Artichoke Seeds - Green Globe

Minimum Seeds per Packet: 20

Packet Weight: 1g

Planting Season: After Last Frost

Sowing Method: Transplant

Seed Depth: 1/4"

Direct Seed Spacing: N/A

Soil Temperature: 60-80 ℉

Days to Sprout: 10-21

Mature Spacing: 3-4'

Sun Requirement: Full Sun

Frost Tolerance: Frost Sensitive

Days to Harvest: 120

When to Seed Artichoke

Start seeds indoors eight to ten weeks before your last frost. Be sure to keep the seed tray warm and ensure it receives plenty of light. They can be transplanted outdoors after all danger of frost has passed, but while the days are still relatively cool. Either transplant into pots, so they can be brought inside, or utilize some other frost protection should a surprise late frost occur. 

Where to Plant Artichoke

Artichokes will need a location with full sun, well-draining, extremely rich soil. They are heavy feeders, so mix in plenty of organic matter ahead of planting. Space plants three to four feet apart, in rows that are four feet apart. 

Growing Artichoke

Being heavy feeders, fertilize your artichokes every two weeks throughout the growing season with a balanced fertilizer. They will need at least an inch of water per week. Excessive heat and drought can cause the blooms to be tough and inedible. We recommend watering well and applying mulch to keep the soil moist and cool. Artichoke plants will go dormant in hot weather, but they may produce a second crop in the fall. In zones where this crop is hardy, cut back the plants and mulch with a heavy layer of straw before the first frost to protect them for winter. Alternatively, if planted in pots, mulch and bring into a protected area for the winter. Perennial artichokes will begin to put out side shoots from the main plant in the second year that can be divided and used to propagate more plants if desired.

Harvesting Artichoke

Artichokes are a long season Mediterranean crop that is accustomed to cool temperatures but not frost. With the right conditions, about ten days of cool temperatures above freezing but not over 50 degrees Fahrenheit, flowering will be triggered and you can expect artichoke production about 120 days after seeding. Harvest artichokes when the flower heads are full but have not started to open yet. Cut the stem at the base of the flower with pruning shears.

If artichoke flower heads are left on the plant, they will open into large thistle-like blossoms. In about 60 days after pollination, the bracts (spiky parts surrounding the flower) will begin to turn brown and silvery-gray pappi (fluffy projections like on dandelion seeds) will begin to emerge from the top of the flower. At this point, the heads can be cut off and brought inside to finish drying. When the flowers are entirely crunchy and brown, break them open (wear gloves, they’re spiky!), pull the seeds out and separate each one from its pappus. 

Artichokes are insect-pollinated so they need to be isolated from artichokes of a different variety  by 800 feet to a half-mile to be sure the seed is pure. Artichokes can also cross-pollinate with cardoon. In some areas of California and the Southwest, there may be naturalized cardoon or artichoke in the environment, so pay attention to what’s blooming in the wild near your garden.