cardoon

My first adventure in growing cardoon (from seed). Info I found is for using it as a food crop by growing it in trenches to bury and blanch as it grows. I'm only growing for ornamental use. I need tips on growing. All I've found is plant/sew now barely covered.

P

Does this offer any help?

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/gr_fruits_vegetables/article/0,2029,DIY_13846_4718074,00.html

Lala_Jane,
Thanks for the link. Looks like I'll have to keep a watch out for self seeding.

P

You sent me some of this.. dont/dint know what it is/was.. !

I got it to sprout and grow a little but it never got to be what I've send in gardening magazines.

Well. never ate it! Im not much on some lettuces

I grew cardoon as an ornamental, but the season is short here and they only grew about 12 inches tall from a direct seeding. I might have better results if I winter sowed them or began the plants indoors. The leaves are a grey-green.
It is the stalks which are eaten. One suggestion I read was to wrap the stalks in newspaper to blanch them. Then you steam them and eat them like asparagus.
Caroline zone 3 Calgary

This message was edited Dec 19, 2009 10:41 PM

Mine never got very big either

I have grown it a few years. It takes 5 to 7 months to bloom, so you need to start it indoors Jan or early Feb. It needs warm soil temp to germinate so indoor start may be better than ws. It also needs a cold period of less than 10ºC, which is 50ºF , but above freezing for about 10 days to bloom.

Here's mid June

about a month later: here's mid-July

And October 1st with the bloom

Looks like a thistle!

Yup, GinormousThistle

Ok, not gonna plant it. I have cardoon seed if someone wants it, but nope, no not gonna plant that. I beleive I have 2 paks, d-mail me if interested!

This message was edited Dec 20, 2009 6:09 PM

It probably won't bloom so you don't need to grow it for that. The foliage is spectacular. I grow a whole bunch of herbs around it in a huge pot. It is about 3 feet tall and makes an awesome center focal.

Nope, still not gonna do it. After seeing it, it does not look like anything I would want to grow, not even remotely! No less nibble!

2 paks, still available.. first come sirst serve!

Oh that's so beautiful

I know, and yer the
the one that gave
me the seed!

I have no clue what
it was till now!

Here I thought it was
like a leaf lettuce you row!

Thanks for the info on cardoon growing. I like the silver green foliage and never thought to try for flowers. I'll start it indoors for the coming season.
I think it would be neat to grow with a red foliage plant like Mountain Spinach (Orach) or the
Amaranthus that has red leaves(Velvet Curtains?).

Just a stupid question.. does not that thing have a tape root and wouldnt it be hard to transplant so therefore better to direct sow?

I guess peat pots might be an idea so tap root is not disturbed on transplanting.

Sounds logical to me!