This plant is of Mediterranean origin, it is sown in May and develops in the heat of summer, which they appreciate very much, to be harvested just before winter. It is a horticultural plant similar in appearance to celery and in botany to artichoke, known and cultivated since the time of the ancient Romans, currently not very widespread and therefore to be rediscovered. As the cultivation is very simple, it should therefore be recommended for beginners. To obtain a better vegetable, the producer can perform the blanching operation, which improves the flavor and makes the ribs more tender and meaty.
The plant. The thistle is from the Compositae or Asteraceae family, it is a garden plant that grows a lot, it can exceed 150 cm in height. At the base it has a strong primary root, from which the leaves depart. The part it collects and consumes is the large fleshy vein of the leaf. The pages of the sheets (flaps or boards) can be fixed depending on the variety.
Contents
How to plant thistles
Climate . The thistle is a heat-loving garden plant in the summer and likes high temperatures, fears frost and spoils below two degrees below zero.
Proper soil and fertilization . Thistles require good and abundant nitrogen fertilization. Perhaps after fertilizing before planting, it can be reinforced with a second distribution of fertilizer in July. Ready compost, worm humus, manure pellets or mature manure can be used. As a soil, they are very strong plants, so they also adapt to heavy or stony soils, although they do not like drought.
Plant the thistles. The thistle can be sown directly in the garden, in this case the seeds can be placed about 80 cm apart (it is a large plant that requires space) and three seeds placed there, which will be placed at shallow depth. Alternatively, you can put the seeds in jars for transplanting later. Thistle sowing time is usually May, say it can be sown between late April and mid-June.
Cultivation of the garden and whitewashing
Cultivation and plant cultivation operations . The initial growth of the thistle plant is very slow, during the month of July they always seem to be sown too wide, and the ground must be weeded frequently to prevent the weeds from taking over. The leaves vary in color between green, gray and blue. Once this first phase is over, in mid-summer, the thistle develops massively and can reach a height of almost one and a half meters.
Irrigation . Thistle requires little water in the initial phase, but the soil should never dry out anyway. From the end of August, thistle irrigation increases.
Plagues and diseases . As it is a very hardy plant, diseases that can compromise its cultivation are rare. However, such as pests, mice or field mice that gnaw their roots, especially in autumn, and aphids (the black ones that also affect the beans) that block their growth are particularly troublesome.
Whitening . This is an operation that greatly improves the quality of the vegetable obtained: the thistle would be hard and quite bitter, depriving the plant of light, we obtain a more tender, fleshy and tasty vegetable. At the end of October, the thistle plant must be tied up for whitewashing. The first tie is made at a height of about 40 cm, after about ten days the leaves can be tied higher, leaving only the center of the plant free. When the cold arrives, it is necessary to remove the thistles from the garden. The bleaching itself can continue in different ways:
- bleaching in the well . You dig a pit one meter deep and submerge the thistles vertically, with only a small piece of root at the base. It is then covered with straw.
- Whitening in the field. Of course, this can only be done in temperate climates, where it does not freeze. Leave the thistles in the garden, cover them with tea towels.
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Entrance cards. The plant is bent to the side, partially removing it from the ground, then it is covered with soil, leaving only the upper part, and the plant continues its growth, bending forward.
- Blanching in the cell. The thistle plants are placed whole in a cold room.
Collect the thistle and use it in the kitchen
The Thistle Collection . As with many vegetables, thistles are harvested before winter, so that frost does not damage the plant in time. If blanched, thistles remain an excellent winter vegetable for the home garden because they produce at a time when there is not much variety in the garden.
Thistle seeds. Being a biennial garden, if we leave the thistle plant on the ground with a formation similar to that of the artichoke, from which the seeds can be obtained. There are perennial varieties of thistles in certain climatic conditions, such as milk thistle and alpine thistle.
kitchen thistles The thistle has a slightly bitter taste, reminiscent of the artichoke, always a plant of the Compositae family, and has a soft and fleshy rib, with a good flavor. Thistles are a typical Christmas vegetable, they can be boiled, baked with lots of bechamel sauce or au gratin, or they can be breaded and fried. As for its properties, it is a purifying and detoxifying vegetable, rich in fiber and magnesium.
Variety of thistles. There are many types of thistle plants, here are some known and used varieties:
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Hunchback Monferrato.
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Spineless giant thistle. Variety without thorns, fleshy and slightly bitter.
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Thistle of Asti or Blanc d’Ivoire. Very good variety, meaty ribs, boneless.
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Romagna giant thistle. Broad leaves with a gray tendency, with medium spikes.
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Bologna thistle, medium in size and without thorns.
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Thistle of Chieri. Piedmontese variety with small thorns, stored long enough to be suitable for commercial cultivation.
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milk thistle A very famous variety, also widespread in nature.
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wild thistle It grows spontaneously and perennially, it is harvested as a wild herb (especially the thistle of the Alps is very widespread in the mountain pastures).
recommended seeds : Rainbow Milk Thistle Seeds, Organic and Biodynamic.