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(Best months for planting Globe artichokes in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

• Easy to grow.
• Harvest in 300-400 days
• Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 15°C and 18°C.
• Space plants: 160-200cm

Superthistles growing to 1.2-1.3m high with a spread of 1.2x1.2m . Very pretty, can be part of a herbacious border.

Harvest from second year. Artichokes grow particularly well in sandy soil. Can be propagated by suckers or offsets. A well fertilised plant will live for about five years and throw up suckers each year. Aphids and earwigs can be a nuisance.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Globe artichokes

Pick buds before scales develop brown tips .
If you have lots of small buds, they can be fried in olive oil and eaten whole.
Rinse in plenty of cold water to remove earwigs or other insects.

Your comments and tips

14 Nov 09 Arlene (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Hi, I planted a globe artichoke a few months ago and now it is huge and there are at least 10 'fruits' on it. There are also several 'suckers' at the base. I know I am to harvest them before the tips go brown but is there an average size to pick them also just as a guide? Thanks

20 Dec 09 Lisa (New Zealand - temperate climate)

why do flies like my artichokes so much, theres loads of them on the leaves - these are reg size flies no littlies!

25 Dec 09 Annemarie (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Like Lisa, I am concerned about the flies on my artichokes. I have just started a new garden in central otago, which should be particularly well suited for artichokes, but have a fly infestation. There are many different varieties of flies, and there is a black sandy residue on the leaves. I have not seen this anywhere in my decades of artichoke cultivation elsewhere. And, curiously, these flies are only on the artichoke bed, not the adjacent vegetable bed. Any thoughts?

08 Sep 10 Angela Beck (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I live on the west coast SI Greymouth, we get a very high rain fall and get hard frosts occasionally in winter but only 2 km's from sea, can artichokes be planted in raised beds or supported along a shed in full sun, can they handle wet feet for long periods? Thanks - Angie

08 Sep 10 liz (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Angie, my artichokes survive a quite high rainfall, in clay soil - they are pretty tough as they are a member of the thistle family. Keep a few new shoots or 'suckers' in a sheltered area over winter and plant out after frosts finish.

18 Sep 10 Jill (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

Angie, I live right by the southern west coast and brought an artichoke shoot with me 8 years ago. It has cropped every year with last year being spectacular. It does get soaked in winter but is dry in summer. It is in sandy soil and full sun and I heap seaweed, horse manure and comfrey tea on it. I have had to stake each large 'trunk' as it has been blown over at times but as long as you keep the roots well mulched and water it when dry it will keep producing. I've had my first globe already this spring and more are forming.

04 Jan 11 Suzy Rock-Evans (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

We have a huge globe artichoke in well fertilised soil outside our window. Strikingly beauitiful sage green spiky leaves and humungous fruits. I would like to forego the eating and await the thistle bloom. Maybe next year we will eat one. Thanks for all the tips.

13 May 11 Zela Charlton (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Can anyone comment on growing Globe Artichoke for local markets ?

17 Sep 11 jan (New Zealand - temperate climate)

planting first at new house as they yummy free food.got sandy soil so all good.

04 Dec 11 Jean k (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Living up on the hills in the Bay of Plenty, I bought and planted a Globe artichoke last year and it bore a number of buds which I was totally ignorant of time they were ready and how to use them.Also the big plant that it grew was in a wrong place in the vegie garden, so I shifted it in autumn to a better place. Now it has many buds on again and I think I might put its runner into the flower garden where it could look even more majestic. Wouldn't rave over it for eating though,