The garden is still in transition.
The cilantro has bolted and made some very nice little flowers.
The tomatoes of all variety are growing… and are very hard to focus on with a phone.
But I have a question for you and it revolves around this guy right here.
Actually, it revolves around all of his little siblings that are growing on my big beautiful artichoke plant. I understand that each main stalk will produce a large bud and some smaller buds. My question is, do you normally trim off the smaller buds to try and increase the size of the larger ones? I have a ton forming right now, but they are getting smaller, and smaller, and…
I don’t mind a smaller artichoke, but it seems counter productive to be eating chokes the size of rose buds.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The Jones Garden Blog 
Is this the first year for these plants? If so, my understanding is that you should let most of the buds flower this year. Like a bulb, it will get stocked up with nutrients as the flower dies back. This will increase size and production and overall plant health for the future. That will help it produce larger chokes. To answer your actual question, I don’t think cutting them now would increase the size of ones you leave on. My chokes are only 8″ tall now. Have I mentioned how very green with envy I am?
Well… sort of, this is the first year that the plant has produced anything. It was technically around last year, just not producing. I’ve never grown bulbs, I’ll have to look into that theory. The first round of chokes were about the size I expected. The second round is just looking small, and a third round looks even smaller (tiny). Thanks for the advice!
Hm, okay so it’s not their first year in the ground. They should be bigger, the first is always the biggest though. They’re very heavy feeders, are you giving them food (fish emulsion is recommended) and keeping them well-mulched and watered? They’re surprisingly finicky. Good luck!
I haven’t mulched yet but was planning on it. I’ve never done the fish emulsion before. Maybe I’ll give that a go. Thanks!
I don’t know if it will help the plant, but the small chokes would be very tasty and they probably do not actually have the thistle in them makeing them really good for cutting in half and sauteing or marinating and grilling-YUM!!
Good point!
Another thought! The small ones could also be boiled and cooled and added to salads!
The whole thing?
Can’t help with the artichoke question but – let your cilantro go to seed. The dry ripe seeds are coriander – which you can use whole or grind for cooking with.
I hadn’t even thought of that. I will!
😊
I just leave mine to flower, if that helps? (Probably not) it’s crazy I don’t eat mine, I let them flower up for the bees! Mine don’t normally produce until June onwards but this year, I’ve had them over winter! Just shows you how mild it’s been in the UK this year!
Interesting. I like eating the flowers too much. Our winter in AZ was mild too but this is my first artichoke plant to produce.
fascinating!