Artichoke: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow artichokes under cover?
To sow your artichokes under cover, prepare individual pots or sufficiently deep modules. Starting between late winter and spring lets you raise young plants ahead of outdoor planting, with timing adjusted to your climate. Choose seed of a variety intended for seed propagation: growth and earliness differ between selections.
Fill containers with free-draining seed compost, moisten it and ideally sow one seed per module or small pot, about two centimetres deep. Provide gentle warmth and plenty of light. If several seeds were sown together, thin or carefully separate the plants so they do not remain crowded. Keep compost moist without saturating it.
Move plants into larger pots when roots fill the container and become visible through drainage holes, preserving the root ball. Increase ventilation gradually and watch for slugs. Before outdoor planting, accustom plants to sunshine, wind and changing temperatures. Wait until frost risk has passed before setting these young plants out. The first crop depends on variety and establishment; there is no guarantee of edible heads immediately after sowing. Keep labels with the plants to follow their development.
How do you plant artichokes?
Plant globe artichokes in a sunny position sheltered from strong winds, with fertile soil that does not stay waterlogged. Remove weeds and prepare the area with well rotted compost according to the soil’s condition. In heavy, wet ground, planting in a raised area helps prevent water collecting around the roots.
Spring is usually the safest planting season. Wait until hard frosts have passed for young plants raised under cover, and gradually harden them off first. Autumn planting is best reserved for sufficiently mild climates and freely draining ground. Choose vigorous plants with several large leaves and a well rooted rootball.
To plant an offset, a young shoot taken from the base of a clump, select a healthy one with a piece of the crown and some roots. Replant it promptly. Make a hole to fit the rootball and maintain the previous growing depth without burying the growing centre. Allow about 80 to 100 cm between plants, with enough space between rows for their mature width and access. Firm gently and water to settle soil around the roots.
Removing the first flower stalks can help a young artichoke establish for perennial cultivation. This does not mean removing the buds intended for harvesting every year. For a variety grown as an annual or intended to crop in its first season, follow its particular growing instructions.
How to care for this plant
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Maintain the mulch
In late winter or spring, check the mulch around the plants and top up bare patches if needed. Leave the plant’s crown uncovered, especially in damp ground.
How do you harvest artichokes?
Harvest globe artichokes when the heads reach the expected size for their variety and remain firm, with the bracts, or outer scales, still tightly closed. Do not wait for every type to reach the same 10 to 15 cm diameter. Small purple varieties and secondary heads can be ready at a much smaller size. Once the scales spread and flowers appear, the eating stage has passed.
Check plants regularly, especially in warm weather. Timing depends on the variety, climate and growing method. Pick the large central head when ready, followed by the smaller side heads as each develops. You can leave a few heads to open for decoration and pollinating insects.
Use clean, sharp secateurs. Cut with a short section of stem attached, just above a leaf joint, without pulling or damaging neighbouring buds. Wear gloves if the bracts have spines.
Use the crop promptly, or keep unwashed heads in a suitable bag in the refrigerator for a few days, checking their condition. To freeze the bases, remove the leaves, fuzzy choke and woody parts, wash and blanch for seven minutes in boiling water. Cool quickly, drain and pack in dated freezer packaging. This preparation is different from briefly blanching whole heads.
Artichoke
- Type : Perennial vegetables
- Subtype : Fruiting vegetables
- Botanical Family : Asteraceae (daisy family)
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Perennial
- Exposure : Full Sun
- Frost Hardiness : Slightly Frost Sensitive
- Cultivation Difficulty : Medium
- Mature height : 150 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Plant Spacing : 80 cm
- Row Spacing : 100 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Moderate
- Water Requirements : High
Other characteristics
- Soil Type : Humus-rich
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
- Pollination : Insect-pollinated
- Propagation : Division