I'm trying artichokes this year, and also cardoons.

I have never eaten one, but they look great and seem to enjoy the same conditions as artichokes, so I'm taking a run at both.

Has anyone had any experience growing, eating, or overwintering cardoons? I have seven to transplant but will likely only do three of them for space considerations, but I haven't gotten the design down yet. The artichokes are about 7" tall now and I'm about to vernalize. The cardoons don't require vernalization and were started later.
They have true leaves and are about an inch and a half tall. I'm about to pot them up one size.

@EmpressOfIndia
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we grow cardoon for the fact the insects flock to it and leaves our garden alone. The reason we have it is, we had a lady visit that worked at the Fort Vancouver Community Gardens where they raise flowers and veggies. According to her the cardoons were a staple of those pioneers and they eat them like greens. They are huge down there, well over 9 foot tall. Here ours get to the gutters of our one-story home. A lot of folks that visit our gardens think they are artichokes but they are not and everyone love to watch the bees when they are in full bloom. The leaves on ours can get upward to 5 foot long. We just cut them to the soil in the fall for the winter months and they return.

As for eating them, sorry we do not. They are grown here as they are really impressing!

karmahappytoes said: @EmpressOfIndia
They are huge down there, well over 9 foot tall. Here ours get to the gutters of our one-story home. A lot of folks that visit our gardens think they are artichokes but they are not and everyone love to watch the bees when they are in full bloom. The leaves on ours can get upward to 5 foot long.

Wow. That's impressive. I'm growing Porto Spineless which supposedly grow to 4'. According to Johnny's, they're hardy to z6; so I'm wondering if I can maybe swing that here a bit more easily than the artichokes. I'm in z5b, which is probably more like 6 now, but the lack of reliable snow cover actually makes it harder, not easier, to overwinter things because of the freeze/thaw cycles.

As for eating as long as I can cover them in butter I'll be happy.

I hope they work out; I'm in it for the butter delivery systems and impressiveness.

@EmpressOfIndia
Our zone is 8b here and our grow about 3 feet from the foundation of our home in a
sort of protective sunny area. Over the past few years our area has gotten frost to
the valley floor with freezing temps and snow. I cut them back around Nov. and they come right back when it warms up. I checked this morning for photos and sorry I didn't take any of ours. I do have some photos from the Fort Vancouver gardens where you can see theirs.



They are the huge plants in the back.

Their gardens.

[quote="karmahappytoes"] @EmpressOfIndia




They are the huge plants in the back.




Holy cow.