Globe Artichoke

Globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) plants look like large thistles and may reach 3 to 4 feet in height and cover several square feet with their large, prickly deep-cut leaves. Artichokes are not for the gardener with limited space. Climate requirements restrict their culture even more.

Globe artichokes grow best in frost-free areas with cool, foggy summers. No wonder their commercial production in the United States is limited to one small area in coastal California! However, home gardeners with less than ideal growing conditions can successfully produce artichokes. A variety known as Creole grows in southern Louisiana, and a few artichokes have been grown in Michigan. The most familiar artichoke ---and available in the seed trade is Green Globe.

Historically, artichokes originated in southern Europe where they were cultivated since Roman times. They were brought to California by Spanish explorers. Artichokes are grown for the soft fleshy receptacle and thickened bases of the bracts of the flower heads. Each plant produces several stalks and each stalk bears several flower heads.

The plant is an herbaceous perennial that grows best in a rich, well-drained soil supplied with plenty of organic matter and having a pH of about 6.0. It lives for several years and increases in production provided it doesn't freeze.

Seed of the Green Globe variety is advertised in several home garden seed and plant catalogs, but germination is apt to be low and the plants produced quite variable to type. Seed germination is improved by storing it for 2 weeks in the refrigerator in moist peat moss. Plant the seeds in individual cups or pots 4 to 6 weeks before you want to set the plants out. This will give you an early start and avoid the shock of transplanting.

Globe artichokes are best propagated by crown divisions or rooted suckers or sprouts from the base of the plant. Space the plants 4 to 6 feet apart and supply them with adequate fertilizer and water during the growing season. The plants grow best at temperatures from the mid-60 s to the mid-70 s (degrees Fahrenheit). At higher temperatures the buds open rapidly and the bracts become fibrous and tough.

Stalks and buds appear in late summer or early fall. In frost-free areas, flower bud production continues through winter into early spring. Cut artichokes while the buds are still tight. In overmature artichokes the green bracts loosen and Point out and purple flowers show. The Creole variety is an exception since its bud bracts naturally point out. As each stalk is finished, remove it completely from the plant.

In northern gardens, most attempts to produce globe artichokes are unsuccessful. Frost and freezing temperatures kill the plants, and heavy mulches used for protection often result in the crowns rotting. In many instances the plants freeze before becoming large enough to flower.

Horseradish

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb.) is a member of the Mustard Family (Cruciferae or Brassicaceae). It is believed to be native in southeastern Europe, but is grown in cool temperate climates over much of the world and has frequently escaped from cultivation. The "radish" part of the common name derives from the latin, radix, for root, while the "horse" part may allude to the strong flavor of the root, or to the plant's coarse texture.

Although condiments derived from roots of the horseradish are now quite familiar, primary use of the plant before the 16th Century was for its alleged medicinal properties. However, both leaves and roots were eaten in Germany during medieval times. Today, peeled roots are either grated and prepared with diluted vinegar, or boiled, pureed, and used in preparing various sauces. The pungent flavor is due to the presence of the glucoside sinigrin.

Horseradish is a hardy perennial that produces a whorl of large, coarse-textured leaves. The seeds mature but rarely, and are not used in propagating the crop, which is raised from root cuttings.

A deep, rich, moist loamy soil is best for horseradish. It has also been grown successfully on organic soils. On hard, shallow, stony soils the roots tend to be malformed and yields are reduced. Unless the soil is already fertile and in good tilth, it should be manured the autumn prior to planting at the rate of 55 to 92 pounds of fresh manure per hundred square feet, and plowed or spaded to a depth of at least 10 inches. Where no manure is available, grow soil-improving crops for plowing down in the the autumn of the year preceding that in which the crop will be planted. In mild climates, a winter-grown soil-improving crop may be spring-plowed.

Phosphate and potash mineral fertilizers should be rototilled or spaded into the soil before planting. Manure should not be spring-applied in the year of planting, but nitrogenous fertilizers may be applied broadcast and the ground reworked at that season. Amounts of commercial fertilizers to be used should be guided by the results of soil tests.

Horseradish is best grown from root cuttings, sometimes called "sets". Sets are small or slender roots, 8 to 14 inches long, that are trimmed from the main roots at autumn harvest. As these cuttings are removed from the main root, it is wise to make a square cut at the top and a slanting cut at the bottom as an aid to subsequent proper planting procedure. The sets are cleaned, bundled, packaged and held under refrigeration or in a vegetable pit or root cellar until planting time the following spring.

