Anza, Yes, the first picture is all Sprouts from last years original. The pix on my computer were larger, so you could see much more of the surroundings. I checked the link on fixing baby chokes, and picked about a dozen of the small ones, and we will try the small recipe. I will let most of them grow out.
I am disappointed in how the lack of detail turned out, but i mostly wanted to illustrate how they produce the sprounts. You may want to watch closely for them and give them a bigger container, or try to transplant your sprouts. Not sure it can be done, but worth a try. Probably not many people try to grow them in containers, as they grow so big so fast.
Ernie
artichoke question
Boy did I learn that one the hard way! Live and learn! I can vouch for the baby artichokes, they are yummy! Thanks again to Catmad for that one!
They are among my favorite veggies, as well. Glad they worked for you:)
Just found the thread and you've already found out that they'll grow up here. The plant will also overwinter and produce next year.
Hello rosewynd! How cool, another Anzanite:>)
Different looking artichokes, apparently same name. I have planted my artichoke plants at different times, and always bought "Green Globe" or so the label said. But, some of the artichokes have the common pointed top, with leaves slightly open, and another plant has flat topped artichokes, with the petals tightly closed. I thought something was wrong with the flat topped ones, but have been researching on Google, and both are apparently called Globe, but a huge difference in cleaning them, and their appearance. The pointed tops are much easier to trim, but do not know yet if difference in flavor or edible content. Different opinions on that, with some saying the pointed ones are better, and others saying they are the same as far as eating goes.
Ernie
Do you have a picture of the two types to compare? It would be interesting to see the difference. What is different about cleaning them?
I will take pictures when some more grow out. They are easy to describe. The most common type seen in markets are pointed with the center petals definitely forming a point, and the petals are not as tight together, making it easier to get some cutters or scissors in between to cut off the thorns.
The others are very globular, and are sometimes seen in markets, but rarely. They are more pumpkin shaped with the top either flat or sunken, and the petals are very close together, making them harder to trim. I have not eaten one of the flat topped ones yet.
Ernie
I've eaten the flat topped ones. They were good too.
There is a third person here, somewhere, from Anza. I forget what her name is, though.
The second person that lives in Anza is Mountain Dweller.
I have not had any mature flat topped Artichokes to eat yet, but comments on Google did not agree on whether there was the same amount of edible material on the leaves. What is your opinion on that question? I will take some pictures of both types soon.
Ernie
Ernie - I don't know! I didn't pay attention to how much was edible, only to the taste.
I took some pictures of the two types of artichokes my plants produce, and what i have found is the pointed type are much easier to cut the stickers from, but i did not see much difference in the taste. Linda thought the flat topped ones were a little sweeter. I will attach the pictures of the two different types. Both plants were sold as Globe Artichokes.
I do not think the two photos that i attached are the right ones, but the preview pix are too small to be sure. If there is not a difference in the artichokes on this post i will send a followup.
Ernie
The picture of the flat topped one in the preceding post is good enough, but i will try to find a better picture of the other type i have.
Ernie
Here, hopefully, is a picture of the pointed type i have.
Ernie
Those are great pics-the last one shows the pointed ones on the left pretty clearly.
Since you pointed out the different types, I have notice that although I thought I had one plant with two stems, there were apparently two separate seeds planted in the pot, because I do have both the pointed and flat topped type! We cut most of the 'flat' ones and took them down to my in-laws last weekend, so I can't show pics. And I don't have very distinctive taste buds..."it's all good" is my favorite answer about food-so I can't help with the taste issue. I am surprised that the growers don't differentiate more carefully when sowing the seeds. How long have the two types been out there? Maybe this is a new occurence, just the last few seasons?
Anyway, we had a couple of both last night. Instead of steaming, I did the typically lazy thing (for me) and tossed them into the covered baking dish with the chicken, potatos, carrots and onions, and baked them. After they cooled I just peeled them to the hearts, and enjoyed!
Is that wild black mustard over your fence? I hate that stuff! I'm fighting it hard on my propery this spring-spraying everything from Round-up to vinegar on them, cutting the tops with the weed-whacker and even hand clippers. I have promised myself I'll win this battle some day!
M D,
When i was researching i saw where there are 40 different types of artichokes, so these have probably been around a long time. All i ever saw in the market is the pointed kind, though. I plan to regenerate from the ones i have for several years, so i will have both kinds.
I have not heard of cooking them the way you did, but i will mention that to Linda, and we will try it. I used to pressure cook them and Linda just boils them. I have seen them split and grilled in restaurants.
That is a public easement behind my fence, but only used once a year by the Utility District, so i keep it mowed so i can watch for gophers. I do know that yellow weed as wild mustard, but have not heard it called "black" which most likely refers to the seed. We also have the lavender flowered wild radishes back there, but they are mowed down now. I am not able to mow the last few feet next to the flood control channel because of a tangle of wild rose bushes. The Roundup that is sold for homeowers ready mixed is not very powerful but if you can find some of the concentrated form, sold in farm supply stores and then use the full amount given for the mix, or even a little stronger, it will kill the mustard or almost anything else.
