Cardoon

Cardoon: plant 90 cm (35 in) apart in the row and 120 cm (47 in) between rows, 1 plant per 9 squares. No known bad neighbours.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	90 cm (35 in)
Between rows	120 cm (47 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 plant per 9 squares
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	40 cm (16 in)
Height when grown	160 cm (63 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	Started in trays, sown straight into the bed
Seeds per hole	1
Plants kept after thinning	1
Seeds per metre of row	1
Sowing depth	2 cm (0.8 in)
Soil temperature	from 10 °C, best 18–24 °C
Days to emerge	14–28 days
Light while germinating	Light makes no difference
Before sowing	nothing needed
When to sow	Indoors 8 weeks before the last frost; outdoors before the last frost; soil at least 8 °C

After emergence	15–20 °C; take the cover off as soon as they show
Pricking out	at 2 true leaves
Takes transplanting	Only with care, keep the root ball
Hardening off	10–14 days
Life cycle	Perennial
Cold tolerance	Takes a light frost → hardy, takes hard frost
Soil	Rich, with compost, free draining, pH 6–7
In a pot	—
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; while growing
Feeding	Moderate; in spring, after harvest
Support and training	None needed; blanch by covering

Open the free planner, drop Cardoon onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Asteraceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.