Artichoke experiment

ZomVee

ZomVee

Well-known member
I miss homegrown artichokes, maybe you've seen me crying about it before...so I planted some Purple Romagna artichokes this summer with the goal of digging up the roots and seeing if I can overwinter the roots in my basement. If this works, then I'll have a way of explaining to people around me how to keep they're artichokes going when I sell them two year old roots. I'll definitely setup a greenhouse in the future, but I'd like to see if this experiment works.

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I ripped the leaves about 2 inches from the roots and shoved them all in a 15Gal pot and put that in a dark spot in my basement.
 
RandyK said:
Those are good looking little plants! Good luck with your experiment! It will be fun to follow along and see your results.
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Thank you!

Yeah, I like the root system on a bunch of them.

That spot around the stump is another project, I wanna make a big hugelkultur mound with the stump. I grew an artichoke in one of the trunks hahaha
 
The goal is to see if it can be done as easily as possible. Maybe it doesn't work? But if someone can just stick a pitchfork and loosen around the roots, pull it up, stick it in a 15 gallon pot in the basement, I added some leaves, maybe I should water it once a week? I dunno, I would like to see if I could neglect it and it works out. A homegrown artichoke is a real treat.
 
If basement space is limited or to warm...... I've long admired the plastic barrel root cellar.


Or, if you want something more substantial and less prone to temp swings


I imagine it depends on how you're heating but for me I had some problems overwintering some plants because my basement is too dry.

Food for thought
 
TorontoJoe said:
If basement space is limited or to warm...... I've long admired the plastic barrel root cellar.


Or, if you want something more substantial and less prone to temp swings


I imagine it depends on how you're heating but for me I had some problems overwintering some plants because my basement is too dry.

Food for thought
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Thanks!

I was thinking about digging a hole in my North facing mini hill, making a makeshift root cellar sounds like a great idea.
 
ZomVee said:
Thanks!

I was thinking about digging a hole in my North facing mini hill, making a makeshift root cellar sounds like a great idea.
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If you have a hill and can move some earth, you're in a very good position..... You can go in sideways.... build the structure with almost anything and cover it up.

I saw one guy... dug out an area of a hill and buried a 20' shipping container to where just the doors were exposed.... Imagine you could do it with shorter as well... Another guy used a concrete septic tank.

I'm beginning to think you need an excavator.... I've always wanted one so bad... :)
 
TorontoJoe said:
If you have a hill and can move some earth, you're in a very good position..... You can go in sideways.... build the structure with almost anything and cover it up.

I saw one guy... dug out an area of a hill and buried a 20' shipping container to where just the doors were exposed.... Imagine you could do it with shorter as well... Another guy used a concrete septic tank.

I'm beginning to think you need an excavator.... I've always wanted one so bad... :)
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I got to play in one with a rock pounder attachment at a surface mine in San Diego. Got fired from that job, sliced a tire on a rock truck and the new boss hated me.

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I did drift down the mine with 90 tons of granite in the bed. It's like driving an apartment building around.
 
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I planted some ginseng seeds on the left side, this is an old pic, but it shows the snow that hasn't melted in the sun. The rock dig is behind the big oak tree on the right.

Should I make a Hobbit style root cellar? @TorontoJoe hahaha
 
TorontoJoe said:
As long as you had fun!
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The guy in the water truck has a story where he thought I was gonna die. hahahaha

He had just wet down the roads, to keep the dust down, and he was at the top of the mud mountain, I pass it on the way down to the crusher, It was a turn, that met with the mud mountain road. He waved at me, I waved at him and was in a complete hydroplane drift, went down the hill and slid at the bottom as well hahahaha

I was a little reckless, but it was boring work actually, drive to a spot, sit, drive down hill, back up to crusher, dump, go back, I read many books hahahaha

There were other parts of the job that were way more interesting, but I got fired, the guys were telling me to join nightshift and learn the repair mechanics side. Some of them were resentful towards me, because I had zero experience and they went to heavy equipment schools. I didn't like them either...there were like two sides, the guys in equipment and the guys on the ground. I did both. But rock truck anyone can do...it's just boring. I started as a grunt at the concrete recycle part.
 
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I had the granite in front of me back then, but it was a grueling job, six days a week, I let it slip through my hands.

It was some Ready mix company worked by biker gang members, ex-military, handymen convicts, and illegal Mexican dudes hahaha

Lots of potential for megalithic projects.
 
Very interested to see how this goes. I am about to plant out some seeds, then vernalize the young plants. If I can get around that and keep some crowns dormant all winter and just plant them out again it would be awesome. @ZomVee what medium did you pack them in? I was thinking some damp sawdust or coir when I do mine.
 
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