How to Grow Artichokes
Instructions & Advice for Growing Artichokes in Your Vegetable Garden
| Nutrition | Watering Instructions | Harvesting |
| Climate | Fertilizing Instructions | Storage |
| Soil | Challenges | Tips |
| Planting | Prep for Winter |
Globe artichoke is a perennial member of the daisy family. In your garden, this plant will likely grow to 3 or 4 feet tall. This vegetable is most known for it's young, tender globe-shaped flower buds, which are harvested before opening. You can also blanch and eat the thistle-like leaves and stems.
Gardening artichokes in cold northern climates can be difficult, as they are not a very hardy plant. However, if you take measures to protect them in your garden, they can grow and winter over in many areas (including New England).
Gardening Advice Tip:For this vegetable, use the sunniest spot in your garden!
Nutrition Information: (back to top)
Under optimal growing conditions, artichoke offers: dietary fiber, Vitamin C, disease-fighting antioxidants, Potassium, Chromium, Folate, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Manganese
Gardening Advice Tip: Unlike with many vegetables, this vegetable is actually supposed to increase it's antioxidant content when steamed!
Climate & Growing Conditions: (back to top)
Artichokes grow best in climates that have mild and mostly frost free winters, and damp cool summers. The ideal gardening temperature range is said to be from approximately 50 degrees (F) at night to 74 degrees (F) by day.
How to Prepare the Garden Soil: (back to top)
Artichokes will grow best in your garden with a sunny spot and deeply tilled, rich, well-drained soils. for optimal growing conditions, the garden plot soil pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5. (Instructions for how to test and change your garden soil pH level.) Prepare the soil with fertilizer, well-rotted manure, and compost to improve drainage. Keep the plant mulched and well watered in the growing season, as well as in the summer after harvesting. If you live in a cool climate, in the autumn, you'll need to cut the artichoke plant back to 12” and apply a heavy dose of mulch to help protect the root structure from winter's cold.
How to Plant: (back to top)
Obtain shoots or suckers of disease-resistant varieties. Success from planting from seed is unpredictable and takes a long time (about one year between sowing and harvesting). Planting artichoke shoots or suckers offers faster and more reliable gardening results. Artichokes require plenty of space to grow, so be sure to allow space in your garden for the plants to be 3 feet apart.
How to Water: (back to top)
Keep garden soils evenly and constantly moist. Keeping a careful eye to make sure that soil stays this way for the spring and summer will keep your artichokes happy and as healthy as possible.
How to Fertilize: (back to top)
Prepare garden beds with a low nitrogen fertilizer. Repeat this application to your garden again when halfway through the growing season.
When planting, apply half a cup of the low-nitrogen fertilizer around each shoot.
Gardening Challenges: (back to top)
For artichokes, good drainage during their growing period is very important. If they experience poor drainage, your crop may develop crown rot. When gardening, try to handle the plants as little as possible. If you do find any infected or diseased plants, remove them from your garden immediately (do not compost them!).
Gardening Advice Tip: Practice good vegetable gardening by rotating your crops within your garden space with each new season. This will prevent many plant diseases.
How to Harvest Artichokes: (back to top)
From when you plant your artichoke shoots, expect from between 2 to 3 months for your crop to reach maturity. Harvest when the buds are still tight and 3” across. Cut well below the bud with 1” of stem still attached.
It's normal for your best crop to be in the second year after planting. For best results, plan to divide and replant the adult artichoke plants every third year.
NOTE: Do not allow the artichoke heads to grow to full maturity, or you will have fewer flower buds to harvest (your yeild will be smaller than it could otherwise be).
Prepare for Winter: (back to top)
In the fall (after frost), cut the flower stems to the ground. Cover each plant with straw and invert a box over each plant for protection from the elements. Remove the box and straw covering in the spring, before the growing season begins.
Storage: How to Freeze Artichokes (back to top)
Remove outer leaves of the vegetable. Wash, trim stalks, and remove “chokes.” Blanch them in boiling water, a few at a time, for 7 minutes. Cool in iced water for 7 minutes. Drain well. Pack in freezer bags, remove air from bags. Seal and label bags with item, and date. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Storage: How to Dehydrate Artichoke (back to top)
Wash and remove the outer leaves. Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters. Steam blanch for 4 minutes, and drain well. Dehydrate (dry) at 100 degrees (F) for 18 hours, or until brittle. Store in a clean, dry airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Use your dried artichoke hearts marinated (for salads, antipasto platters, topping on pizzas, casseroled) or in dips.
