Garden Care Guide

Globe Artichoke Care

Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus

A perennial vegetable with gray-silvery leaves whose flower buds are eaten. It yields for 4-5 years in the same spot; it goes dormant in summer heat and regrows in autumn.

Half-hardy · -8 °C / 18 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • Frost risk: In frosts below -8 °C, cover the root zone with straw or dry leaves.
February
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • Fertilizing: When the plant starts growing again, give plenty of compost or well-rotted manure around its base.
March
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Plant the root suckers (basal offsets) 100-120 cm between rows and 80-100 cm within the row; the plant takes up a lot of space.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: Cut the buds with a 5-8 cm stem while the scales are tight and closed; if the scales open, the bud becomes tough.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
  • Pests & diseases: After rain and in the evening hours, check the young leaves for irregular holes and shiny slime trails (snails, slugs); picking them off by hand is the most effective method.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: Cut the buds with a 5-8 cm stem while the scales are tight and closed; if the scales open, the bud becomes tough.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base 2-3 times a week, in the early morning; do not water again until the soil surface has dried 2-3 cm down.
  • General care: Harvest: Cut the buds with a 5-8 cm stem while the scales are tight and closed; if the scales open, the bud becomes tough.
July
  • Watering: During summer dormancy, reduce watering; do not let the plant dry out completely.
  • Pruning: When harvest is over, cut the flower stalks off at the base; the plant rests in summer and grows again in autumn.
August
  • Watering: During summer dormancy, reduce watering; do not let the plant dry out completely.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Fertilizing: When the plant starts growing again, give plenty of compost or well-rotted manure around its base.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Plant the root suckers (basal offsets) 100-120 cm between rows and 80-100 cm within the row; the plant takes up a lot of space.
  • Pests & diseases: After rain and in the evening hours, check the young leaves for irregular holes and shiny slime trails (snails, slugs); picking them off by hand is the most effective method.
November
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Plant the root suckers (basal offsets) 100-120 cm between rows and 80-100 cm within the row; the plant takes up a lot of space.
  • General care: Leave the 2-3 strongest shoots at the base of each plant; separate the surplus and use it as new seedlings. Spread a thick mulch over the root zone.
December
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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