Vegetable of the Month: Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)
February 18, 2025
By Rick Bogusch
This Mediterranean native is perennial from Zone 7 on south. Growing best in areas with cool summers and mild winters, it should be mulched in winter along the northern edge of its range.
Artichokes are attractive, stately, sizeable plants, growing 2-3 feet tall and wide. Leaves are arching, deeply lobed and silvery green. If allowed to bloom, tall stalks of large, neon-purple, thistle-like flowers appear in late summer.
The artichokes we eat are the unopened flower buds of these impressive flowers. They have been enjoyed for centuries from the ancient Greeks through today. Botanists believe artichokes are the domesticated variety of the wild species, also known as cardoon (C. cardunculus). The Greeks, Romans, Moors and many who followed, worked to improve the wild species and increase the size of buds and their number.
Artichokes grow best in moist, fertile, very well-drained soils. The biggest and best artichokes grow where they are perennial, but in climates like ours, where overwintering is unlikely, artichokes can be grown as an annual. To grow artichokes from seed, choose annual varieties like Imperial Star or Tavor and start them now, this month, 8-10 weeks before transplanting outdoors in early May.
Sow seeds ¼-inch deep in a starting soil mix. Keep moist and provide bottom heat. Germination is best at 70-80 degrees. After germination, grow seedlings in a cooler environment, 60-70 degrees during the day and 50-60 degrees at night. Give them lots of light, either on a sunny windowsill or under lights, keep moist and fertilize with half-strength fish fertilizer every other week.
Remember to harden seedlings off before planting outdoors and to acclimate them gradually to full sun. Fertilize when transplanting with compost and/or a basic organic fertilizer. Liquid feed every couple weeks and apply side dressings of fertilizer once a month.
Artichokes are a gamble here on the East End. Harvests are rarely abundant, but possible if summers are not too hot, too quickly. Buds appear in July and can be harvested and savored in a variety of ways. Bracts and artichoke bottoms would be very tasty dipped in persillade or a gremolata-infused mayonnaise.
Rick Bogusch
Garden Director, Bridge Gardens
rbogusch@peconiclandtrust.org