Violetto Artichoke
Forum Archives
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Aug-24-2004 at 10:26pm
hey guys i was wondering if either of you have tried TSC's Violetto Artichoke seeds? In the spring book it said that they were hardy to zone 6 i believe, but i was wondering if anyone had any luck with them here?
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Aug-25-2004 at 12:10am
I'm pretty sure Deb grew them a couple years ago, but she's zone 9 at best. I haven't tried them because I prefer the ones that'll produce the first year (such as Green Globe) - Violetto follows the more traditional biennial form.
Travis
sparklemama
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Aug-25-2004 at 3:39pm
hmm so if it says hardy to zone 6 would it come back for another year here? mabey if it was well mulched. i've never growen aritchokes before so excuse my ignorance. any other varities besides green globe that are good?
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Aug-25-2004 at 10:32pm
I'd be very surprised if they are really "zone 6" hardy - that would require them to handle sub-zero temperatures. But here you don't have to worry about that.
Probably winter wet is the enemy of artichokes in our gardens. Both times I've tried to overwinter them I've failed. That's why I've stuck to the newer types that bear the first year - Green Globe and Imperial Star. FYI I liked Green Globe better, but Imperial Star doesn't have the thorns/stickers. Both are striking plants, though, so put them in a place visitors to your garden will see them.
Travis
sparklemama
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Aug-26-2004 at 12:37pm
thanks for your help trav. grows and i have been feasting off of her Imperial Star(in fact just had a feast last night. yummmy). So i know def have the artichoke bug.
One more question to pester you with. Is it best to start them from seed or to buy plants? thanks again guys! jenn
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Aug-26-2004 at 7:18pm
Jenn,
Once again there is a Kitchen Gardener article on art's from a south of Eugene writer. I'll look it up and send you the mag date so you can get it from the Timberland Lib.
Gary
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Aug-27-2004 at 7:35pm
They're pretty easy to start from seed - you start them in pots as transplants. Since they are taprooted, they don't tolerate mis-handling while in pots; so that's another argument for starting your own rather than buying transplants.
I haven't grown them for a couple years, but now you've given me the bug again!
Travis
sparklemama
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Aug-28-2004 at 5:54pm
hehehe oops... contagious(sp)they are for sure..lol. I can't wait to get them started. looking forward to my own midnight feats with hubby..lol. just found he liked them to!
that would be great if you could find that mag date for me gary. i would apperciate it very much!
thanks for all your help guys! probably be buggn ya about them again come next year..lol.
Happy Growing...Jenn
pdxgreengrrl
Location: Willamette Valley
Posted: Sep-21-2004 at 1:42pm
I have a bed of Violetto and Green Globes that I started from TSC seed in Spring 2002. They've done well here in NE Portland (where we get a lot of wind from the Columbia River Gorge). Violettos are a tasty alternative to Green Globes, but I lost two (of six) during last January's severe cold snap here. They do not put out as much fruit as the Green Globes, but we've had some every year. They are dangerously spiky! The bed slopes down on each side, maybe that's helps keep their feet from getting too wet?
sparklemama
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Sep-21-2004 at 2:21pm
wow thanks for letting me know about your violettos. i think i am going to give it a whirl just so's i can say i did. mabey they will do well for me. not to thrilled to hear that they are spiky though. i do like the imperial stars for the reason that they aren't so spikey. thanks for your help, jenn
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Oct-03-2004 at 9:47pm
I grew three arti's I think they were green globe. They are looking quite bad off but there appears to be baby plants growing off the bottom. Can these survive the winter?
~BakingBarb
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Nov-22-2004 at 8:37pm
To answer my own question.....they are green globe....they are also growing new plants from side shoots. They have become mature plants in just the past few months, no frost damage whatsoever!!!! They are beautiful plants really. I mulched the bed they are in with grass clippings but do they need to be mulched as it gets colder out?
~BakingBarb
DebbieTT
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Nov-22-2004 at 10:23pm
I mulch mine with a good compost and have added some coffee grounds into the mix. They are heavy feeders. I started mine from seed 5 years (I think it was that long ago) ago and they still grow in the garden, although a ceanothus is covering some now. I agree, they are beautiful plants! I don't harvest too many as I love to dry the flowers.
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Nov-24-2004 at 7:49am
Three months ago I promised to look up a Kitchen Gardener article. A lot late but it is in issue #27 from June/July 2000.
The author, Kris Wetherbee, lives in Oakland, OR which is outside Roseburg. She focuses on growing in Zone 8 including starting new plants from those rooted shoots.
Gary
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Dec-01-2004 at 7:31pm
Gary, I probably had that issue and got rid of them when I moved Do I have to somehow remove those rooted starts or can they stay where they are? The parent plant is dead. Do I have to mulch them more as it gets colder. They look wonderful, very full and the color stands out as they are all by themselves.
~BakingBarb
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Jan-13-2005 at 4:54am
Barbara Damrosch has an article today on growing artichokes in the WA Post. Though she lives and farms with her husband, Eliot Coleman, in SE Maine, she always does her Post columns based upon DC area weather. Their winters are Zone 7-8 so her over-wintering thoughts should work here. And her 'as annuals' advice would also work.
You can read it at:
"Artichokes Grown With Guile"
Gary
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton