One is Better Than None
The artichokes kept growing with lovely, floppy leaves, but none of the thistles until the middle of September. Then I discovered one at the center. Two weeks later the other plant produced one at the same place.
On October 18th the view of the mountains look like this:
We also had an early frost on October 16th. So it was necessary to cover the artichokes and hope they will make it through the winter to produce more next year. The web site I found said to cut them back to twelve inches, then mound with compost. Next put a basket on top of each plant, then cover with oak leaves. The last thing was to top with a waterproof cover and weight the edges with rocks. I also added a mattress pad under the leaves to help remove them next spring. Just under the waterproof cover I also added a comforter. It’s a real eyesore, but maybe the artichokes next year will be worth looking at it all winter.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:53 PM
Very interesting and amusing subject. I read with great pleasure.