Cardy: growing and caring for the Spanish artichoke

The Cardy is not only a delicious Spanish artichoke, but also a wonderful decorative element. So here are our tips for growing and caring for Cardy.

The thistle-like plant Cardy, although now very commonly cultivated, is still one of the relatively unknown late vegetables. Although it is particularly popular for versatile decorative purposes. Because their large artichoke flowers with purple-colored bristles are ideal for drying.

» Tip:

Harvest the flowers with the stem and let them dry loosely in a container. However, the handle should not touch the bottom of the container. You can then incorporate the cardy flower into arrangements or remove the stem and use the flower for table decoration or garden decoration.

Cultivation of the Spanish artichoke

You can buy

Cardy seeds in well-stocked garden stores. In the period from January to March, you must then plant the seeds in small flower pots, then place them in a temperature-controlled room or greenhouse and grow small plants from them.

From the end of April to mid-May (note the frost), you can then plant the plants in previously fertilized outdoor areas. It is recommended that you choose a sunny location that is as sheltered from the wind as possible. It is also important that you plant the safflower in slightly loamy soil.

Important:
Since the safflower can grow between 100 and 150 centimeters, you should keep a planting distance of about 80 centimeters between the individual plants when planting.

» Tip:

Cardy are also extremely attractive in a decorative flower bed. The great thing: they can even be left in place as ornamental flowers for several years.

Caring for the Spanish artichoke

Avoid waterlogging:

Cardy plants generally do not like waterlogging and their sprawling leaves also do not like soil moisture. Therefore, you should tie the safflower plants together slightly from a height of around 60 to 80 centimeters and lay out straw around the plants.

Fertilize Cardy:

You should also fertilize the cardy again in August with nettle manure. Alternatively, you can of coursebut also use any other nutrient-rich fertilizer.

Protection in winter:

If you keep cardy plants in the ornamental bed, you must protect them against frost in winter with brushwood. In severe frost, you should even cover the cardies with garden fleece.

Harvest & Processing

The grey-green colored leaves of the safflower are harvested as a vegetable. The stalks contain a lot of vitamin C and promote long-term digestion. You should cut these off as close to the end of the stalk as possible, because unlike the artichokes, only the stalks of the safflower are edible. Then you need to separate the leaves neatly from the stalk and peel the stalk with an asparagus peeler.

To prepare, cut the stalks into pieces and blanch in s alt water for about 30 minutes. You should then eat the vegetables as soon as possible, otherwise they will turn black. You can also put the vegetables in vinegar water to preserve the color a little.

You can also use the cardy stalks with a vinegar and oil dressing to make a nutty-tasting salad. You can also wrap them in batter and fry them.

» Tip:

Cardy vegetables can even be used to make a bitter liqueur that makes hearty meals more digestible.