The days are growing longer, the weather is changing, and so it is time to get your gardening skills up and going again. I love this time of season, coming out of my house I always feel like a bear coming out of hibernation.
The excitement of your new garden and grow season awaits. One of the most important first tasks to decide is what fruits and vegetables to plant in your limited space.
If you choose to add artichokes to your garden, it is very important you know which plants grow well near them and which plants do not do so well. This article has is intended to inform you about which plants to plant next to your artichoke plant.
Growing artichokes might not be your first thought because they are not very common, and can be difficult to grow. Do not worry though, because the beauty of the plant and the taste will be a hefty reward for your time and energy.
Artichoke Companion Plants
There are a lot of plants that will grow next to you artichoke plants that will either be beneficial to the overall plants health and success, or can hinder the growth and health of both plants. Understanding which plants will create a happy healthy garden when grown together is important.
First item to address in my opinion is soil, sun, and water requirements. Artichoke plants love water, and needs a lot of it. Any plant planted next to them has to be able to handle a lot of water as well.
Sun is very important for artichokes, and they require a lot of it. Plant your artichoke and companion plants in one of the sunniest locations in your garden, again close to a good water source.
The soil where the artichoke and companion plants will be planted has to be pretty close in pH and nutrient requirements. This plant loves rich, well-drained organic soil with a pH between 6.5 – 7.0, artichoke plants can thrive in slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil. The soil mix should be able to drain well, and have nutrient-rich soil that has a lot of organic matter in it.
Best Companion Plants
I think the absolute best companion plant for artichokes are peas. Pea plants are the ideal artichoke companion plant because they provide well needed nitrogen for your other plants. Peas do not require a lot of nitrogen, and actually dump more nitrogen into the soil. The artichoke plant will gladly soak it all up and take it in.
Planting your peas next to your artichoke will also allow some of the tendril arms of the pea plant to wrap around the artichoke stem, helping both plants so they do not have to compete for space. It is kinda like a helping hand for both.
Another top recommended artichoke companion plant is the sunflower. Not only will this beautiful plant help with the tendrils of the pea plant, but it will also help with some potential pest problems for other plants. A sunflower planted close will help control potentially harmful pests from wreaking havoc on your artichoke plant.
The Best Companion plants are:
- Pea
- Sunflower
- Tarragon
- Violets
- Hollyhock
Worst Companions for Artichoke
Just like there are some good or at least better companion plants for artichoke, there are also some not so good growing companions. The main point you want to keep in mind and remember is artichokes takes a lot of space to grow. They grow large and spread out. An artichoke plant can actually grow over 4 ft. in height and 4 ft. in width. They have huge leaves that can over take sun from other plants, and the hardiness of the plant can overpower some other vegetable plants.
If your plant is too close to other vegetable or fruit plants they will compete for nutrients and space, and crowd them out.
There is one vegetable plant I 100% recomend NOT planting next to each other, and that is corn.
Corn has shallow roots and does not like to compete for space or soil. The soil needs for both are very different, and both plants will end up suffering if you plant them close to each other.