When to sow Globe artichoke in the UK
Globe artichoke is sown relative to the average last frost, so the right week depends on where in the UK you garden.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Globe artichoke is timed from the average frost dates, so its timings shift across the UK. Plot works them out from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early January to early March | late February to late March | early April to early May | early May to late July |
| South Coast and Channel | mid January to mid March | late February to early April | mid April to mid May | early May to early August |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early January to early March | late February to late March | early April to early May | early May to late July |
| South East and Home Counties | late January to late March | mid March to mid April | late April to late May | late May to mid August |
| East Anglia | early February to early April | late March to late April | early May to early June | late May to late August |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | mid February to mid April | late March to early May | early May to mid June | early June to late August |
| Wales and West Coast | late January to late March | mid March to mid April | late April to late May | late May to mid August |
| Northern England | late February to mid April | early April to early May | mid May to mid June | mid June to early September |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late February to late April | mid April to mid May | late May to late June | mid June to mid September |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to mid May | early May to early June | mid June to mid July | mid July to early October |
| Northern Ireland | early February to early April | late March to late April | early May to early June | late May to late August |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early January to late February | mid February to late March | late March to early May | late April to mid July |
Growing notes
A large architectural perennial, 1-1.5m tall, grown for its flower buds - not to be confused with Jerusalem artichoke, which is a tuber. Remove the flower stalks in the first summer, then crop up to twelve buds a season from the second, mulch the crown in autumn and divide every four or five years.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 85 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 90 cm
- Plants per m²
- 1
- Yield per plant
- 1.2 kg
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 50 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 45 cm
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
How long until it crops
Expect the first worthwhile pick about 2 years after planting, and a productive life of roughly 5 years.
What usually goes wrong
- frost damage
- aphids
- slugs
Companion planting
Grows well near
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for globe artichoke.