Artichokes are a delicious and ornamental vegetable that can add beauty and flavor to any garden. Though often thought of as difficult to grow, artichokes can be grown successfully from seed even in cold climates. This complete guide will walk you through everything you need to know about growing artichokes from seed – from choosing the right variety, starting seeds indoors, transplanting, and caring for your plants all the way through to harvesting the tasty flower buds.
Choosing an Artichoke Variety
The first step is selecting an artichoke variety suited to your climate
Popular varieties like Green Globe and Imperial Star are best suited to warm climates, while newer varieties bred for cooler conditions will perform better in places with short growing seasons Some top choices include
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Imperial Star – An early maturing annual variety that produces large, round green buds. Excellent for northern gardens.
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Colorado Star – The first annual purple artichoke bred for cooler climates. Yields violet-purple buds.
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Green Globe – The classic variety prized for its large, rounded heads. Best for warm climates with a long growing season.
For the best results in cold climates, choose an annual artichoke variety designed specifically for cooler conditions.
Starting Artichoke Seeds Indoors
Artichokes have a long growing season, so it’s best to get a head start by starting them indoors.
When to start: Sow seeds indoors 8-12 weeks before your expected last spring frost.
How to start: Fill starter trays or cells with seed starting mix. Sow 2-3 seeds per cell, 1⁄4 inch deep.
Germination: Keep the seed starting mix moist and germinate at 70-80°F. Seeds should sprout in 10-14 days.
Growing on: Once sprouted, grow seedlings on at 60-70°F during the day and 50-60°F at night.
Transplanting: Harden off seedlings for 7-10 days before transplanting into the garden after all danger of frost has passed.
Vernalizing Artichoke Seedlings
Artichokes require a period of cool temperatures before they will produce flowers and buds. This process is called vernalization.
To vernalize seedlings, expose them to 45-50°F temperatures for 10-12 days. This tricks the plant into thinking it has experienced winter, allowing it to produce buds its first year.
Use row cover or a cold frame to protect seedlings if temperatures drop below 45°F during the vernalization period.
Transplanting into the Garden
Once seedlings are vernalized and hardened off, it’s time to transplant them into the garden!
When: Transplant after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures reach 60°F.
Spacing: Space plants 2 feet apart in rows spaced 4 feet apart.
Care: Consistent water is key. Mulch to conserve moisture and feed plants monthly with organic vegetable fertilizer.
Growing Artichokes in Containers
You can also grow artichokes successfully in large containers. Use a 20-inch diameter container or 20-gallon grow bag filled with a quality potting mix. Position in full sun and keep soil consistently moist. Feed container plants monthly with organic fertilizer.
Caring for Artichoke Plants
Proper care is vital for a healthy artichoke crop.
Watering: Maintain consistent soil moisture, especially during hot weather. Drought stressed plants will produce smaller buds.
Weeding: Stay on top of weeds, which compete for water and nutrients.
Pests: Check weekly for common pests like aphids. Remove by hand or use insecticidal soap if infestations occur.
Diseases: Avoid wet foliage, which encourages diseases like powdery mildew. Improve air circulation by proper spacing.
Fertilizing: Feed plants monthly with a balanced organic fertilizer to replace nutrients.
Mulching: Mulch plants to retain moisture and reduce weeds.
When and How to Harvest Artichokes
Knowing when to pick artichokes takes some practice. Watch for buds to reach maximum size when the bracts are still tightly closed. The base bracts will start to loosen and separate slightly when ready for harvest.
Use sharp pruners to clip buds 3-4 inches below the base. Harvest in the morning for best flavor. Secondary buds will form on the plants after the main bud is harvested.
Storing Freshly Harvested Artichokes
Fresh artichokes will keep for about 5-7 days when properly stored.
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Place harvested buds stem-side down in a bowl with a couple inches of water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
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Refrigerate artichokes. Change the water every couple of days.
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Eat buds as soon as possible for best flavor and texture.
Overwintering Artichokes as Perennials
In warm climates, artichokes will live for many years as perennials. In colder zones, you can also overwinter them with proper protection:
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Cut plants back to 6 inches in late fall after frost kills top growth.
