Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ground to a halt in the 1970s, until virus-free plant material from Swiss tissue cultures became avail-
able. Symptoms: stunted growth, reduced yield, discoloration and wilting of leaves. Treatment: select
only healthy plants for propagation, remove infected plants. Viruses are spread by aphids, usually in
warm, dry years. Prevention: insect netting. The red spider mite ( Tetranychus urticae ) can be a prob-
lem in dry years, but in cooler, wetter years it poses no threat. Treatment: remove infested plants as
soon as possible, cover plants with row cover to increase humidity.
CULTIVATION HISTORY Wild Chinese artichoke is native to the northern provinces of China and has
been eaten by the Chinese and Japanese for millenia. Albeit never hugely popular outside of its native
lands, it has since the mid 1800s been of some importance to gardeners in central Europe. It arrived in
France in 1887 via Japan and has been cultivated in small circles there ever since as crosne du Japon .
French and Japanese plant breeders are on the front lines of selecting and improving Chinese ar-
tichoke.
Chinese artichoke is atypical of the mint family in that it rarely blossoms and develops root tubers.
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