Artichokes are considered very deep rooted - with their tap root extending beyond 36" and generally running around 5' deep. Artichokes tend to be used to quickly (3-4 months) hold soil erosion at the side of a hill - just toss the seeds - this can be done as a temporary measure until perennials take hold or other measures are taken. My point is; they are really meant for areas where their tap roots can run deep. Mind you, I know a lot of veggies that people grow in containers that are really not suited to containers. If you tried to grow the artichoke in a container, expect stunted growth..... somehow it just seems cruel. Try searching the web for "vegetable root depth chart" -- and look at the vegetables that have shallow roots; they are most likely going to be the vegetables that do best in containers. Also in the medium rooted vegetables SOMETIMES their is a variety that is suitable for containers - for example TomatoFest (online seeds) has a project called "The Dwarf Tomato Project" where they have chosen tomatoes specifically for containers. If your buying seeds - most will tell you if they are suitable for containers.

- Celeste Archer