Cardoons Yes/No

**lottie dolly** · 22-09-2009, 09:08 AM

i got some seeds last year thinking great,but on reading a thread on the very subject on here,i decided not to,they sound a bit invasive,but they certainly look an impresive plant,have a look on the search engine,type in cardoons,

**vicky** · 22-09-2009, 09:40 AM

They are massive plants and do spread a bit (I wouldn't go so far as invasive, but you'd need to keep your eye on them!). I'd be inclined to suggest you taste them first before taking on such thugs - It would be a shame if you didn't like the taste after the effort of growing them!

**lottie dolly** · 22-09-2009, 09:46 AM

Originally posted by vicky View Post

They are massive plants and do spread a bit (I wouldn't go so far as invasive, but you'd need to keep your eye on them!). I'd be inclined to suggest you taste them first before taking on such thugs - It would be a shame if you didn't like the taste after the effort of growing them!

thanks vicky,might try just 1 seed,might,

**Nicos** · 22-09-2009, 11:15 AM

I have some growing but I've not tasted them ( actually they sort of got left in their pots and are only about 12" high.

)
Perhaps they'll be ready next year instead!

**Flummery** · 22-09-2009, 04:24 PM

As a person who heartily dislikes celery I've never been tempted to try them. Maybe I should - I love celeriac.

**snohare** · 22-09-2009, 06:12 PM

I have seen them grown in a walled garden just as an ornamental plant in a herbaceous border, although they were actually edible; and they were as tall as me, with foliage that had a diameter of about a yard and a half. Maybe those were particularly large plants, but I think of cardoons, I think of a plant the size of pampas grass.
Even if you don't like the taste of the stems, the plant is beautiful and the birds love the seeds in winter !

**Snadger** · 22-09-2009, 06:25 PM

This was mine a few days ago!

Twas grown from seed.Worth growing just for the ornamentation value!

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**DaveInBraknell** · 22-09-2009, 07:54 PM

Hi All,

I'll think I'll try growing them for ornmental reasons as well as trying to eat them, some of the old guys on the plot seems to grow em I thought they where thistles

Thanks for the notes, and snadger they look great.

Dave

**ladylottie** · 23-09-2009, 08:03 PM

Originally posted by DaveInBraknell View Post

Hi All,

We saw cardoons this weekend at the Berkshire show, they look a bit like tall celerey.

Doing some research in an old T W Sanders book on vegetables I note they are an excellent vegetable, a bit like celery, grown similar to celery.

My question is are they worth growing, anyone done it? Results? Uses?

Thanks
Dave

When I took over my half plot last year (was it really only last year?!!) there was a huge plant growing which I though was a globe artichoke at first.Then I was told it was a cardoon. Decided it was taking up far too much growing space and dug it up. And boy, did it take some digging up!
So, I would suggest that you grow one by all means if you have the space. They are quite impressive.

**sewer rat** · 13-03-2010, 08:47 PM

Are these easy to grow from seed?
The owner of the castle gardens I started work at today wants to grow them in both the courtyard garden and in tubs by the front of the castle entrance (I know they can get very big but these tubs are bigger than half barrels).

**snohare** · 13-03-2010, 08:54 PM

You get so many seeds in a head SR, that if you stick a flowerhead in a pot of soil, or different mixes of compost etc, you are bound to end up with a couple. I seem to remember when I had some seeds and was researching how to grow them, one of the online reports I came across said that they had a long germination time, and a germination temperature of about 57 degrees.

But I wouldn't swear to that...!
Half barrels would just about be big enough. You might find they would thrive of course, being a wee bittie cramped for space.

**Jeanied** · 13-03-2010, 08:59 PM

I've never eaten them - but I gather the flavour is not at all like celery - the similarity is that you use the fleshy stem in cooking - I have heard of them braised in stock much as you would with the midrib in swiss chard.
Best source of advice on cardoons - Clarissa Dickson Wright.

**peanut** · 13-03-2010, 09:07 PM

I accidently got them when I bought a pack of "Globe Artichokes" from Wilkinsons!

They are huge and look great....absolutely adored by Bees....so they're worth having in my book for that reason alone.

**snohare** · 13-03-2010, 09:39 PM

I notice that Victoriana Nursery sells them as plug plants...maybe I will bother this year, if I have enough room.

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