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Growing Globe artichokes

(Cynara scolymus)

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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(Best months for planting Globe artichokes in Australia - tropical regions)


  • Easy to grow.
  • Harvest in 300-400 days
  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 15°C and 18°C.
  • Space plants: 160-200cm

Superthistles growing to 1.2-1.3m high with a spread of 1.2x1.2m . Very pretty, can be part of a herbacious border.

Harvest from second year. Artichokes grow particularly well in sandy soil. Can be propagated by suckers or offsets. A well fertilised plant will live for about five years and throw up suckers each year. Aphids and earwigs can be a nuisance.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Globe artichokes

Pick buds before scales develop brown tips .
If you have lots of small buds, they can be fried in olive oil and eaten whole.
Rinse in plenty of cold water to remove earwigs or other insects.

Your comments and tips

16 Jun 09 Jims Garden Adventure (Australia - temperate climate)
Globe artichokes were a real winner for us in our sandy Perth soil. We had to cut them down to make them fruit, hoping for as good this year. Fantastic "thistle flowers" on one or two that we left.
25 Sep 09 susie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
have tried to grow in clay soil..failed...do you think I should try again? could I adjust the soil?
07 Oct 09 matt (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
What plant space and row space is required for this plant? cheers
08 Oct 09 merry (Australia - temperate climate)
I only planted my artichokes this year and I have a central artichoke on some - should I pick and eat these? how do I know when to pick them? (they are only small - will they get bigger? thanks
11 Oct 09 sarah (Australia - temperate climate)
our first harvest is ready, they are small but plentiful, and this is there first year. We too have clay soil, but it is also rocky, in full sun and somehow this combination seems to make the plant happy. I do fertilise a regularly with horse and chicken manure.
23 Oct 09 Dominique (Australia - tropical climate)
Has anyone got any info on growing artichokes in North Queensland. I got loamy sand, 150 metres from the beach.
24 Nov 09 Dianne (Australia - temperate climate)
we have planted artichoke for the first time and have had great success. we are coastal midwest. We have 2 plants and each plant has 3 artichokes. Is this unusual?
10 Mar 10 Deb McKinlay (Australia - temperate climate)
Im on a small mountain in berry nsw and im wondering whether artichokes will grow well, the soil is cleared rain forest. what do you think?

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See planting calendar for these countries and climate zones

Australia - cool/mountain,   Australia - sub-tropical,   Australia - temperate,   Australia - tropical,   New Zealand - cool/mountain,   New Zealand - sub-tropical,   New Zealand - temperate,   United Kingdom - temperate/cool,   United Kingdom - temperate/warm  

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.

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