Anybody talk artichokes?

[Wisner]

I may have planted them in the Fall. Here is some of what LSU says about them.
Artichokes are generally
grown as perennials in California. Successes with perennial
plantings of artichokes are limited. Louisiana’s hot
summers, long periods of rain and wet soils often cause
the plants to die from root rot. The plants, however, can
be grown successfully in the state as an annual. Planted in
the fall, they grow during the winter and produce in the
spring. Temperatures in the teens for a number of hours
will kill the plants.

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/1A445217-3622-4161-ACF9-C0F28FC6E753/59038/pub2433commvegetableBWLOWRES.pdf

 

[ZomVee]

I bought 2 plants, put them each in a 25 gallon pot. Planted in the Spring, they grew big bushy plants but artichokes were small and not plentiful. I've never heard of anyone growing them in this area, decided they were not worth the trouble for what I was getting. Probably been 15 years ago.

They never came back??? I would think in zone 9 you'd be good.

 

[ZomVee]

Oh root rot. Makes sense.

The roots freezing and rotting is gonna be my challenge, but I'm gonna see if I can dig them up and overwinter them.

 

[GoodFriendMike]

I may have planted them in the Fall. Here is some of what LSU says about them.
Artichokes are generally
grown as perennials in California. Successes with perennial
plantings of artichokes are limited. Louisiana’s hot
summers, long periods of rain and wet soils often cause
the plants to die from root rot. The plants, however, can
be grown successfully in the state as an annual. Planted in
the fall, they grow during the winter and produce in the
spring. Temperatures in the teens for a number of hours
will kill the plants.

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/1A445217-3622-4161-ACF9-C0F28FC6E753/59038/pub2433commvegetableBWLOWRES.pdf

I wonder if growing them in pots would help? I have to grow most veggies in pots because of the rains and soil here.
My peppers are in pots raised off the ground. That is the only way I found I can grow them in my yard.

 

[ZomVee]

I

I wonder if growing them in pots would help? I have to grow most veggies in pots because of the rains and soil here.
My peppers are in pots raised off the ground. That is the only way I found I can grow them in my yard.

Dang, that's crazy. Peppers do very well here. I just gave a bag of jumbo jalapeños to dollar general cashier today hahaha

Last year I had like three huge artichoke plants, but they didn't come back. Gonna keep trying though, it's my favorite veggie of all time.

 

[GoodFriendMike]

I

Dang, that's crazy. Peppers do very well here.

Last year I had like three huge artichoke plants, but they didn't come back. Gonna keep trying though, it's my favorite veggie of all time.

Yeah man, You would think they would do great here. But raised beds or pots raised off the ground is the only way.
There is some hilly areas of Louisiana that may be better for them. But a lot of that is clay.

 

[ZomVee]

Yeah man, You would think they would do great here. But raised beds or pots raised off the ground is the only way.
There is some hilly areas of Louisiana that may be better for them. But a lot of that is clay.

My ground is all clay, but I dunno in my garden everything grows pretty good, almost too good. I've had a couple huge plants get knocked down by recent thunderstorms.

 

[Wisner]

Oh root rot. Makes sense.

The roots freezing and rotting is gonna be my challenge, but I'm gonna see if I can dig them up and overwinter them.

To me the trouble of trying to raise them is, I can grow other types of plants with better results for a lot less trouble. I'm a believer in "Grow what works in your climate."

 

[TorontoJoe]

I bought 2 plants, put them each in a 25 gallon pot. Planted in the Spring, they grew big bushy plants but artichokes were small and not plentiful. I've never heard of anyone growing them in this area, decided they were not worth the trouble for what I was getting. Probably been 15 years ago.

That's odd. I'd think they'd grow as perennials for you. I've never seen them grown in containers though....

 

[Wisner]

That's odd. I'd think they'd grow as perennials for you. I've never seen them grown in containers though....

It got down to 9 degrees here last winter. I have my hands full keeping my citrus trees from freezing every winter. Here is my Arctic Frost satsuma. The 20+ year old fig tree behind it lost over 3/4 of its branches from the cold. The satsuma had a heat lamp and strings of Christmas lights, wrapped in frost blankets and then a tarp. It made it with very little damage.

 

[ZomVee]

To me the trouble of trying to raise them is, I can grow other types of plants with better results for a lot less trouble. I'm a believer in "Grow what works in your climate."

I'm like that to certain extent, but the artichokes I grew in San Diego were the best I've ever had. Super tender and delicious. Store bought isn't in the same realm.

 

[Wisner]

I'm like that to certain extent, but the artichokes I grew in San Diego were the best I've ever had. Super tender and delicious. Store bought isn't in the same realm.

I hope you have good success. You already know how to grow them, I knew nothing about them, kind of an impulse buy at the time.

 

[TorontoJoe]

It got down to 9 degrees here last winter. I have my hands full keeping my citrus trees from freezing every winter. Here is my Arctic Frost satsuma. The 20+ year old fig tree behind it lost over 3/4 of its branches from the cold. The satsuma had a heat lamp and strings of Christmas lights, wrapped in frost blankets and then a tarp. It made it with very little damage.

That can't be normal for you though... is it?

 

[Wisner]

That can't be normal for you though... is it?

It was unusual cold and record snow but we have had 3 Arctic blasts since 2020 and it has taken a heavy toll on the in-ground citrus in this area. Last winter was the worst damage to fig trees in this area that anyone can remember. They talked about the snow would insulate things but it didn't seem to help much.