Artichokes in your own garden provide you with delicious vegetables and give your garden bed an exotic flair. It's not even difficult to grow artichokes yourself! Find out here how cultivation is easy.
How can you grow artichokes yourself?
To grow artichokes yourself, start growing the seeds in potting soil in a warm, bright environment in February. Plant them in a sunny, warm location at the end of May and care for them with regular watering and fertilizing. Harvest the artichokes from July to September before they bloom.
Prefer artichokes
Artichoke plants are preferred in warm conditions. The first year harvest is not guaranteed, but most seed producers promise that if you sow your artichokes in February, you will be able to harvest them the same year. To increase germination, you should Soak in lukewarm water for a few hours. Then place the seeds in potting soil (€6.00 at Amazon) and choose a warm, bright location where the seedlings can thrive until planting out.
Planting artichokes
You can plant your artichokes at the end of May. The flowering vegetables come from the warm Mediterranean region and therefore prefer sunny, warm locations without drafts. To promote growth, you should also dig a few liters of compost into the soil before planting. Especially immediately after planting your artichokes, make sure that the soil does not dry out!
Care for artichokes
Despite their exotic origins, artichokes are quite undemanding when it comes to care: regular watering and two fertilizer applications per year are enough to optimally support them in their growth. However, good winter protection after the harvest is important!
Harvesting artichokes
Artichokes can usually be harvested from July to September. The right harvest time is essential because if the artichoke is already in the process of blooming, it can no longer be eaten. Therefore, you should harvest your artichoke as soon as the outer leaves spread and/or the leaf tips turn brown. You can find detailed harvesting instructions here.
Overwintering artichokes
Before the first frost, the artichokes are prepared for winter. To do this, cut the flower stems and leaves down to just above the ground and place a thick layer of sand mixed with leaves or manure as well as leaves and branches on the roots as winter protection. Detailed instructions for wintering can be found here.
Tip
Artichoke plants only produce flowers for three to five years. Therefore, you should think about propagating your artichoke in good time. You can find out how to do this here.
