Growing Artichokes – How Long Will It Take?

Planting artichoke seeds is only half the fun. Seeing it grow into a plant and tasting its delicious flower buds are something to look out for. After you have sown the seeds, you may start to wonder how long it will take to grow an artichoke. The growth of an artichoke depends largely on two factors. The variety of artichoke which you have planted plus your location in the world can determine the length of time before it reaches its maturity.

If artichokes are grown from seeds, it would usually not produce flower buds on its first year. And even if they do, the buds would normally be small and not edible. However on the second year of the plants, this is the time that they create flower buds. They have the potential of creating anywhere from 24 to 48 buds. This would typically start from the late winter up to midsummer.

Artichokes would usually take five to six months before they reach their maturity. However, there is a new variety of this plant which can reach maturity faster. The Imperial Star, has the potential to reach maturity only after three months. What’s even better is that at this stage, it can produce flower buds which are edible.

Where you are living determines the temperature of your location. Temperature and weather seasons play a large role as a determining factor for the plants growth. In the right condition, artichokes can become a perennial plant. It will produce flower buds for several years.

The ideal location for artichokes is in the pacific coast and on Mediterranean climates. They won’t be able to survive on areas which have a temperature of 20 degrees and lower. So if you live in a cold area it is best to grow artichokes indoors by using offsets. You can then transfer the plant outside when the danger of frost has passed by. Artichokes are likewise sensitive to extremely hot climate. This causes their petals to open up prematurely.