Cardoon

Last year I grew cardoon for the first time. I wanted to see how it would do in large containers. I had two make it through the year but neither flowered. Growth was slow but it was also hard to keep them watered. I never got around to actually eating any given some setbacks. It was terribly wet the first few months of season, then we went dry. The plant lasted well into winter until we got a few days in a row with temps way below freezing. The tops died off but I'm not sure about the root. Anyway, I'll try the experiment again this year.

Those of you who grow/eat them, is blanching while growing necessary?

Are any of you growing them in containers? Any suggestions?

Do any of you freeze, can, or otherwise preserve cardoon for later use?

I grow artichoke.  I think they grow very similar to cardoon.
 The root crown will survive winters but you probably need to hill dirt or straw around them in your area.
They require very well draining soil and need plenty of water. you can grow them in big pots and bring them into a garage for winter....
artichoke plants are good for 5-6 years then I restart them. I have about 8-10 plants started now to put into landscape this year.

My replacement artichokes

I've grown them, maybe 3 or 4 times, and frankly always wonder why I bother. I didn't blanch them. I let them grow and they get as big as their cousins the artichokes (too much space for my small garden, frankly). No flowers, slow growing, tended to have trouble with wet soil. The rabbits loved them, so I would rip off leaves to feed them, but at the end of the day the 3 or 4 plants made only one meal (the stalks).

I plant mine among tree guilds on slightly raised sandy hill to keep out of my wet soil. Makes good ground cover at 5x5 ft. and each plant gets about 15-20 chokes a year each. I have lots of space around fruit trees to fill so big plants work well for me.
Over the last couple years I have let a few of the flowers bloom on out, I can tell you the bees really love them.

I didn’t eat my Cardoons, they were too pretty and the bugs loved them. They made a little lovenest in the flowers.
Got a lot of seeds now, somewhere...