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Heavily mulch with 12-18 inches of straw.
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Insulate with a cold frame or row cover over winter.
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Uncover in early spring. Plants will resprout from roots.
Dividing Overgrown Artichoke Plants
Mature artichoke plants can become overcrowded after a few years. Dividing them will improve vigor and bud production.
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Dig up the plant in early spring. Cut roots with a shovel or knife to divide it into several pieces.
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Replant divisions 2-3 feet apart and care for as new plants.
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Dividing annually or every 2-3 years will help maintain healthy, productive plants.
How to Prepare and Eat Artichokes
Once harvested, prep and eating artichokes is easy.
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Wash and trim the stem. Trim sharp tips from leaves using kitchen shears.
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Boil, grill, or steam until inner leaves pull out easily. The heart and base are fully cooked when tender.
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Pull off outer leaves, dip in sauce, and scrape off the tender flesh with your teeth.
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Scoop out fuzzy choke before eating the heart and stem base.
Enjoy Growing Your Own Artichokes!
With the right variety and care, it’s possible to grow artichokes successfully from seed, even in challenging climates. Don’t be intimidated to try growing this unique and beautiful vegetable in your own garden. Follow this guide for a healthy artichoke crop you’ll enjoy all season long.
Raising Artichokes from Seed
The lure of home grown artichokes drives many to try growing their own. The truth is, artichokes are not an easy crop, they take up alot of room and the results are usually poor in most parts of the world. Those large, commercially grown green globe artichokes that many of us are familar are primarily grown in a coastal microclimate, the cool, Monterey coast of California for instance, just south of San Francisco, where most of our commercial artichokes come from.
You’ve undoubtedly seen artichoke seed for sale in seed catalogs, and I think many are curious about possibly growing a few, especially since they start with the letter ‘A’, I think I get more mail about How To Grow Artichokes than any other vegetable. Home grown plants can be rewarding, but one must follow directions strictly, as temperature is key throughout their life. There are times when artichokes want to be warm, and there are times when they want to be cold, and if you mess those periods up, you will just end up with nice, prickly thistle plants and never see a flower bud. Using some of the newer seed-raised varieties that have come into the market in the past decade or two. Don’t be discouraged, you can grow them -just follow these directions precisely, and as late January and early February (right now – go order them!) is the time to start, here I share how I grow mine.
| RootTrainer pots are great for tap-rooted plants like artichokes |
Artichokes are true perennials, even the ones sold as ‘New Annual Forms’ are, but the difference between named varieties is important if you live in most of the northern US. Forget about growing the so-called heirloom varieties (the violet ones such as Purple of Romania, Violetta Precoce or the green variety Green Globe) as they are all warm weather varieties, and they will not perform well in northern gardens. You will need to seek out varieties that can be raised from early sown seed, and that will form buds within the same year. I suggest seeking out IMPERIAL STAR ( available from Johnny’s Selected Seeds and from Seeds of Change) as well as the purple variety OPERA ( also from Johnny’s). NOTE: If you want to grow Cardoons, this is also the time to sow your seedlings, following the same methods.
| RootTrainer pots can be tricky – since they do not lock, the pots fold up and retain their shape only if the entire flat is filled with pots. One must fit the entire set of pots into the tray before filling with soil. They unfold when you are ready to plant easily, which reduces root disturbance. |
In the past 15 years, new annual varieties of seed-raised Artichokes have been introduced for the home gardener ( primarily for those who live in the north), but before undertaking such a crop, there are a few things to note. First, artichokes require some homework on your part for there are specific needs which must be met – and most of these needs are based around temperature and timing. Seed must germinate at a certain temperature ( outlined at the end of this post), and something called ‘Vernalization’ ( a short, fake winter that you must expose young plants too in March or April), is essential, as it tricks the plants into thinking that it has passed through two springs, and that this year is the time to form flower buds. ( I am simplifing, but you get the idea – think ‘forcing bulbs’).
| Artichoke seeds are large, which makes them easy to sow. I presoak them for 24 -36 hours |
How to Seed Start Globe Artichokes & Don’t Make This #1 Mistake: Timing, Zones, Cold Period, & More
FAQ
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