UNCE Orchard Growing Artichokes in the Desert.MP4

Tips, Tricks

1. Dear Robert- In the tropics there may be a problem with the flower setting of artichokes are the leaves edible and can they be used the same way as cardoons?Response appreciated.
2. Dear Robert - I forgot to ask what kind of soil do you have, in the Philippines have you amended it to account for the weather and included a lot more sand? Are the plants subject to a variety of fungal diseases? Is it a traditional farm or more a permaculture food forest. And thank you for any response. It is amazing to find someone growing this in the tropics. I am also growing 2 Kiwi plants unsexed and awaiting to see how they will do in the tropics. And also some apples trees , just a year old at the moment
3. Dear Robert or anyone who can
   contribute, I am in a tropical climate in the Caribbean-Trinidad and I have
   received some artichoke seeds. Do the seeds need to be Vernalized?
   Vernalization is the process of chilling seeds or crowns at temperatures between
   34 degrees F and 50 degrees F, which causes plants to flower earlier. Is this
   required for the plants to go to flower in a tropical zone . The temperature
   range in the country where I reside at present is a max of 30 degrees Cs in day
   and 20 degrees C at night. Do you think it will flower given these temp ranges
   and can it be grown in  a partial shade
   environment in the tropics?
   
   I noticed for Nevada is a high of
   106° F (41° C) and a low of 34° F (1° C). Would you say that the plant really
   needs a vernalisation period .
   
   Assistance an discussions
   appreciated.
4. No pruning is necessary. Just clean up the beds when they dieback in the winter.
5. In Las Vegas it is important to improve the soil alot before planting. They are about six feet apart and they are mulched. In southern Nevada where it gets to 115F in the summer they will suffer through the heat and not dieback but they do get whiteflies and sticky. In the winter they dieback and it is important to clean up the dead plant parts and compost it. They do beautifully in the sping and fall months when it is cooler and you get the chokes produced. 
6. Do you prune them or just let the plants be ???
7. thanks for the video, your blog is great also. I grow tons of veggies in vegas. I have a hugh artichoke in one of my videos
8. They really suffer in the heat and of course attract alot of aphids when it is cooler and whitefiles during the heat. HOWEVER they are marvelous at attracting green lacewings and ladybird beetles as well. So they begin to yellow during the heat and scorch but will pick back up when it cools in the fall with a nice fall crop as well. If the soil is improved and the plants mulched they will survive. We now have about 8 varieties we are testing for our climate.
9. I thought artichokes were very sensitive to heat? Do they die in Vegas 110 degree summers and grow back in fall?
10. @herbprophet Get them before the bracts or buds begin to open. Secret to large buds is the age of the plant, fertility level and watering sufficiently. Mulch the plants to help modulate soil moisture. Make sure these plants are growing in soils with good soil improvement. Cut off buds with 2 to 3 inches of stem. Use a clean knife. They will keep for three days in the refrigerator. Alternatively you can let the bud go to flower and use the flower in arrangements. Looks like a big thistle.
11. how can you tell when to harvest these im growing them in AZ, and they look almost done.
12. They will grow about four to five feet in diameter by the second year if you plant them with plenty of compost and in improved desert soils. So plant them about four to five feet apart in the row. Between rows plant them far enough apart to get down the row with any harvesting equipment you will need such as a wagon. Ours are planted so that we have about two feet to walk between them so about 7 to 8 feet between rows.
13. How far apart do you plant artichokes?
14. They will grow in Las Vegas. They struggle during the heat but they do very well during the spring and fall months. Keep on top of the aphids and whiteflies and make sure you amend the soil with compost at planting and during the early spring and early fall months.