what great fun. i'm crossing my fingers for you. congratulations so far!!

Yes, congrats, and the best of luck!

I love boiled or pickled artichokes...Italian style :)
This is my second year starting globe artichokes from seed. I think it takes at least a year for the plants to flower in our short growing season. If they don't by fall, I will cover with 2 ft of straw for the winter. The one I gave my neighbour (last year) came back.

The instructions on the seed packet say, "For higher quality, cut back and carry over to second and third years". I'm not sure what this means - where to cut back, when and why??

Artichoke is a type of thistle. I also started Milk Thistle from seed. The seeds are almost identical to artichokes. Milk thistle is very pricky, though; the variegated foilage, and beautiful white flowers are amazing. I hear it's excellent for detoxifying the liver.

Congrats! I live in Maine and I have been able to grow artichokes fairly reliably by using the variety Imperial Star. I start them in early March under lights indoors, grow them a about a month or so, and then move them outdoors to coldframes for about 5 weeks or so. I then transplant them to the garden when the danger of frost is gone... This fools the plant into thinking it has been thru a summer/winter cycle, and they reliable set fruit in the first year. I learned about this in Eliot Coleman's fine book "Four Season Harvest", which is a terrific resource. I have grown seedlings like this for friends without much gardening experience and these seedlings produced artichokes for them in the first year also. I have never tried overwintering artichokes, although now I have a hoophouse and just might give it a try..
You ought to try this if you like artichokes!

Regards,

Jim

Hey, Keeker,

You are just the inspiration I have been looking for. How did the artichokes do this season?

Here is a link that might be useful: dreams and bones