Amazingly tender.  The key ingredients for the salmon stuffed artichoke are cooking wine, garlic, and lemon. Only serves 1 because you will not want to share!

Ingredients
1 artichoke globe
1 lemon
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dill weed
4 cloves fresh garlic cloves sliced in half
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 tbl butter or margarine
1 Salmon Steak

Rinse large artichoke globes. Follow instructions on how to prepare and hollow an artichoke globe.

In a microwave safe bowl, add 1/2 cup white cooking wine or just white wine

Take the spare artichoke leaves that were scooped out from the heart and place at the bottom of bowl

Rest artichoke globe on top of leaves inside the bowl

Squeeze 1/2 lemon over the globe.

Place salmon steak in center of globe and season with salt, pepper, dill weed, and 1 pat butter

Stuff garlic cloves between the artichoke leaves, as many as you desire

Garnish top of salmon stake with sliced lemon

Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and microwave  on high for 10 minutes for a medium size globe or 12 minutes for a large globe.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve

Container Size and Soil
Artichokes should be planted in a 20 gallon or larger size container; about the size of a large Rubbermaid tub. The same rule for soil amendment still applies with: 1 part decomposed granite (DG) or vermiculite, 1 part potting soil, and 1 part cured steer manure.  A good choice for container potting soil is Miracle Gro Moisture Control, but the soil must still be amended with the steer manure along with DG or vermiculite.

When to Water
Water heavily once per week. This means watering until you see the water spill out below the container. If the water rushes out quickly, this means the soil is depleated and it is time to dig up the artichoke and recondition the soil. Perlight may be added to the soil to help with water retention. Because containers lose water to evaporation, light daily watering (in summer) and twice weekly (in cool weather) may be necessary; about 1” to 2” deep surface water.

How to Tell When to Water
A good test to learn about your artichoke watering needs is to watch your plant for signs of wilting. If it seems to wilt daily (oftentimes in summer), then it might need to be moved to an area of the yard that is not as sunny or hot. Raising a 30% shade cloth over your growing area will also help. Do not purchase shade cloth from the hardware store, because it is 75% shade and does not allow in enough sunshine. I purchase mine at The Shade Cloth Store online.

Important rules to remember are:
•  If the soil is dry just below the surface, then it is time to water again.
•  Too much water will drown your artichoke plant. It will cause root rot, and your plant will not produce a good harvest.
•  If you are growing when the weather is cold, moist soil releases more heat than dry soil. Cold dry air and wind can also dry out container artichokes. If you are growing chokes during the cool season, watering may be just as important in winter as it is in summer. It all depends on your climate and rainfall.
• DO NOT set up a drip system for your artichoke plant. Healthy artichokes need to dry out between watering.
• Artichokes must have good drainage. Decomposed granite or vermiculite mixed with the soil will help with drainage issues. If your container has holes on the bottom, make sure your container is slightly raised a few inches to allow for the water to drain out.
• Potted Artichokes need mulch just like artichokes planted in-ground.  It is necessary for water retention and will help prevent over watering your artichoke plant.
• Watch for pests! Pill bugs and other bug critters love to live in the cool damp area under potted plants and work their way into the container.

Please feel free to leave your comments and questions!

Garden Blessings, GAiL

Q:  Last year I bought 4 artichokes from you, 2 Violetto and 2 Imperial Star. After conferring with you, we decided to lift them, put them in Miracle Gro and hold them in the garage over the winter. You said to put them “in a bag of Miracle Gro soil” but they never really seemed to go dormant! When we had a snow storm forcasted, we potted them up in huge pots with Miracle Gro soil, and I wheeled them into the garage which is heated to about 45-50 degrees.

They were watered well and put at windowsill height, two plants to each east-facing window. I watered them again in December. There was some die-back of outer leaves but everyone looked perky and good. All went well until about two months ago. Two of the plants must have suffered root rot? They wilted and could not be revived with light or relative warmth of 50s outside. They were in a different kind of pot than the two at the other window which are also deeper in the garage (less drafty?). Here’s the problem: I don’t which variety died! Would it be impossible for you to tell from pictures of semi-dormant plants?

A:  It is difficult to tell the artichokes apart. When mature, the romanesco stands more upright and the violetto tends to spread outward. The leaf pattern is almost the same. The imperial star is a shorter and fuller plant and grows more wide than tall. It often has a green and white pattern to the leaves. The Canadian Violetto are a better choice for cold climates. I have to grow them in partial shade where I live, because it gets too hot in the summer.

The plants that died were probably watered too much. I lightly water potted artichokes with only 1/2 inch to 1 inch of surface water. Remember that in the winter the air is dry and potted plants can dry out quickly. This year, try mixing in decomposed granite (DG) or Vermiculite into the soil. It can be purchased at most garden centers and should help with drainage and root development. When you bring the plants in next year, I suggest that you purchase a water monitor. It’s a prob that inserts into the soil that will tell you when the plants need water and only costs about $12 from Lowe’s, Home Depot, or Menard’s. It’s a learning curve, but it sounds like you are doing a good job.