Artichoke plug plants arrived - now what??

[Belinda]

Well, I finally received the artichoke plants I ordered back in April or May, can't remember now it's so long ago!! (See General Chatter)

Now my quandry is what do I do with them? They are about 3 inches tall and am planning to pot them up and grow them on. But by the time they are big enough to plant out will it be too late in the season? How do I look after them over the Winter?

I knew it was a mistake going for something 'fancy' as my Dad would say

Oh wise ones of the Forum, please tell me what I should do

[sprout]

I'm sure you'll get words from wise ones belinda but I got here first
I plant mine straight out into their final position (no potting up), and put a mesh tunnel over the row. Lots of water to get them established. They sit and sulk for a few weeks, then take off!
You are soooo lucky, in spite of many promises mine still haven't arrived

[Belinda]

If yours don't ever arrive, let me know and you can have some of mine. I had been planning to find homes for some of the original 10 anyway and now I've got 15 so you would be more than welcome to some.

Thanks for the planting info BTW

[Garlic_Guy]

All the best with them - the earlier advice looks right.

Remember, these last from year to year. However they are sensitive to frost, so when Winter approaches, try to protect them with fleece or something. Much will die back, then re-grow the following year.

By the way, you didn't get them from Marshalls did you? When I got mine a few years back, they too took a long time to arrive.

[sprout]

My artichokes will get a cosy bed of straw over winter Not from Marshalls G_G, this is the long running saga of the KG offer in March (faint). Victoria Nursery took an order for same and turned it around in a week - can recommend!

[vivie veg]

I assume you mean globe artichokes, if so Kitchen garden did an article on them a while back (last year or early this year). If my memory is correct you should plant out as soon as possible and let the roots get established. They produce a very big root and don't do too well in pots and being slightly tender would not like their root ball frozen if kept in a pot over winter.

[Garlic_Guy]

They produce a very big root

They certainly do! I finally dug mine up this year and had quite a job getting them out of the ground. What had grown under the soil was very dense and quite hard to cut up.

These had been in around 3 years - I imagine after 5 years they'd have moved in and taken up permanent residence! No problems with them otherwise and they do of course taste delicious.

[mandylew]

mine came a month ago, although they were tiny things and have just got to about 5" in pots now. I was thinking of planting some at the edge of the field behing my house (sure noone ever goes there and would likely just think they were weeds), its a bit overgrown, do you think they would be ok competing with other wild things, or would i be better pampering them at the allotment. Just worried about how much space they are going to take up.

mandy

[sprout]

I've just taken on another half plot for artichokes and soft fruit!