ft (2.4 m) long, 4 ft (1.2 m) wide and three high… with fluorescent lights on adjustable chains. Absolutely ideal for starting seeds and growing on seedlings. Being able to get a jump on the growing season has always helped me get through the winter.

But this year I need more of a challenge, I think. So I plan to start some of the more unusual vegetable varieties from seed…such as artichoke and asparagus. I will keep you posted.