When should i plant artichokes

Skip to main content. You are here Gardening » Growing Guides. Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Artichokes. By The Editors. 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 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. 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. How to Propagate Artichokes Select shoots from an established plant that produced well the previous year. Storing and preserving. Artichokes will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Artichokes hearts can be frozen after cooking, canned, or pickled. Your email address will not be published. Post Comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Please check settings. Artichokes grow well in Southern California.

They are usually planted bare root in the fall and then grow to become perennial, permanent plants that will produce a crop the following summer. A tried-and-true good variety is Green Globe. But there are newer varieties that can be grown from seed as annuals.

Buy these plants as starts at a local garden center. Plant these in March in Southern California or plant them in late summer for a late winter or spring harvest. Get the best gardening tips straight into your inbox! Email Address:. Join our gardening family to receive the latest tips. Search Search for: Search. Artichokes grow best where there are mild, frost free winters and long, moist summers.

Facebook 0 Tweet 0 Pin 0. When large enough to handle, thin out the seedlings to 1 per station and then finally 60cm 2ft apart. Dig over the planting area, incorporating lots of organic matter — such as compost or planting compost, especially if the soil is heavy clay or light, well-drained sandy soil.

Dig a good sized hole big enough to easily accommodate the rootball. Place the rootball in the planting hole and adjust the planting depth so that the crown of leaves is at soil level. Mix in more organic matter with the excavated soil and fill in the planting hole.

Apply a general granular plant food over the soil around the plants and water in well. Plant small tubers in March or April in well-prepared soil, cm in deep and 30cm 1ft apart with rows 90cm 3ft apart. Large tubers can be cut into sections, providing each one has 2 or 3 buds.

Apply a little general granular plant food over the soil. Tubers can also be grown in large pots filled with a good potting compost. Although reasonably drought resistant, you may need to water during prolonged periods of dry weather, especially when the flower buds are forming. Feeding with a general granular plant food each spring will increase yields. Keep plants weed-free and mulch with well-rotted manure or compost in spring.

In cold areas, you may need to cover plants with a mulch of straw, compost or similar in late autumn to protect them from cold winter weather.

Jerusalem artichokes are easy to grow. Once planted and growing well, they rarely need any supplementary watering or feeding. Only water during periods of severe drought. In exposed areas, when the stems reach 30cm 12in high, pile up earth around them to a depth of 15cm 6in to make the plants more stable.

When the foliage starts to turn yellow in autumn, cut down the stems to 7. Cut off the flower buds, ideally when they reach the size of a golf ball, with a pair of secateurs, before they open and start to flower. After harvesting the main head, secondary usually smaller heads appear on sideshoots, which can be harvested later.