Growing Artichokes

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Artichokes

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The globe artichoke is a perennial in the thistle family that produces long, silver-green, lobed leaves make the artichoke look like a giant fern. Learn how to plant and grow edible artichokes in your garden!

About Artichokes

The buds (i.e., the “artichokes” that we harvest and eat), if allowed to flower, are thistle-like and violet. These large plants can be grown in rows in the garden, as informal hedges, or planted in a wide border. Artichokes can reach heights of 3 to 5 feet.

Artichokes prefer cool, humid summers and mild winters. In cool regions, treat the artichoke as an annual.

One plant will produce many artichokes. The biggest bud grows on the top of the plant and many smaller ones grow beneath.

Artichoke flower — Even if you don’t like to eat artichokes, they’re still worth growing for their lovely, pollinator-friendly flowers!

Planting

When to Plant Artichokes

Artichokes can be started from seeds, from rooted shoots taken from growing plants, or from dormant roots.
If starting from seeds:
- Start seeds indoors in late winter or early spring, about 8-10 weeks before planting outside.
- Soak the seeds in warm water before sowing in trays or pots.
- Place the trays or pots in a warm spot with bright light.
- Keep the soil moist.
Plant seedlings and shoots in the garden in the spring, after the last spring frost.
Dormant roots can be planted in the fall or winter in frost-free regions. In cooler climates, plant the roots in the spring after the last frost.

Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site

Choose a spot in the garden that gets full sun.
Artichokes are heavy feeders. For each plant, mix a shovel of compost or aged manure into the soil before planting.

How to Plant Artichokes

Space each plant three to four feet apart in rows and leave four to five feet between the rows.
Plant the shoots and dormant roots about six inches deep. The tops should be above ground level.
Water deeply at the time of planting.

Care

How to Grow Artichokes

Keep the soil moist. Artichokes need lots of water to form the edible buds.
Mulch around the plants to keep the moisture in the soil.
Apply a balanced organic fertilizer once every month during the growing season.
Remove the mulch when the plants begin to bud and cover the soil around the plants with compost.
Artichoke plants will go dormant in hot weather.
When temperatures cool off in late summer and fall, the plants will start growing again and you may get a second harvest.
In cooler regions, after the fall harvest, cut the plants back to about 6 inches and cover the crowns of the plant with leaves.
For extra winter protection, add an additional foot of straw on top.
Remove the straw and leaves after the last frost in the spring.

Artichokes on the plant

How to Propagate Artichokes

Select shoots from an established plant that produced well the previous year.
Remove shoots in the spring when they are about 8 inches high.
Cut the shoot off below the soil, at the point where it is attached to the mother plant at the root ball.
Carefully pull the roots that are attached to the shoot from the root ball.
Plant the shoot in a new spot or share with friends!

Pests/Diseases

Bacterial crown rot
- Symptoms: The plant will stop growing and the leaves will wilt. The crown will slowly rot.
- To avoid rot, use clean tools and start plants from disease free transplants.
Fungal gray mold
- Symptoms: The crown of the plant becomes slimy and foul smelling and a white to gray mold will appear. This often occurs in humid conditions.
- To prevent mold, plant in light well-drained soil and don’t crowd plants. Remove all plant debris in the fall.
Armyworms, aphids, flea beetles, loopers, spider mites, and slugs can be problematic.

Harvest/Storage

How to Harvest Artichokes

Harvest artichoke buds when they have swelled but are still closed tight.
Use a sharp knife to cut across the stem about 1 to 2 inches below the bud.

How to Store Artichokes

Sprinkle fresh artichokes with water and put them in a plastic bag. Put the artichokes in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze artichoke hearts, first blanch the hearts in boiling water and a splash of lemon juice for 1-2 minutes. Cool and dry the hearts before putting them in plastic freezer bags.

Recommended Varieties

‘Green Globe’ matures early and is a good choice for northern gardeners. This variety can be grown as an annual.
‘Violetto’ produces purple slightly elongated buds. Best grown as a perennial.
‘Imperial Star’ has tasty round buds that mature early. It is an annual and will produce well-developed artichokes the first year from seed. Plants grow about 3 feet tall. Each produces 1-2 small primary buds and 5-7 smaller secondary buds.
‘Emerald’ has thornless buds and is very productive. It grows glossy, deep green buds on 4 to 5 feet tall plants. Grow it as a perennial in zones 7 and above.

Wit & Wisdom

Historians believe that the first artichokes were grown in Sicily or North Africa.
In 77 AD the Roman naturalist Pliny called the artichoke one of earth’s monstrosities.
Wealthy Romans enjoyed artichokes prepared in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin.
In the U.S., artichokes were first grown in Louisiana in the early 19th century. The vegetable was brought there by French and Spanish settlers.

Recipes

Cooking Notes

Artichokes are delicious raw or cooked. They can also be pickled or canned.

Before cooking, slice off the bottom of the stem and any though outer leaves. Cut off about 1 inch of the spikey top of the artichoke.

Steam artichokes, don’t boil them. Steaming cooks them with just the right amount of moisture.

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