How to Grow Artichokes

Hi, this is Yolanda Vanveen, and in this segment we're going to talk about how to grow artichokes. They're actually a really beautiful plant for the garden. Now, artichokes grow on a plant that has silvery foliage and big fern-like leaves, and they just come up very tall out of the ground, and then the big artichoke heads come out of that, and they have kind of a purplish color and they come in all types of shades, and there's many different types of artichokes. And then that vegetable is cut, and many times steamed or boiled, and cooked in many different ways, so it's a great vegetable for your kitchen and for your garden. And they're easy to grow, they like full hot sun, and they don't want to get too cold. They can't go lower than zone 8. So, if you live in a colder climate, then start them way later in the spring, and either by seed or by the root division, and they're really easy to grow. They just like full hot sunny spots. And mulch then real well if you live in a climate where it's a little bit colder in the winter, and that way you can protect them from heavy freezes, and they'll make it over the winter really easily. They come back year to year and they produce artichokes all summer long. And they're a very easy plant to grow in your vegetable garden.