I'm trying to grow Imperial Star Artichokes here in Connecticut this year, and thought I should try to post my results. This is the first post. On 3 February, I planted 16 seeds purchased from Sustainable Seed Company. They went into two Burpee 10 coir pellet seed starting greenhouse kits (four pellets were used for cucumber seeds). The two seed trays were covered with the clear plastic lids and placed in my south-facing bedroom window. I estimate that on sunny days air temperatures in this area of the room are in the 80s. At night they cool into the mid 60s. The four cukes sprouted in less than three full days. The first artichoke seeds sprouted by the 9th, or approximately six days after planting. Today, February 12th, a total of 11 have sprouted. I doubt more will sprout, but if they do I will mention this in an update. Today, still the 12th, I have potted up the 11 seedlings into 3" square Burpee fiber pots, as their taproots have already grown out of the coir pellets by an inch or more and were about to start growing into neighboring pellets. I have been loosening and/or removing the clear lids during the day depending on the intensity of the sun. Doing this, or removing the lids entirely is clearly necessary, as after three days I noticed a few wispy silk-like strands of what looked like a fungus growing on a couple of the pellets. They disappeared once the humidity dropped (but the seeds in these pellets have not sprouted). The next steps will be to 1) pot up again as I'm sure the seedlings will outgrow the fiber pots quickly, and 2) conduct the vernalization process in March/April, which is required to trick the perennial artichoke plants into flowering the first season.

Long time since I have visited this thread. I have some questions for my experienced artichoke growers. My plants that seem to have went dormant during the hot summer months are now putting out new leaves. I know that there is probably not time for a second crop of chokes but I want to prepare to try and overwinter them for next year. I don't see myself starting them from seed again nor do I want to dig them, however I want to try and overwinter them in the ground eventhough I know the likely hood of them surviving in my zone is small. So my questions are: When do I cut them back? How far do I cut them back? Do you take off all of the leaves? What is the best way to protect the roots from frost? TIA!!!

I raised my first artichokes this year, getting them as seedlings and they produced several artichokes (about 12+ on 5 stalks. They came so quickly that I could not eat them all and many of them went to bloom. A friend of mine told me that they could still be cooked and eaten after they bloom. I notice in your article that you advise against it. What is the reason that you state they can not be eaten? Are they dangerous (posion) or tough, or bitter? Thanks for all the good information posted. I just cut my stalks back, not knowing that they were supposed to be cut as low as you suggest. I also noted that there are green leaves starting at the base on three of the 5 stalks. Should these be allowed to continue or should they be cut back also? Will there be another growing session in the near future?

My garlic is ready to harvest. . . I about to go out and do it. Did you hang it after you harvested? I've read you need to let it cure for 2 weeks; did you do that? I also have to give a big THANKS to Jay - especially when I seen how expensive garlic is . . . Thanks Jay for being so generous. Am I right in that we keep a bulb from each of the varieties and plant again?