"Tanya Gilmore" wrote in message
Chris Hogg wrote:
My neighbour's cardoons have gone over now, but new shoots are already
coming from their bases for next year's flowers. It is possible to
propagate from these by removing some of them and potting them up? (I
do know they can also be done from root cuttings).

I have succeeded using division. They can take a while to come back.
Bigest problem I experienced with cardoons was there impressive size and
weight. If they start too lean there is almost nothing that can stop
the inevitable. When they fall they WILL damage anything beneath them.
Best bet I found was to cut them back hard lower down all around the
plant, this helps reduce weight while still keeping the plant healthy.

I agree, division seems to work well. I've tried to propagate from the seeds
with zero success.
A wire circle or three stakes in a triangle with twine seems to be the only
way to stop them falling over, unless they are very densely planted in a
sheltered spot.
HTH
mutley