Globe Artichoke

These flower heads are scaly and have thick, fleshy bases.

The best flower heads are produced when globe artichokes are planted in rich, moist soil and have as much exposure to sunshine as possible.

Globe artichokes need a large amount of moisture in summer, but they should be kept dry during the winter.

While it is possible to raise globe artichokes from seeds, many seedlings that develop may be worthless, so it is usually more profitable to raise them from suckers, or shoots, that grow underground.

When you are planting from suckers, you should plant in March and then again in May. This way, you can have a supply of artichoke heads for six months in a row.

Before planting your artichokes,  you should prepare the soil by plowing it or digging into it deeply, then spreading a generous amount of manure over it.

You can also apply a lighter dressing of manure and supplement it with potassium sulfate and superphosphate, or with sodium nitrate when growth starts early in the spring.

Cut suckers off when they are about 9 inches high, then plant them separately in rows that are 2 feet between the plants and are 4 feet between the rows. The suckers should be planted 4 inches deep.

You may also plant them in triangle-shaped groups of three, 2 feet between each plant and 4 feet between each triangle.

It is possible to be planted 3 feet square so that they can be cultivated both ways.

Once the suckers are planted, tread them in firmly and give them a generous amount of water.

Then be sure to keep the soil clean and the soil surface open and loose.

While the artichokes are starting to grow, you can plant a catch crop, which matures quickly, in the ground around them.

Cutting the Heads

You should cut the heads as soon as they are fully developed.

Cut them while they are young and tender.

They will grow hard and flower if they are left on the plant for too long.

If you can't find use for them right away, cut the heads with a long stem and keep them in water somewhere that is shady and cool. Cut the bottom of the stem off if it starts to decay.

If you cut off the side heads, or laterals, by the time they are an inch thick, the main heads will grow larger.

When working with an early crop, cut the stems to the ground. This will cause new suckers to appear,

Get rid of the weakest of these suckers and use the other ones for a later crop.

You can usually continue planting in this way for three or four years.

Regularly remove the outer shoots of your artichokes in the spring and use them for replanting. This will help to ensure that the plants will continue to grow well.