Everything you ever wanted to know about growing artichokes
For a vegetable that adds value and uniqueness to your garden, why not try growing artichokes? The artichoke is a member of the thistle family, and you’ll definitely want to try growing them if you love making your own artichoke dip. There are also plenty of other recipes that call for fresh artichokes, and you can’t get much fresher than if you grown them in your own garden at home.
The first thing to remember when you’re growing artichokes is that they are perennials. They probably won’t produce vegetables the first year you plant them because they most likely won’t produce flowers until the second year.
When you’re planting artichoke seeds, remember to plant them about an inch deep and five or six inches apart. Keep your rows of artichoke plants about five or six feet apart. However, remember that one artichoke plant produces quite a few artichokes, so you don’t want to plant more than what you can eat or give away. You’ll find that about two or three artichoke plants will provide plenty of artichokes for your family. If you start with seeds, you should have artichokes about four months after you plant them, so keep this in mind when you’re planning.
When you decide to start growing artichokes, it is much easier to start with root divisions instead of seeds. These are available at your local garden center or from other plants. They will produce artichokes after about three months, a little sooner than if you use seeds. If you are using root divisions, then you’ll need a hole that’s about 18 inches deep for each artichoke root you have. It’s very easy to get divisions from other artichoke plants that are already growing. Just make your divisions in the fall after the leaves have turned brown for the season. If you live in a cooler climate, then you will need to use straw or mulch to protect the roots right after you plant them.
The best area for growing artichokes is in a well-drained part of your yard in direct sunlight. You’ll need to use a fertilizer that is very high in nitrogen. Don’t forget to apply more fertilizer about once every three weeks or so.
You’ll know your artichokes are ready to harvest by squeezing them. The heads should be tightly closed, and they should squeak a little bit when you squeeze them. You’ll have to look inside the plant the find the artichokes. Make sure you cut your artichoke plants down to about an inch off the ground after you finish your first harvest. This may make it possible for your artichoke plants to produce another harvest for you. It doesn’t always happen though, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the second harvest from your artichoke plants.
When you’re all finished growing artichokes for the season, stop watering and let the plants dry out. They will turn yellow, and this is a sign that you can then remove all the extra leaves and prepare them for the dormant season.