To rehydrate: soak in boiling water for about 15 minutes, adding a little lemon juice to help keep the color.
Storage: Canning (back to top)
NOTE: This is only a guideline. If not canned properly very dangerous (life-threatening) bacteria can grow undetected in your jars. Be sure to follow standard sanitation and canning procedures, as outlined in your canning cookbook or by your local county extension office. Also, follow your specific canner's manufacturer's instructions. Your local county extension office may also be able to test your pressure cooker's gauge for accuracy.
Note: processing time given is for at sea level. If you're above sea level, the cooking time will be longer. Again, check with your local county extension office for conversion rates for your area, to ensure that you're producing a safe canned food product.
Choose evenly sized, uniformly green artichokes with a compact shape. Remove outer leaves from the artichokes, until you reach the light yellow bracts. Trim the tops off the buds and trim the heart and stem into a cone shape. Wash in cold water immediately and drain.
In a large pot, mix 1 gallon of water with 3/4 cup vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook artichoke hearts in it for 5 minutes. Drain.
Pack the artichoke hearts into hot jars, leaving 1 inch of space at the top. (For instructions on preparing the jars for safe canning, check with your county extension office or purchase the "Ball Blue Book" guide to home canning.)
Prepare canning liquid: boil 3/4 cup lemon juice, 3 tablespoons salt and 1 gallon of water. Pour into the filled jars, making sure that you cover the artichoke hearts. Leave only 1 inch of space at the top of the jar. Remove air bubbles using a rubber spatula (not metal). Refil jar with boiling liguid so that there's only 1" of space at the top.
Clean the top of the jar and jar threads with a damp clean cloth. Apply the jar lids & bands.
Following your pressure cooker's manufacturer supplied instructions for safety, process (quarts and pints) for 25 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. For batches of large artichoke hearts, allow an additional 10 minutes of processing in the pressure canner.
Follow your canning cookbook's instructions for removing, cooling and storing the jars.
Gardening Advice Tips (back to top)
Have a helpful gardening tip (or even a funny story) to share about your artichoke growing experience? Share it with us at: gardeningtips@howtogardenadvice.com
From Betty Claypool, Kingman AZ
Nope, ther're not hard to grow, had one in my yard five years now!!! Found it again this Spring when I was weeding. True story. It has survived in spite of me. Our winters get down to 17 degrees and up to 105 in summer. When a friend told me they freeze, I said, no way! I thought they were easy to grow with mine just happening to have been planted evidently in exactly the right place with rocks and steps all around it to help hold the heat in winter. We are sure enjoying it's produce and have gained in our family members becoming artichokaholics. Can't keep up with them being eaten and have already devoured 9 and have 13 more coming off. Anyway, now that I have learned how lucky I am to have it in my yard and it coming back annually now I am scared and probably will kill it with TLC! I sure hope not as they are delicious.
From Bill Huebl...
Several years ago, loving artichokes, I tried to grow them in my zone 6 garden near Annapolis, Maryland. After carefully starting the seeds and transplanting them into my garden, I was amazed at how quickly they were growing. Then one fine morning I was looking with pride at some of the artichoke plants when I noticed some were missing. Well this continued over the next few days until none were left. I was so flattened by the experience. Later on, I notice two fat deer - a mom and a fawn - walking through my garden and then I realized the problem. I am using black pepper now to keep them away but still missing some green tomatoes in my garden this summer.
----------
Note: This page's content, unless specified otherwise on this page, belongs specifically to www.howtogardenadvice.com. Reciprocal links are certainly welcome. However, if you wish to use this content, as written, on your website - please be courteous, respectful and lawful... and ask permission first. Provided you 1) make it clear that the content came from this site, and 2) you leave the links back to my site within the page and 3) your site doesn't contain any profane or derogatory content, I'll likely approve your posting the content. Please email me first for approval at info@howtogardenadvice.com. Thank you.