artichoke question

[shastagoose]

Hi all.. I have 3 new artichoke plants, about 7 months old. Now that winter is approaching, they are starting to settle in and root well. My question, if someone knows, is.. how big will they get? and how long do they live? Thanks.

 

[bills]

Not much reponse? I guess not many have tried growing them.
I googled "growing artichokes" and found this link with some info, although there are several more sites that offer advice as well.

http://www.essortment.com/all/howtogrowarti_ozn.htm

Sounds like they get pretty big!

 

[poppycat]

They get pretty large if your winter temps are mild enough that they aren't killed by freezing. Mine are about three feet in circumference, and about four feet tall. They would be happy with a generous mulching of compost about now, and if you are expecting freezing or near freezing temps, a thick layer of straw helps.

They are perennials in mild climates. They should come back year after year.

 

[GrowsLotsaPeppers]

My grandparents used to grow them, in Point Arena, California. Out on the coast, where the ocean kept the temperature evened out out at 'mostly cool' all year, and there wasn't enough break from the fog for the tomatoes to grow well. They were perennials, about 3'-4', IIRC.

My grandmother could cook stuff that they grew, and fished for, and hunted for, that folks in my suburban neighborhood had never heard of, back 50 years ago. Nobody went away hungry.

I don't know how they'd grow in the northern Central Valley. I'm in the Bay Area, and it's too warm here for most of that sort of vegetable. That, and my plot isn't large enough. And Castroville, the home of the artichoke in America, is only a couple of hours away. We see nice ones most of the year commercially.