Do artichokes grow in Alaska?
Why, yes, they do.
Artichokes are nutritious, unique,
and something new to try.
Unlike in warmer climes, here, they
are usually grown as annuals rather than perennials.
They're not something I've seen commonly
grown at farmers markets, but they
have been grown in Fairbanks as far back as 1984.
And they're currently being trialed at the University
of Alaska Fairbanks.
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Hi.
I'm Heidi Rader, here in the Alaska Garden.
I'm an associate professor of Extension
with the University of Alaska Fairbanks,
and I'm going to talk all about growing vegetables, flowers,
and berries productively and sustainably in Alaska.
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About a decade ago, as an Extension employee,
Taylor Maida grew artichokes in Fairbanks too.
Now she is the vegetable trials manager at High Mowing Organic
Seeds, and she said artichokes growing in Fairbanks
looked even better than in Vermont.
Her favorite vegetable to grow and eat is the artichoke.
Unlike Taylor, I have a hard time getting excited
about artichokes given the amount of work that
goes into a relatively small amount of edible produce.
I asked Glenna Gannon, director of the vegetable variety
trials in Fairbanks, why you'd want to grow artichokes.
She explained that you might want to grow them
because it's novel.
And if you're successful growing them in Alaska,
it kind of makes you a rockstar gardener,
just like if you can grow corn.
Even though artichokes do not top the charts
in terms of edible weight, in Fairbanks trials,
Tavor produced 10 to 12 artichokes per plant,
averaging 5 ounces each.
That's definitely more artichokes
than I eat in a year.
Plus, you can also eat the entire buds
that have not fully matured because the thistle has not yet
formed.
Colorado Star was found to be the best-tasting.
Green Globe and Imperial Star were also grown successfully.
To grow artichokes, you'll want to start the seeds in mid-March
and then transplant out after the danger of frost has passed.
When growing artichokes as annuals,
they do need a period of cold weather for vernalization.
Johnny's Seeds recommends timing planting
so that the transplants receive 10 days of 45-
to 55-degree Fahrenheit temperatures.
Glenna recommends growing them in IRT or Infrared-Transmitting
Plastic to warm up the soil and to block the weeds.
Their thorns are no joke, which have the added
benefit of seeming to deter the moose,
as the trials are not fenced.
They should be spaced 3 feet apart in rows
2 to 3 feet apart.
Harvest begins around mid-August with the apical stem,
or center stem, and can continue for about a month
or even after a frost, down to about 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
The buds should be harvested when
they are still tight and firm.
You'll want to wear long sleeves when harvesting.
If you don't get around to harvesting the buds,
they produce a beautiful purple flower, reason enough
to grow artichokes, along with their distinctive leaves.
Another reason to grow your own artichokes
is that they don't store long--
at most, two weeks at an ideal temperature of 32 degrees
Fahrenheit and over 95% relative humidity.
Sitka blogger Florence Welsh found
that artichokes do very well in Southeast Alaska
and can even be overwintered there.
In Anchorage, longtime garden columnist Jeff Lowenfels
has successfully grown artichokes
but suggests cardoon might be a more reliable choice
in cool, rainy summers.
The Municipality of Anchorage grows cardoon
all over the city.
Somewhat similar to artichokes in appearance,
cardoon produces a beautiful flower.
But instead of eating the bud, you
eat the stem or stalk after removing the tough outer skin.
Artichokes are incredibly high in antioxidants.
You can boil, steam, roast, or cook them in a pressure cooker.
For more information on growing, harvesting,
and cooking artichokes, check out the links
in the bottom of this video.
All that to say, there are plenty
of reasons to give artichokes a try here in Alaska.
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