Growing Artichoke,
Asparagus, Rhubarb and Onions
in
(949) 830-5653 www.lagunahillsnursery.com
Artichoke
Nearly all artichokes grown commercially in the
Artichoke plants can grow quite large, a healthy plant
reaching 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
Space plants accordingly. Provide
full sun near coast. In hot inland areas
provide afternoon shade. During the
growing season make certain the soil stays moist. Artichokes prefer well-drained soils. Artichokes perform poorly located in areas
with root competition from nearby trees or large bushes. Provide ample fertilizer. Snails, caterpillars and aphids are the
primary pests.
Near the coast plants can produce all year. After harvest the plants are immediately cut
down to the dirt. This encourages new
stalks to grow immediately. In inland
areas the plants produce in late spring-early summer and remain dormant in
summer until the ground cools. One full
grown plant can produce around 10 flowers at a time.
At one time fields of asparagus
lined both the 5 and the 405 freeways in
Asparagus plants grow about 7 feet
tall and 3-4 feet wide. Full sun is
best, but the plants do decently in part shade.
They adapt to most soils if drainage is decent. Generally asparagus plants are spaced 1 foot
apart in rows that are 3 feet apart.
They prefer average water.
Fertilizer is typically applied in late March and early June. Snails are the primary pest.
The most common way to start
asparagus is from crowns (aka bareroot).
These are planted in holes 2-4 inches deep with the roots spread
out. (Asparagus crowns are set much
deeper in cold winter climates.) The
young plants do not grow until the soil warms in spring. Plants should not be harvested until the
second spring.
Harvest spears when they are 5-10
inches long. Break this off or use a
small knife to cut at/or just below ground level. Use caution because there are new spears
developing just along side. Each single
plant can produce about 3 spears per week.
As the harvest continues the plants become gradually weaker and the new
spears will emerge with more slender stalks.
Discontinue harvest when stalks are only pencil thick. Allow the plants to grow for the rest of the
year and rebuild their strength for next year’s harvest season. In mid-winter trim the dead stems to the
ground.
Rhubarb is a perennial in far inland
and northern climates, but is often grown as a winter annual in
Rhubarb should be planted in full
sun along the coast, partial shade inland.
The soil should be very well-drained and sandy. Do not amend the soil with compost. Compost mixed with the soil nearly always
causes the roots to rot when the soil gets hot in the summer. Water regularly. Immediate remove any flower stalks as they
form.
If grown as a winter annual then all
the leaves are removed in spring.
If grown as a perennial, don’t
harvest the first year (or just remove a few the first year). Pull (don’t cut) leaf stalks for up 4-5 weeks
in spring, but never remove all leaves from a single plant.
Onions are a biennial grown as an
annual. Onion plants form a bulb their
first year (when harvested and eaten) and bloom (ruining the bulb) their second
year.
Different types of onions are grown
across the
Onions can be planted as seeds,
seedlings, or sets. We do not recommend
sets (runty bulbs from the previous year’s crop) because they often flower and
rarely produce large bulbs that are mild and sweet. Large onion bulbs are 4-5 inches in
diameter.
We recommend onion seedlings (young
bare root onion plants grown from seed) planted on the first day of
winter. If planted earlier, these
seedlings often bloom.
Onions should be grown in full sun
on very well-drained soil. They can be
grown individually in containers as small as 6-inches across. The faster onions grow, the larger and
sweeter the bulbs will be. Space the
plants about 4 inches apart. It is
important not to plant the seedlings too deep.
Bury the root just deep enough to hold up the foliage. Apply ample fertilizer and keep the soil
moist. The tubular leaves develop
quickly. The bulbs begin developing in
spring and mature late spring-early summer depending upon the variety.
Candy This is
currently the best selling onion in the
Contessa This is a
large, globe-shaped white onion that can reach 5 inches in diameter. It is mild and sweet. It stores for about 2 months. Contessa is the best, white early harvesting
onion. Short day variety
Red Candy Apple This is the
best red onion we can grow. The bulbs
are round and somewhat flattened and a beautiful glossy purple red. Bulb diameter is 3+ inches. The mildly sweet flesh is white with purple
rings. It stores for about 2 months. Intermediate day variety
Super Star This is a
large white onion. The bulbs are globe
shaped and can reach 4-inches in diameter.
The flesh is sweet and mild. It
stores for about 2 months. Intermediate
day variety
Yellow Granex (Vidalia) This is a large, round, somewhat flattened
yellow onion that can reach 5 inches in diameter. It is famous for its mild sweet flavor. It stores for about 1 month. Short day variety