Artichoke Seeds - Green Globe

30 Seeds.

Other Names - Globe Artichoke, Cardoon…

Artichoke Green Globe is an old heritage variety. It is popular with gardeners as it is a reliable and productive variety to grow, producing excellent flavoured globes which can be either eaten when young as baby artichokes or left to grow larger. The globes are dark green in colour with a hint of purple. This vegetable has so much to offer, not only does it produce great tasting globes but its beautiful architectural features add a stunning display to the garden and if a few of the globes are left to flower this plant will attract an abundance of beneficial pollinators into the garden also. When steamed and dipped in some butter or hollandaise sauce this home grown vegetable has to be one of the tastiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow.

• One sowing of this reliable variety can produce tender globes for 3 - 4 years.
• A popular heritage variety producing excellent flavoured artichokes.
• Recommended by the RHS to be a perfect plant for attracting bees into the garden.

Suitable For - Vegetable plot, raised beds, flower garden, large container

Sowing Months - March - June

Harvest - Late June - July, smaller harvest in September

Gardening is about finding the right balance! Try growing Companion Plants close by to help deter pests.

• Aphids suck on the sap of the new shoot tips of the artichoke plants. Aphids are attracted to nasturtiums. Grow these flowers close by as a sacrificial plant.
• Amaranth is good for attracting the ground beetle into the garden. The predatory ground beetle eats slugs, snails, their eggs, caterpillars and weed seed.
• Comfrey can be used to make a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer. It can also be used as a compost accelerator, a slug repelled and a nutritional mulch.
• The low growing limnanthes plant helps to keep the surrounding bare soil moist and weed free, attracts bees and hoverflies who's larvae feed on aphids. It can also be used to add organic matter to the soil if dug in as green manure at the end of the flowering season.
• Calendula (Pot marigold) is a magnet for attracting beneficial predator insects into the garden, insects such as lacewings, ladybirds and hoverflies who feast on aphids.

Soil Preperation

Remove any weeds especially perennial weeds. The soil needs to be fertile, free draining and moisture retentive.

Sowing Guide

Early Sowing/Module Sowing

Sow 2 - 3 seeds in small pots in March. When large enough to handle remove the weakest seedlings, leaving one strong seedling in each pot. Plant out in May or June depending on the temperature. Before planting out harden off the plants for 7 - 10 days to avoid shock.
Plant out at the distance suggested above. After planting out press the soil firmly around each plant, this will help to prevent the plants from falling over when tall. Water well.

Direct Sowing

Direct sow in April or May in a well prepared seedbed. Sow 2 - 3 seeds per station, with 30 cm between each station and row. Cover the seed with soil and water well. Cover with horticultural fleece if the weather turns cold. When large enough to handle remove the weakest seedlings, leaving one strong seedling in each station.
When the remaining seedlings have 4 - 5 true leaves carefully transplant them into their final growing position of 100cm between each plant and 100 cm between each row. Firm the soil around each transplant and water well. Keep vigilant of any slugs and snails at this vulnerable stage.

Growing On

Weed often to keep weeds under control. Water well in dry weather. After harvesting the main head, secondary heads will start to grow. When all the globes have been harvested in July, remove all the woody stems to just above ground level. New shoots will appear soon after. When the new shoots are 20 - 25cm in length, leave 4 strong shoots on each plant remove the rest.
In September, if the weather is warm, small tender globes will form on these new shoots. Before the first frost arrives protect the plants by covering the area with some straw or fleece. The plants will need replacing after 3 - 4 years.

Harvesting

In the first year of sowing if the weather has been warm some small tender globes may have grown by September. However for established plants the main harvest will start in June and July and possibly a second, smaller harvest in September if the weather is warm. Harvest the globes when they are around 6 - 10 cm in diameter. The leaves should ideally lie tight together rather than opened. They should be dark green in colour and squeak slightly when squeezed.
Larger, opened globes are not as succulent however they too can make a superb tasting meal. To harvest simply cut the head with a sharp knife, include about 5cm of stem. Best eaten fresh however artichokes can be stored in the fridge in a polythene bag for up to a week.