How to Grow Mexican Artichokes

In grocery stores, you might find artichokes from Mexico and California. Many people avoid artichokes from Mexico because they require extra care in preparation. If not prepared properly, the texture can become mushy. But with a precise boiling time, Mexican artichokes are tasty and firm. You can plant them yourself from seeds, roots and stems, which are available at most nurseries. Artichokes grow best in climates without frost and that have foggy summers.

Mexican artichoke roots, stems or seeds
Fertilizer
Peat moss
Planting containers
Soil
Compost
Sand
Straw
Leaves
Mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Purchase artichoke roots, stems or seeds from your local nursery.
- 2
  Place seeds in peat moss, then put them in the refrigerator for two weeks to let them germinate. Transfer the germinated seeds to individual containers for planting.
- 3
  Plant the germinated seeds after the frost season is over. Work sand into the soil to help with drainage. Plant the roots or stems in 12-inch by 12-inch holes, loosely fertilized. Allow a hand's width between each plant, and plant them in rows about 3 feet apart.
- 4
  Draw earth around the plants without covering the cores. Add a generous amount of compost.
- 5
  Water the soil well during cooler temperatures. Decrease water when temperatures reach 70 degrees by the middle of the day and cover the soil with mulch.
- 6
  Allow six to eight weeks for the first sign of leaves. Allow at least 90 days for the first sign of fruit.
- 7
  Trim the big leaves of the plant. Cover the trimmed plant with a box, then cover the box with earth and mulch as a heavy blanket. Add a layer of fireplace ashes as an additional blanket over the earth and mulch, if the temperature is near or below freezing.
- 8
  Pick the Mexican artichokes when they are soft and bendable 2 or 3 inches below the bud.

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