Ernie
Thanks, Ernie-I didn't realize they made different forms of Roundup for different uses! I really hate using it, since it's a chemical, but I'm getting pretty frustrated with those things. Probably like you and the gophers....a constant battle!
M D, I think we are all a bit nervous around some of the pesticides, but i no longer worry about Roundup. My helper was coiling up the hose on the high pressure sprayer on the Nursery, and some way it twisted the gun in his hand and he shot me in the eyes, up my nose and in my mouth before i could get my mouth shut; I thought i was probably going to die or at least go blind, but i never felt a single thing or after effect from that, so i do not worry about Roundup anymore. It is the same chemical, just in concentrated form so you can make it stronger.
Ernie
How awful! Thank goodness there were no side affects! Not something to do twice, for sure!
Which nursery do you work at/own? I work at the Southwest Wholesale Nursery in Murrieta/Temecula twice a week, just for fun really. It's a 50 mile one-way drive to hold a hose for 8 hours, but I love being around the plants, and I'm learning so much about plants I'd never heard of, and I love just looking at all the beauty around me all day.
MD, It was not that kind of Nursery. As a second career, after my children got old enough to run the Family Heavy Construction company, i moved to Idaho and started a Shade and Ornamental Tree Nursery, growing trees up to 3 inch diameter trunks, for finished landscaping. They were balled and burlapped, and we shipped throughout the Intermountain West. Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah was our biggest area. Lots of Flowering Crabs, Cherries, Plums, etc, no fruit trees, and Maples, Birch, Aspen, etc. We sold to Retail Nurseries. We had about 30,000 trees in our inventory when i sold the Nursery, and about 30 miles of drip tube rows. We would have the trees for about 5 years while they were growing out. I loved the work, but i became too old.
Ernie
That sounds like a great way to make a living. But I bet you missed the heat! Kind of cold up there!
M D,
It was a wonderful life. Work hard for four months, work regular for four months and then take the other four months off. The cold was not so bad, as we were working hard enough to keep warm when it was cold, but driving on ice gets old pretty fast.
I always enjoy wherever i live, even on the Mohave desert before modern Air Conditioning, but 18 years in Idaho were enough, and i do not want any more Desert Living with only a swamp cooler to keep me cool.
I really lucked out on the climate here at our house. We get a cool ocean breeze when the hills inland heat up, which is nearly every day in the summer. We do not need A/C here, except maybe 3 or 4 days last summer it would have been turned on if we had it.
Ernie
We have an acre out in Dolan Springs, which is north of Kingman and east of Las Vegas, and the eastern most edge of the Mohave Desert. At 4000 feet, it's cooler than the low desert, but a bit toasty in the summer. When DH retires we will build a little house out there off grid-our power will be from solar, our water hauled until we dig a well. And we have already got a basement dug, one of the only ones in the area. No AC, and not even a swamp cooler, but if it gets really bad we'll have the underground area for a break. It will be pretty rustic living, but a dream we've both had all our lives. Chickesn, garden, etc. Of course I also dream of filling our acre with enough native and drought tolerant trees and plants to give shade and greenery.
Vista is a nice area, I drove through there all summer a few years back on my way to St Malo in Oceanside, painting houses on the beach. THAT was a nice job! The salt air wreaks havoc on house paint.
MD, Can you imagine what Kingman looked like back in the Spring of 1942? I will tell you a story on Dmail as it is off subject even for Artichokes.
Ernie
for those of you growing it in TX, is it possible to grow them in tropical climates? I've just moved to the gulf side of central FL and so want to grow them, but figured what put the effort in if they need cold to help them along.
Thanks for any help.
Jan
Meadowyck, I have only grown them here in this location, which is much warmer than the area along the Central California Coast where the commercial production is, so they may not need Cold, but they do seem to do better in Cool.
My plants did fine the first year, with both beautiful plants and the fruit, but this year they became too big and leggy, and lots of fruit on each plant but the artichokes were much smaller and opened too soon. So, i cut the plants off at ground level, and will either let the shoots from the old roots re grow, or plant new plants, like i did last year.
Mine survived some 95 to 98 degree weather, but that was as hot as it got here.
Ernie
Ernie
We usually are in the 85-90 degrees here, when an almost daily shower that keeps us here.
I think I might just go ahead and try them, I sure do love them, and to think of all the years I would eat them because they were so funny looking....LOL then a friend made a dip that had them in it and I didn't know it and I couldn't stop eating the spinach/artichoke and my friend would tell me what it was until the end of the party....
Jan
Jan, I am pretty sure they will do fine the first year or 18 months, as they have for me. They say in cooler climates the plants produce for 5 or 6 years, but I loved the appearance last year, and until this summer started, and then they became too leggy to be attractive, so i am going to replant unless good plants come up from the roots.
Ernie
Thanks
Jan