How to Grow Mexican Artichokes
- 1). Purchase artichoke roots, stems or seeds from your local nursery.
- 2). Place seeds in peat moss, then put them in the refrigerator for two weeks to let them germinate. Transfer the germinated seeds to individual containers for planting.
- 3). Plant the germinated seeds after the frost season is over. Work sand into the soil to help with drainage. Plant the roots or stems in 12-inch by 12-inch holes, loosely fertilized. Allow a hand's width between each plant, and plant them in rows about 3 feet apart.
- 4). Draw earth around the plants without covering the cores. Add a generous amount of compost.
- 5). Water the soil well during cooler temperatures. Decrease water when temperatures reach 70 degrees by the middle of the day and cover the soil with mulch.
- 6). Allow six to eight weeks for the first sign of leaves. Allow at least 90 days for the first sign of fruit.
- 7). Trim the big leaves of the plant. Cover the trimmed plant with a box, then cover the box with earth and mulch as a heavy blanket. Add a layer of fireplace ashes as an additional blanket over the earth and mulch, if the temperature is near or below freezing.
- 8). Pick the Mexican artichokes when they are soft and bendable 2 or 3 inches below the bud.
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