For many years I lived in coastal Northern California. The normal weather there includes overcast June days and temperatures in the 60's, with lots of rain, in the winter.

Now that I know what the weather is like here in FL, I wouldn't even consider trying my hand at growing them here.

I would be willing to wager a banana pup that the artichokes you see in the market were shipped from Castroville and taste nothing like they do when you get them fresh off the road side stand in Santa Cruz.

Geeze! NOW I find that strange as heck because I have grown artichokes here in zone 9 Florida with no problems. I guess because I didn't know they wouldn't grow here is why I had no problem at all growing them. Now that I know they wont grow here maybe my artichokes will now just wilt up and die--- you think? I have no idea which variety that I grow, but one of them is the dark variety and the rest are green. I get 3 and 4 inch across heads and they are delicious. I let some heads go to seed (I love the purple flower heads)so I can plant again in following years. I do plant all my artichokes in earth box planters and maybe that is why I have no problem growing them here in Florida. I have never tried growing them in the ground. I grow them from my seed so I now have no idea the variety I bought years ago.

Lou

Hummm, I wonder if I could grow them here? Do you plant them so they get some shade in the hot afternoon?

They are in the earthbox planters under a screened canopy which lets approx. 75% of sun through & full shade after 2 or 3 PM. This setup keeps the scalding summer sun off them, I find it's not so much the heat as the scalding direct sun that affects them. The water reservoir of the earthbox always keeps them hydrated as I top it off daily in my morning rounds. I lightly top fertilize(slow release) monthly and scratch it into the soil an inch or two because I never water on the top. I use a 50-50 mix of miracle grow potting soil and black cow which I thoroughly mix together with a quart of finely ground hardwood charcoal in my cement mixer. I grind my hardwood charcoal with an old fashioned hand crank meat grinder like Granny used to make sausages.

Yes, I do end up looking like a West Virginia coal miner after I grind up the charcoal:)
Lou

Lou...do the plants die off in late summer? I've always know artichokes to be a perennial. Never crossed my mind to try them since it gets so hot in the summer.

MMmmm...artichokes.

Scott,

I've had some die off and also some pull through and grow into the next year, but this year seems the exception due to the oppressive heat we've been having. They all became bedraggled and gave up the ghost this year. My plants have at times made side shoots (pups) and I have successfully removed and planted those in times past. I suggest you try to find the coolest part of your garden to grow them--- I grow them on the north side of mine. My earthbox planters have wheels so I can move things around in my garden. My garden area is a cement floor screened-greenhouse with pots and grow boxes everywhere. I also have a heated greenhouse for wintertime growing and stuff gets seasonally shuffled around from here and there. If this dang heat keeps up year after year I will put up more solar panels and install A/C in the greenhouse. I still have two brand new 4 ton A/C units still in crates in my barn that I bought at a 'going out of business' sale. I'll do whatever I have to do to grow my veggies & fruits... that crap they sell in supermarkets as veggies will kill you in the long run.

Lou

Lou,

That's neat that you can grow them where you live. Where in zone 9 are you? I know there can be quite a difference between zones 9 and 10. Wish you could find out the name of the variety you grow. When I grew mine, they were in containers. Not the Earth Boxes, but regular 5 and 7 gallon containers. I did get that one to bloom a few years back. Maybe will have success again in the future. Any more ideas are appreciated.

Sheri

Sheri,

This summer has been exceptionally hot, day after day after day, usually they get some relief and pull back but this summer has been brutal on them and they recently gave up the ghost, BUMMER! I'm equal distance, south of Inverness(Citrus County), west of Bushnell(Sumter County), and north of Spring Hill-Brooksville(Hernando County) in the corner of the 3 counties a mile west of the Withlacoochie river.

Lou

I started some Emerald variety this year. Hoping for some success here in S St Pete. They're looking good so far, but it's only March; I'll keep you posted later in the year. Most of the 9 plants I have are in pots so I can move them around.

7/3/11
Just returned from Colonial Williamsburg where I saw many purple globe growing. Brought back some seeds to plant. Would like to know when to start the seeds and plant seedlings. I plant the usual Fl crops, starting seeds in late Sept. and hope to beat the freeze. Didn't do well with last season freeze

ekfishman - I went to Colonial Williamsburg one month ago and I saw the specimen artichoke plant growing. There was a cardoon next to it. They were very attractive. I didn't think to ask for seeds.

Lou - When do you start your seeds? How many plants per Earthbox?

Christine

Christine,
I start my seeds in the late summer-early fall and I transplant three plants to each earthbox in my heated greenhouse. If any older plants have made pups during the summer I separate those from the mother plant and put them into the earthbox.

Lou