Search Results for '
Artichokes (common)'
PAL Questions: 1 - Garden Tools:
Display all answers | Hide all answers
Keywords: Artichokes (common), Cutworms, Vegetables--Diseases and pests, Slugs
PAL Question:
I have about 20 healthy artichokes. They did not die back in the winter. I think that there is a lot of bug activity going on in them: earwigs, slugs. Should I cut the plants to the ground and dispose of the possible bugs that have wintered over in them? I hate to do it because the foliage is so lovely.
View Answer:
I have grown artichokes for the last 5 years, so I am going to answer from personal experience.
Do not cut the plants back because they will be sending up their flowers in the next few weeks (depending on the weather, it could be as late as June). Cutting it back now will just delay any flowers for at least 6-8 months, if not kill them outright. While I too have had numerous slugs, earwigs and cutworms, I find that their damage is minimal, and does not hurt the flower show. And for eating I just wash them carefully and then turn a blind eye when I find a few earwigs in the pot after cooking!
Sprinkling some Sluggo (or comparable less toxic slug bait) into the leaf joints will help too.
Season
Spring
Date 2006-11-02
Link to this record only (permalink)
Didn't find an answer to your question? Ask us directly!
We are continually adding new questions, so be sure to keep coming back.
April 19 2012 16:02:30
