PlantSowGrow
How to plant and care for Globe Artichoke (Green Globe)
Cynara cardunculus Scolymus Group
Big, silvery architectural plants with edible flower buds in summer. Handsome enough for the flower border.
At a glance: harvest in July.
When to plant and care for it
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Globe Artichoke (Green Globe): what it needs
- Light
- Full sun · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water in dry spells
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained soil
- Spacing
- 90 cm
- In pots
- Best in the ground
- Feeding
- Mulch with manure each spring
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 6–10
Step by step
- Mid April – mid May · around the last spring frost
Plant Crowns
Plant crowns 90 cm apart in well-prepared, weed-free ground enriched with compost. Buy young plants or rooted offsets; remove flower buds in the first year so plants establish.
- 0–1 days after “Plant Crowns” · Mid April
Water In
Water well and keep moist while they establish.
- 14–21 days after “Water In” · Late April – early May
Mulch
Mulch with well-rotted manure or compost to hold moisture and smother weeds.
Every year
- AprilSpring Feed
Mulch with manure and give a general feed as growth starts.
- JulyHarvest Heads
Cut the main (king) head while its scales are tight, then the smaller side heads.
- NovemberCut Down and Mulch
Cut stems down and cover the crowns with a thick mulch of straw or compost for winter.
