Cardy & Cardoon growing: sowing, care & Harvesting

Grow Cardy in your own garden: We present suitable varieties and give tips on sowing, care and fertilization, right through to harvest.

The cardy is also known colloquially as a cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis) or as a vegetable artichoke. The thistle-like herb belongs to the daisy family. The artichoke also fits in here. The prickly cardy is grown in almost every country around the Mediterranean. Exploration and excavations of Egyptian pharaoh tombs have revealed detailed paintings depicting artichokes and safflowers, making this species one of the oldest known crops. To the uninitiated, artichokes and safflowers are almost indistinguishable, both often considered weeds despite the prickly flavorful growths being so he althy. The bud-like inflorescences of the artichoke are used for consumption, while the thick leaf stalks of the safflower end up in the kitchen. All in all, it is a very interesting plant for the garden with delicious petioles, suitable for a wide variety of dishes and is also increasingly planted as an ornament.

Grow Cardy & Kardone - this is how it works step by step:

1. The hobby gardener must first decide whether a new breed without thorns or a tried and tested variety should be considered. Prickly proven varieties are still popular for consumption due to the more intense aroma.
2. There are different cardoon varieties to choose from. We present these in more detail in our special article.
3. You can start germinating seeds on a sunny windowsill from the end of March. Simply press the cardoon seeds loosely about 0.5 cm into the ground. Can be planted out during the last week of May.
4. The soil should be rich in nutrients, improve it if necessary with a high-quality and nutrient-rich vegetable soil such as our Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil.
5. We recommend sowing outdoors at the beginning of May. untilPlant 4 seeds about 6 cm apart in a rectangle in the ground. After about 4 weeks, remove the 3 smallest Cardy cuttings and leave only the strongest. You should leave a good square meter free around the cardoons for optimal development
6. Always check her soil, the safflower loves to thrive in moist soil. Especially during the hot summer weeks it has to be watered almost every day
7. You can start harvesting from September and cut off the aromatic long stalks of the cardoon as needed.

Important tip: From October, to reduce the bitterness, you can bleach the entire plant including the root ball in a dark, cool room in the basement. Cardy stalks can be kept for over a month under constant storage conditions.