An alternative procedure is to leave a few plants in the garden over winter for spring digging and taking of cuttings at or near planting time.

In spring, the fall-plowed soil should be well worked, including incorporation of any spring-applied mineral fertilizers, especially nitrogenous ones. It is a good idea to let the worked-up soil settle a few days before planting.

Horseradish is commonly grown in rows spaced 30 inches apart, with the plants spaced 24 inches apart in the rows. Yield estimates vary from 15 to 35 pounds of roots per 50 feet of row. Size of the horseradish plot will depend on the popularity of horseradish preparations with the family, but one or two dozen plants should be enough for the average family.

In planting, make furrows 3 to 5 inches deep. Plant the cuttings with the tops all in one direction in the row, dropping a cutting every 24 inches. As the cutting is dropped, draw a little soil over the lower end with your foot and tamp firmly. After all cuttings are dropped, they are covered with soil to slightly above ground level (to allow for soil settling), being sure that the soil is firmly in contact with the cutting Cultivation for weed control in horseradish (and other garden crops) is especially important early in the season when the plants are relatively small. If mechanical cultivation is practiced, it is best to cultivate in the same direction that the cuttings were dropped toward the top end.

To grow high quality horseradish, remove all top and side roots, leaving only those at the bottom of the set. This is done twice during the growing season, first when the largest leaves are 8 to 10 inches long, and again about 6 weeks later.

To remove top and side roots from the sets, first carefully remove the soil around the top end of the main root, leaving roots at the lower end of the set undisturbed. Raise the crown and remove all but the best sprout or crown of leaves. Rub off any small roots that have started from the top or sides of the set, leaving only those at the bottom. Return the set to its original position and replace the soil. This procedure is called lifting and produces a relatively smooth root, free from side roots.

Horseradish makes its greatest growth during late summer and early autumn. For this reason, harvest usually is delayed until October or early November, or just before the ground freezes. In digging, it may prove wise to dig a trench 12 to 24 inches deep along one side of the row. Then, working from the opposite side of the row with a shovel or spading fork, dig the roots, using the tops as a handle for pulling laterally from the loosened soil. The tops should be trimmed from the roots to within one inch of the crown. Side and bottom roots are trimmed off, reserving the laterals for the succeeding season's crop.

If you wish to store horseradish roots for frequent fresh grinding, they may be cleaned, washed, and stored in plastic wrapping in a refrigerator, vegetable pit or root cellar. When stored in the refrigerator, protect horseradish roots from light to prevent their turning green. For this purpose, recycle the colored plastic bags in which potatoes often are marketed.

In relatively mild climates where frost penetration of the soil is not extensive, the roots may be stored in an 8- to 10-inch deep trench lined with clean straw. Place roots on the straw and cover with a 6-inch layer of clean straw. As the weather becomes colder, cover the straw with 6 inches or more of soil before the ground freezes. This will protect the roots from freezing injury.

Occasionally, horseradish may suffer from attacks of root rot. To avoid this, select only disease-free root cuttings for planting stock, and rotate the planting site so that horseradish Is not grown on the same piece of ground more often than every 3 to 4 years.

Leafhoppers, flea beetles and grasshoppers may attack horseradish foliage. Leafhoppers spread the virus disease known in the inland Northwest as "curly top", which can have devastating effects on this and many other vegetables. There is no cure. Apply approved insecticides as soon as the insects appear. Consult your county Extension 0 agent for current information on pesticides.

The most common way of preparing horseradish for table use is by peeling or scraping the roots and removing all defects. Then, grate the root directly into white wine vinegar or distilled vinegar. Avoid using cider vinegar, as it causes discoloration in the grated horseradish within a rather short time.

Depending on your preference, the vinegar may be slightly diluted before use. Bottle the horseradish and cap the containers as soon as possible after grating. Refrigerate the prepared product at all times to preserve the pungent flavor. It will keep for a few weeks. Then prepare a fresh supply.

Horseradish may also be dried, ground to a powder and put up in bottles in a dry form. So prepared, horseradish will keep much longer than the freshly grated product, but is not generally as high quality.