-


Our artichoke plant is doing great after being cut all the way to ground middle of June!

Prior to being cut back the plant was quite large at approximately 5' x 5' and produced a very strong spring 2012 harvest of 50 lbs of artichokes (recorded from first week of April to first week of June 2012). After the prolific harvest we noticed the plant started to go into decline. Originally we thought the reason for the yellowing might be water related, but further reading confirmed the need for extreme pruning on a yearly basis.

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/7221.pdf
(see Perennial Planting section, page 1, in above link for pruning info)                                                                                
http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/ARTICHOKE/artichoke_HomeGarden.pdf
(More info, including notes on withholding water after the spring pruning to assist summer dormancy. Apparently high heat can have an adverse effect on artichoke quality.)

RJ

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Solano County Food Oasis

-
Image
A significant number of our neighbors live without ready access to fresh, healthy affordable food, putting them at risk for chronic health problems, including diabetes and obesity. Many individuals and organizations across the country are engaged in efforts to address this important issue, including the Vallejo People's Garden! Here we are doing our part at the Solano County Food Oasis giving out free and delicious samples of bruchetta, fresh produce, and wheatgrass!
Read more

Health and Wellness

-
Image
Touro University intern, Brittney Dautremont, conducting her first Health and Wellness workshop at the Vallejo People's Garden. The topic was "Cost-Benefit Analysis: Eating Healthy at Home versus Eating 'Cheap' Fast Food." Participants of the workshop said that the class was very informative and Brittney very knowledgeable. All said they would take her next Health and Wellness workshop, which will be Wednesday, August 17th from 10:30-11:30am.
Read more

Turning of Leaves

-
Image
 Thank you volunteers Aaron and Thomas who came out to help turn the compost bins. We add compost to the raised beds and containers before each planting and use it to topdress our trees. The reason for composting are 1) it's good for the environment because you recycle kitchen and yard waste thereby reducing landfill waste 2) it adds nutrients and improves tilth to the soil 3) it introduces valuable organisms to the soil such as fungi, bacteria, and protozoa 4) it's great exercise and you can be outdoors breathing in fresh air. Lastly, it's good for the soul. Try your hand at composting. If you would like to learn how to compost, come by Sunday mornings at the Vallejo People's Garden where Ravi, our compost master can help you learn how.  
Read more