ARTICHOKE (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)
Published: 2015-03-07Tags: алелопатия, артишок, растения-компаньони, другаруване
Translation
This is a translation of a Bulgarian-language post. It conveys the content faithfully but is not the author's original English writing.
The artichoke is in fact a thorny weed that has been cultivated for food! This gourmet vegetable does well planted next to asparagus, sunflower, corn and tarragon.
Since it is tall enough, it can be used as a support for some climbing crops — cucumbers, for example, feel wonderful in its company — and to shade crops vulnerable to strong sun, such as lettuces.
Under no circumstances should tuber crops like potatoes be planted next to it. The artichoke grows better than most other crops in acidic soils.
Where summers are cool and humid and winters short and mild is the ideal place for the artichoke, which lives up to 5 years. But throughout Bulgaria it is suitable to grow as an annual, and in most places, if the roots are protected from freezing, as a perennial too.
Put the seeds directly into deep little containers, indoors, in February; move them out to the garden, to their permanent place, in May, or once the danger of late frosts has passed. Early seedlings are important for fruiting in the first year. Leave at least 120 cm between plants, since they grow very large (up to 2.5 m tall). After the third year, root offsets can be cut for propagation.