Help with artichokes

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Bailey7 Ontario, CA Oct 21, 2011

I have tried growing artichokes a few times over the years, the plants do fine and I actually have gotten several artichokes. The problem is that there were tiny black bugs (aphids?) deep down inside them. What are they and how do I keep them out?

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WeeNel Ayrshire Scotland, United Kingdom Oct 24, 2011

I would say these plants / veg are normally trouble free however you can get an attack of black fly that sometimes go for the new tips of green beans etc, soon as you see them you need to nip off the tip of the beans and squash the bugs, but you cant nip out the flowering part of the Artichokes so I would just blast them with the garden hose or if not too squeamish just crush them between finger and thumb, I don't like spraying with chemicals but have used a weak mixture of washing up kitchen soap and water and this has worked, there seems to be a bit of oil added to this soap to protect your hands from washing up so don't add any other stuff.

Artichokes like a really rich soil with plenty animal manure dug into the soil at planting out time, also like plenty sun too.
Hope this helps a bit. WeeNel.

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Horseshoe Efland, NC(Zone 7a) Oct 24, 2011

Baily, I had a severe attack of aphids on my artichokes this year, too. I sprayed some with a commercial red pepper spray and it killed the bugs BUT also killed off many of the leaves: lesson learned, red pepper spray is too harsh for artichokes.

The others I hosed off with water, several times, and also dusted around them with wood ash to deter the ants which are often nearby if aphids are on the scene.

Fortunately for me, the plants that suffered from the pepper spray sent up new growth from the root system so I think I'll end up with some perennial artichokes after all. And yes, I even harvested a few this year, fairly small but certainly edible and delish!

Hope your plants survived the bug issues...
Shoe

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