How to Grow Artichokes From Seed

Artichokes have a long season, so start seeds indoors early, about 8 weeks before your last spring frost. The key step is vernalization: once seedlings have a few true leaves, give them roughly 10 days outdoors in cool weather below 50F before planting out. That cold spell fools the naturally biennial plants into budding in their first year, which is what lets gardeners in cold zones grow them as annuals. In mild-winter regions of zones 7 and up, you can also plant them as perennials that come back and crop each spring.

Sow the flat seeds a quarter to half an inch deep in 4-inch pots of seed-starting mix, and keep them warm at 70 to 75F until they sprout in 1 to 2 weeks. Grow the seedlings on under bright light, harden them off, and give them their cool vernalization spell before transplanting. Set plants out in full sun in deep, rich, well-drained soil, spacing them about 4 feet apart since they get big. Mixing a little mycorrhizal fungi into the planting hole helps these hungry plants establish strong roots.

Artichokes are big, thirsty, hungry plants that reward good soil and steady care. Water deeply and regularly so the buds stay tender, and feed with a balanced fertilizer through the growing season. Mulch to hold moisture and keep weeds down, and watch for aphids, which love the buds and new shoots, plus slugs on young plants. In mild regions like coastal California and the Pacific Northwest, artichokes thrive as perennials and can produce for several years; in cold-winter areas like the Northeast and Midwest, grow them as vernalized annuals or dig and overwinter the crowns under heavy mulch.

Artichokes take up a lot of room, but a few good neighbors around the base help with pests and pollinators. These three make especially good companions, and you can add any of them in one click:

Harvest the buds while they are still tight and firm, before the scales begin to open, cutting each with an inch or two of stem. Take the large central bud first, then the smaller side buds as they size up over the following weeks. If a bud gets away from you and opens, let it bloom into its striking purple thistle flower for the bees. A healthy plant can give you several buds per season.

Artichokes are grown for their tender, meaty flower buds. Steam or boil whole artichokes and pull off the leaves to scrape the soft base with your teeth, then enjoy the prized heart at the center, often with lemon-butter or aioli. You can also trim down to the hearts to grill, braise, or add to pasta and dips. Rub cut surfaces with lemon to keep them from browning, and eat them soon after picking for the best flavor.

• No buds the first year: seedlings missed their cold spell. Give young plants about 10 days below 50F before planting out to trigger budding.
• Aphids in the buds: they cluster in the developing heads and new shoots. Blast them off with water, encourage ladybugs, and use nasturtium as a trap crop.
• Buds open too fast: heat or delayed picking. Harvest while the scales are still tight and firm, and keep plants well watered in warm spells.
• Plants die over winter: cold kills artichokes below their hardiness range. In cold zones grow them as annuals or cut back and mulch the crowns heavily.