Artichokes
How to Grow and Care for Artichokes Artichoke plants ( Cynara scolymus ) are herbaceous prickly perennials that are members of the Asteraceae family, including thistles (their blooms are remarkably similar), dandelions, and sunflowers. Artichokes need full sun (at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day) and are best grown in sandy well-drained fertile soil for their edible flower buds that appear in the early summer of year two, which must be harvested when they are 3 inches in diameter before the flowers open. Tender artichokes are preferable. Artichoke plants will go dormant in hot weather. When temperatures cool off in late summer and fall, the plants will start growing again and you may get a second harvest. Artichoke flowers open into striking large, dome-shaped purple thistles that are lovely, pollinator-friendly and strikingly fragrant if allowed to blossom on the plant. Care and feeding Artichokes are heavy feeders, so add compost or aged manure into the plantin...