Cardoon

Direct sowing
Greenhouse: February - March
Outdoor: April - July
Harvest greenhouse: April - June
Outdoor: June - November
Contents small packaging   :  2 grams (for min. 10 m2)
Seed weight   :  25 seeds per gram
Planting distance   :  80x60 cm
Location   :  sun
Plant height   : 80-150 cm

Cardoon is very similar to artichoke, the plants are closely related. Unlike artichoke, picture cardoon mainly for the edible foliage (if bleached - see below), and less likely for the flowers. Cardoon often becomes a large plant, up to one and a half meters high, with deeply cut leaves, gray-green in color. The plant also produces artichoke-like flowers. The decorative properties of the plant make it very popular with vegetable gardeners.

Cardoon is therefore a heat-loving plant - the plant originates from the Mediterranean region. Therefore give cardoons preferably in a sheltered spot in your vegetable garden. The plant produces a lot of leaves in a short time and therefore needs fertile, moist soil. Give the plants some extra compost of well-rotted manure. Loosen the soil for the plants well. During the growth period you could add some fertilizer if necessary.

In warmer areas, cardoons can easily overwinter, in the Dutch climate the plant can freeze to pieces. By covering the plant/root after severe frost, the plant has a higher chance of survival.

Cardoon petioles are edible after cooking. These stems are rarely bleached to suppress fibrousness.

Sow cardoons in the open ground in May. Sow a few seeds per spot, leave the tallest plant and remove the rest. You can also pre-sow in a pot and then plant out. Start bleaching the plant at the end of August: make sure the leaves are dry when you bind leaves together, otherwise the leaves will bleed easily. Wrap the leaves with a piece of string, and prevent light from reaching the leaves. Originally, men always used jute for this, another air-permeable material that blocks light is also possible.

2 g of cardoon seeds, approximately 25 seeds per gram.

Sow in May and retain the strongest plant at 80 × 60 cm. Grow sheltered in fertile, moist soil. Tie dry leaves together from late August and exclude light; cook the blanched stalks.

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