Anyone grown globe artichoke from seed?

[Kea]

I was talking to a plot neighbour the other day and he was asking about my globe artichokes. he said his seemed a bit spikey and unpalatable and I said if you bought them from Wilkinson's they are probably cardoons not artichokes. So we went to his plot and sure enough they're not artichokes. I have two and originally planted 4, two were from Wilkinson's!
Anyway one of mine had a seed head still on it and I gave it to him to see if he could grow the seed but we think the seeds were rotten. Today I visited the GC and saw some seed and bought it. I thought I might have a go and replace my cardoons with artichokes. So anyone grown from seed successfully and do you have any tips or is it straight forward. If successful i can give this guy some plants and another guy....also bought from Wilkinson's but got an Echinops not an artichoke or a cardoon!

[Kea]

[Robert_Brenchley]

Start it in the spring, pot on and plant out when it reaches a decent size. It's quite easy.

[caroline7758]

I grew mine from seed and was amazed how easily they grew! Even harvested the first year, which I don't think is recommended, but they are still going two years later.

[grawrc]

They're not hard to grow from seed but you'll have to select the bigger, stronger ones since they're not all reliably good. Once they're established you can renew the artichoke bed by taking small new shoots from the base of established plants - again the bigger, stronger ones - and planting them as independent plants.

[Kea]

Oh good. I didn't want to take bits off my original plants yet...they've only started to give a decent crop this..sorry last year! The packet of seed is relatively expensive and doesn't have a lot in it. Now just need some patience to wait for the right time to plant!

[asbean]

I grew them from seed the first year we had the allotment and they grew beautifully.  Unfortunately I moved them twice and they didn't take kindly to that so didn't produce any chokes.  I gave the seed away to a friend who put them in her garden and they grew perfectly for them and produced loads.

I've had bought plants for a couple of years now, and have divided them, and we were eating artichokes up till nearly Chrstmas time.

There should be no problems growing from seed, as long as they are treated kindly and you're not too impatient  :P :P :P :P :P

[Trevor_D]

Agree - my Under-Gardener grew some marvellous plants many years ago now and they're still going strong. But they're much easier to divide once you've got a few plants. I think we've supplied half the site.

[Mrs Ava]

Yup, I grew my row from seeds and did get a couple of very small flowers that first year which I enjoyed.  They have multiplied like the clappers and I have since halved my row as I seem to be the only person in Chelmsford that likes them.  I am also thinking of moving them as I planted them early on when I hadn't completely cleared my plot so now they are smack bang along the middle of the allotment.  I will take side shoots this spring and replant at the end of the plot, then once the mummas have finished flowering, and I am sure I have plenty of well grown babies, I will dig up the oldies.

[grawrc]

I think it is probably a good plan to aim to replace the plants over a 4/5 year period on a "rolling programme" since after a bit they seem to spread and die out in the middle of the plant.

[Garjan]

Hi all

I managed to grow them from seed last year and got about four smaller heads to eat.
My problem is to keep them alive. I always lose my plants in autumn no matter what I do: covering them with lots of leaves or straw, putting a cloche over the growing tips, putting them in a sheltered space.

My dahlia tubers can survive the frost I get on my plot, so temperatures are not too harsh where I am. But globe artichokes just disappear.
Do they rot easily? Are there nibbling creatures that like them a lot?

It would be nice to have a couple of strong older plants and have a decent meal off them, so any advice is welcome.
Thanks.

[Kea]

I haven't done anything to protect mine...mainly because i keep forgetting and they don't even die down. I notice the Italians on the site put straw mulch round the base but when all the foliage is on it's a bit hard to cover them with straw. They are not growing in a sheltered spot either my whole plot doesn't have any shelter. It's possible that the slightly taller cardoons on their west side protect them from the worst of the weather.