Thursday 23 April 2015

Chinese Artichokes

Last Friday night I planted up another unusual veg brought from eBay - Chinese artichokes. To be honest I was expecting them to be bigger, like the size of Jerusalem artichokes but these are the size of large grubs! I planted up two raised beds with these and I'll report later in the year how they do.
A good friend of mine accuses me of collecting vegetables like "an American prepper collects guns"  - his words not mine! 
I think having a large variety of fruit and veg is key to being self sufficient in food. That way you have things to fall back on should crops fail. Something like this is pretty easy to grow as well (so I'm told) needing very little input (like Jerusalem artichokes) but they're there in the ground if you need them over winter, or stored in a frost free place. 
Is anyone else expanding their collection of unusual fruit and veg this year?

17 comments:

  1. I think it's great to try out new things. I have planted lettuce, that's all so far. We are still trying to clean up the property so we can create garden spots.

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    1. Sometimes it's best not to rush and keep on top of smaller areas until you're ready to expand - not like I did here and went head first into it! I try a few new things every year, keeps it interesting.

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  2. I tried Chinese Artichokes last year, wasnt impressed lovely taste but very little return from each plant I hope you do better, how is the Oca mine have just peeped through the surface :-)

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    1. The Oca are just showing their heads. I'm not sure if I should put them in the ground or keep them in raised beds? Maybe both.

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  3. they do look like grubs! you are a veggie prepper!

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    1. I like that - veggie prepper! Although I hope no one thinks I'm a veggie!

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  4. I grew them a few times, you need a bucket of water to drop them in as you lift them, once they dry you can not get the soil out of the corkscrew. My Oca's from Dawn are looking very pretty.

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    1. Yeah my ocas are just coming up, I'm looking forward to trying them.
      As for the Chinese artichokes I'll keep that in mind when it comes to harvest time. Should be interesting! Lots more interesting veg to try this year.

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  5. Oh my yes they do look like a worm/grub bug lol... I have tried several different type things over the years, sadly a lot have not made it. I love trying new things though!

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    1. I try new things every year and some makes it to our "regular" list like the cucamelons and some don't!

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  6. I'm growing cucamelons again this year, and I have heard there are purple strawberries about?!!

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    1. My girls love them so I've put loads in this year. I might try growing some of them outside as well and see how they compare.

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    2. You can only plant the strawberries on the first of April I'm afraid!

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  7. Your friend might be surprised how few American preppers "collect" guns. MOST just have a couple for survival situations, and spend the rest of their time learning skills and collecting non-perishable food. Of course, that's not the way the media tells it, because that would be too boring to make a good story.

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    1. It was a sweeping stereotype but it was said for humour value. We often talk about America and it's love of guns and how to prep in America is completely different to how you'd do it over here. I know that you think like me and know that skills are the moat important things you could have, tools and the knowledge to use them, otherwise you would have no hope!

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  8. Heh. At least the American Preppers won't leave ya nasty comments because you hunted some pheasant :) Or was it ducks?

    Not doing much gardening around here this year just staying mostly in the raised beds but I am still hoping to get the old garden sown in with a good crop of Buckwheat as an experiment this year. I will put in a few trellis of my long running bean breeding and some melons and cucs. Might even get a patch of pumpkins in if I can get the tiller situation figured out soon enough.

    Those are some odd looking seeds.

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    1. Hey pp, if you ever want any seeds sending over next year let me know.
      As you know I have nothing against the prepper mentality and I think Americans have to prepare in a different way to anyone over here. And it was pheasants and ducks they were annoyed about, although both tasted good even with the comment!
      II'll look to how you get on with the buck wheat. I'm putting in a small patch of oats to see how that does but it's only an experiment. Might get a bowl of porridge out of it and a tray of flap jack.

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