Whew! what a relief, it's like a giant weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I'll say it again.... Yes! I let my chokes flower! Oh God!, that does feel good! Thanks Bill Bird for making me belly up to the bar and admit it.
Do I still have to pay the price of smaller chokes even two years later? I guess I won't let that happen again. sure were pretty though.
WHAT? What are you dragging me into Ronald McDonald?
ReplyDeleteBees love the pollen. I still wish I had an acre.
Just kiddin around!
ReplyDeleteRon, as you probably know, your artichokes will just die back naturally as it gets hotter and hotter. They just can't take the heat. So -- around August -- I get out the big loppers and cut away all the dead stuff. I cut them back to the nub. I don't touch the roots though -- cause that's where the new shoots come from. After I cut everything back -- I spread a bag of steer manure compost in the artichoke bed. About a month later -- after the heat breaks and with the onset of fall -- new shoots pop up. Those be the new plants that will grow through the winter. So -- yeah -- that's my practice.
ReplyDeleteOk, thanks Bill. mine never have died off. I'll be cutting them in August and top dressing with manure.
ReplyDeleteOMGoodness, you confessed. I am sure you will be forgiven.
ReplyDeleteIn Scotland, growers do this often, especially in the West of scotlad. There a football team thats called Partick Thistle and the plant looks like this too.
Anyway, the bees will love it.