Artichokes

I miss eating artichoke and you cannot find the fresh one in the Philippines. Every time I travel back home to California I always make sure I get the chance to eat my cook artichoke dipped in mayo and melted butter.

My dad always buys them in Costco bagged up in the fridge area. It comes with four huge size artichokes.

I was able to bring it home to the Philippines. It was able to last for 14 hours flight home in my luggage. I had shared it with my father in-law who also eats it.

It is available in S&R which is like a Costco in the States. This is the brand available there. The price is expensive since it is imported goods.

This is the other brands I was able to find online at Shopee. I have tried each brand to see what is really the difference from each one. The texture of the artichoke taste different and the sauce it has been marinated in it.

Luckily, from my searching I was able to find seeds of purple artichoke online at Shopee. It is not from California more from France. Have you ever heard of purple artichoke? I have never heard of it either. I did some research about it to see if it is edible to eat. You can eat it just like the green ones from back home.

I was so excited to find a seller who actually have purple artichoke seeds for sale in the Philippines. I have been wanting to plant artichoke for along time. So I don't have to fly every time to eat it.

It may not be green what I normally eat. I guess it is better than nothing.

Instructions how to plant purple artichoke from France:

Artichoke seed plants are not fast starters, which is another reason for early indoor planting:

• Give your seeds a healthy start by planting two or three seeds in each 3-4 inch (9 cm) pot. 
• Fill the pot two-thirds full of good quality, compost rich soil-based medium. If the potting mix feels heavy, you can add a little per lite for better drainage. 
• Sprinkle your seeds in the pot and cover with a light dusting of potting mix. 
• Make this first watering a good one, soaking the soil well and allowing the pots to drain. 
• Water only when necessary. 
• The soil should never be allowed to become soggy, but don’t let it dry out either. Barely moist is good. 

How long does it take artichoke seeds to sprout? It depends on the richness of your potting medium and the quality of light the plants receive. Artichoke seeds do best under a controlled grow light, but they can do just as well in a warm, sunny window or a greenhouse for those fortunate enough to have one. To begin germinating, artichoke seeds need a temperature around 70-75°F. (20°C.) and will take two to three weeks to sprout; another thing that should be taken into account when deciding when to start your artichoke plants.

Seedlings have sprouted; water them with a weak fertilizer solution at least once a week. These plants are heavy feeders! About a month after sprouting, remove the smallest and weakest seedlings leaving only one per pot. Your indoor grown seedlings should be 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) when they are ready to be hardened off and planted outdoors. 

Plant them 1½ to 2 feet (45-60 cm) apart, nourish them well and enjoy the fruits.

I did more research and found out there are spiny artichoke that comes from Sardinian (Italy) and Criollo (Peru). 

Wow so many to try some day in the future.

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