A cold front pushed through the second half of August bringing much welcome rain and cooler temperatures. Both the rain and reduced heat coupled with the end of summer, make fall gardening so much more attractive.
Early September is a great time to plant many cool season crops. From now through the end of October we can plant beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collard greens, English peas, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, onions, radishes, and turnips.
Labor Day marks the safe date to transplant artichoke crowns. There are only two times of the year that we can plant artichokes in our part of Central Texas. The ideal planting windows are January through the end of February and Labor Day through Halloween.
Artichokes are members of the thistle family and native to the Mediterranean parts of the world.
Artichokes actually do quite well in our part of Texas since we share the same general latitude as parts of Mediterranean.
Artichokes need well-draining soil. Our heavy black clay soil isn’t considered well-draining unless it is amended with lots of compost. Artichoke crowns love fertile soil, so adding lots of compost will also enrich your artichoke beds.
We eat the underdeveloped artichoke flower heads. Because large heads are desired, artichokes need a strong healthy root system in order to support the top-heavy blooms.
Artichokes tend to get quite large so give them plenty of space. They will grow up to three feet tall and three feet wide. Pick a sunny spot in your garden for your artichokes. They need bright sun to grow and develop their flowerheads. Don’t put them in a shady location. Save that spot for something that can tolerate shade.
Green Globe is a variety that does well in Central Texas. There are other varieties, including several purple types that look pretty cool, but Green Globe is the standard grown here.
This time of year, you will need to get artichoke crowns or transplants to plant rather than seeds.
Crowns are root divisions and sometimes sold as bare roots. Artichokes are perennial plants that will come back year after year. You can cut them back and then divide the root ball in order to make new plants.
Artichokes take a while to get established and grow, but they are one of the few plants that perform really well in our summer heat.
When artichoke plants are about three years old, it may be time to thin your plants. If artichokes are too crowded, they won’t produce as many flowerheads.
Even though they can tolerate our hot summers, they aren’t drought resistant. Like most crops, artichokes need plenty of water for a good harvest and need extra fertilizer throughout the growing season.
Use an organic liquid product to help them get them established while the weather is still warm.
Artichokes usually produce 7-10 buds per plant.
Even if you don’t like to eat artichokes, they are still a cool plant to grow. They have spiky, silver-gray green fronds and bright purple flowers that resemble thistles.
Instead of cutting the buds to eat, let them go ahead and bloom. You can cut the blossoms and use them in flower arrangements, or you can just leave them in the garden. They are very striking. When the flowers have faded and they set seed, they will dry and create filaments around the seed and resemble a dandelion seed head.
Bees love artichoke flowers too, so if you are wanting to have plants that help the bees, then look into adding an artichoke plant or two to your garden or even your flowerbed if you are looking for a plant with striking foliage and unusual flowers.
Artichokes don’t have many pest issues to worry about and they are a really easy plant to grow.
With 25 years of backyard gardening experience, Julie is a plant and nature enthusiast. She lives in Taylor and hosts the “Plow & Hose Organic Gardening in Central Texas” podcast and radio show that airs on KBSR, Black Sparrow Radio every Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m.
