Been picking artichokes out of the greenhouse for the last two weeks. The plants are still producing fruit, and will for anther two weeks. I planted them in the ground inside the greenhouse perhaps 4 or 5 years ago. After they finish producing, they are cut back, completely level with the ground. The plants come back again and again. You can't kill them. I have never seen any type of insect at all that bother artichokes. The plants grow to about 4 feet tall and 4 feet across. A very easy, trouble free plant to grow.- Millet

Artichokes are one of my favorite veggies but I have never tried to grow them. Because of your post I just might try growing a few plants. Is there anything special about growing them?

I tried growing them from seed 4-5 yrs ago but they never sprouted.
I hear it takes a long time to ripen & probably won't do well in pots.
Millet, where did you get yours from, or did you grow from seed?
Patty (I love artichokes!)

Patty, I grew them from seed, and when the plants were about 6 inches tall, I transplanted them into the ground in the greenhouse. I grew the Globe Artichoke variety. Gardner Dragon, really no special care required. Just plant the seed directly in the ground, or better yet start them in a pot and then transplant. I have also grown them outside, by transplanting to the garden in the spring, cut the articokes through September. - Millet

Where in the artichoke do you find the seeds?

Disneygirl, just type "artichoke seed" on your search engine. Here's one I found there
http://www.pioneer-net.com/psr/artichoke.html
You can find anything there...just type it in & click "GO"
Patty

Millet, what do you mean " cut the articokes through September. "
You mean cut them back after they are done producing, or all summer thru Sept.? Thanks
patty

In my area, when artichokes are grown outside from seed, it takes most all of June, July and into August before the plant is mature enough to produce fruit. So the artichokes are not ready to eat until sometime between the middle of August to the middle of September. - MIllet

Less than 10 miles where I live there was a small town called Castroville, a big sign that says as you enter the main street "artichoke capital of the world".
Sure is. Miles and miles of artichoke plants are growing along the highway all the way to the ocean. But nobody seems to care. You see along the highway wooden shacks that sell them. Tourists buy them I guess but the local people just ignore the sign or the fruit. I have not eaten them for years now.

I had several Artichokes planted outside this past season and they got a heavy infestation of aphids which slowly died off. I tried to keep ants away and rub off, spray off as many aphids as I could but they didn't slow them down too much, maybe a couple weeks set back.