Moon's Graden

I recently planted two artichokes. Only one of them came up and I am
curious whether the single arti***will flourish by itself. Is there
a need for cross pollination or anything of that nature?

Ira

I tried for several years in C***tesville Va to grow artichokes.
They would form nice sized plants, but alas, with no buds the first
year.  I even got some to overwinter by mulching, hoping they would
bear fruit (actually just flowers), but they were killed by meadow
mice that ate the roots.  Now I live in the less temperate climate of
northwestern Indiana, and not being one that knows when to quit, I
once again tried growing artichokes.  I had a half dozen nice plants,
and, mirabile dictu, one of them produced about a dozen artichokes
before frost (the others were just nice looking plants).  To top it
all off, what should I see coming up in the Garden this spring, but an
artichoke!  One of them (not the producer unfortunately) managed to
survive a relatively mild Indiana winter, but a winter that was quite
a bit harsher than any in C***tesville, which was supposed to be a
marginal climate for them.  I have also started indoors some more
seedlings and plan to put these out soon.  One other interesting
note---the surviving arti***has an offshoot.  If anyone who is more
familiar with this plant can tell me whether there is any harm in
separating this off, I'd appreciate it.  Thanks.

Since the part of the arti***that you eat is the flower bud, not the
fruit, you should have no problem.

Shava Nerad Averett

A arti***is a member of the thistle family.  It will just after some
period of time shoot up a a flower stalk... This is what we eat,  by the
time it gets to pollenation it is too late to eat.,  When you pick the
choke, pick it before the bottom scales open up.  

                          gene.bradley.

The offshoot to the arti***is one means (vegetative) the plant has of
reproducing. IF you remove it and plant it, you will have a plant.

I found (in Scotland) that the newer varieties would not survive a
winter, but the older varieties (unfortunately, but edibly, with courser
buds and spiker looking leaves) would survive quite well.

If you have not, be sure to let one early bud flower. The flower is
spectacular and attracts bees and butterflies and dries well too.

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Arnold Chamove
Massey University Psychology
Palmerston North, New Zealand