| Please give some information on how to grow the Artichoke Imperial Star Hybrid from seed. |
| This variety is a relatively fast maturing one at about 95 days from transplanting and can be grown as an annual, but it takes a very long and warm growing season for good results. Plant them indoors and be patient with the artichoke seeds as they may take several weeks at a warm temperature (75 degrees) to germinate. Once they are up, give them 16 hours a day of artificial light with the bulbs just a few inches above the plants. Keep them well watered and fertilized weekly with a dilute solution of complete water soluble fertilizer such as Miracle Gro. Once the plant's height is 3 times the diameter of the pot, transplant into a larger pot and continue doing this until it's time to put them outside (wait until safely past the last frost date in your area and allow a little time for the soil to warm; acclimate the plants gardually to theoutdoors to reduce transplant shock). You might try prewarming the soil with black plastic (remove it once you have planted) or using a raised bed to warm the soil earlier. |
