CULTIVATION OF ARTICHOKES IN A POLYTUNNEL GUIDEBOOK SERIES ON TUNNEL CULTIVATION
ARTICHOKES The tasty artichokes are easily digestible, contain many valuable health properties and have been widely used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The plant extract appears in many medicinal and dietary supplements, positively affecting the human body. In addition, it is impossible not to pay attention to the attractive appearance of the plant: when it starts to grow a flower bud, it looks really impressive.
WHAT IS ARTICHOKE? Artichoke is an interesting looking perennial herb, belonging to the Asteraceae family, in which the flower buds are the edible part. It is grown to harvest vegetables as well as offer garden decorations. Big, silver-green leaves growing on a thick stem look fascinating.
POSITION In a zone with moderate climate, artichoke would not be able to survive the winter, which is why they are usually grown as annual plants. You can try to produce them for several years, but it is much more difficult. With a heated foil tunnel, all you need to do is maintain a favorable temperature for their growth. Then they do not fear anything apart from frost and cold.
The plant itself belongs to the group of thermophilic plants, the optimal temperature for its growth oscillates between 19 ° C and 25 ° C.
SEEDLING First, prepare the pots, which are filled with a peat substrate with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5, and then place 3 seeds inside. The plant should be kept in a propagator at a temperature of approx. 18 ° C until the appearance of seedlings. When the cotyledon appears, temperature in the container should be between 12 ° C and 15 ° C. As soon as the seedlings rise, the weaker ones are removed and leave the strongest ones.
PLANTING AND SPACING When the plant is mature enough, it is brought to a permanent position in the garden greenhouse. Usually, artichoke planting is carried out in mid-May. It is important that favorable conditions for maturation prevail inside the tunnel, meaning you can start growing.
Seedlings in warm zones are planted every 4 meters, while in moderate or colder climates, it closer patterns are advised. It is enough to keep a 100x100cm spacing and plant into 30 cm wells, then cover them with rich soil(compost).
CARE Artichoke do not bear any shortage of water, especially when it produces a flower bud. Therefore, you should abundantly water the vegetable to avoid a dry ground.
To get good buds, limit their number to 8 . The surplus should be cut.
When the seedling is up and begins to grow, the optimal solution will be occasional fertilization with compost or composted manure.
PRUNING Growing perennial artichokes requires their rejuvenation every 3 years. In spring, they are sown, then divide the plant, so that each of them has 2 shoots and an extensive root system.
HARVESTING AND STORAGE Artichokes offer crops from August to October, the green flower buds are then harvested, having not fully developed. They are cut with a sharp knife leaving with a piece of stem, and after washing they are ready to be eaten. The edible part is the flower bud, the tastiest part of the plant.
Artichoke buds can be stored for a maximum of 10 days at a temperature of 0 to 2 ° C. After flowering, it is still ready for consumption for a few days, after which it starts to spoil and lose its nutritional value.
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