Anyone who grows artichokes in the garden does not have to worry too much about overwintering. They can overwinter both outdoors and indoors.
Artichokes are only partially winter-hardy in our latitudes, so good preparation for the winter is important. With careful coverage, the underground parts can remain outside through the winter. Alternatively, dig up the plants and keep them indoors until next spring.
Both variants work well if you follow a few rules. Potted artichokes are better off moving to sheltered winter quarters.
Thinking about winter already in autumn
The above-ground shoots of the artichoke die off in autumn. Prune them back to a few inches if you want the plant to remain in the ground through winter. This will prevent germs from penetrating and spreading via the shoots.
General for pruning: Regularly remove stunted, diseased or pest-infested parts of the plant. That's all you have to cut on the artichoke.
How to overwinter artichokes
❖ Overwintering artichokes outdoors:
Before it gets really cold and the ground freezes, cover the plant well. For this you can use compost, leaves and straw. Stable manure is also suitable. Pile the materials loosely up to a height of 30 centimeters to ensure good insulation. It is best to use brushwood branches as the top layer, weighted down with stones so that the cover does not fly off in the wind.
In the spring, remove the winter protection again, but you can leave a few parts behind. Compost, leaves and manure make good fertilizer for the plant. Uncovering is especially important when spring is very wet, as moisture stagnating over the plant hampers growth and can lead to disease.
❖ Overwintering artichokes indoors:
In autumn, carefully lift the artichoke out of the ground with a digging fork. There may still be moist soil on the root ball. In addition, wrap the plant in a damp cloth and store it on acool but frost-free place. Dampen the cloth occasionally. This will prevent it from drying out completely. You can also keep the plant in a box with damp sand. You can put the artichoke outside again in spring.
❖ Overwinter artichokes in buckets:
Even with a very good frost protection, it is risky to leave artichokes outside in the pot. They are used to southern temperatures and cannot cope with frost as a container plant. It is better to place the bucket in a cool, frost-free place. The room should not be completely dark. A garage with a window, a greenhouse or a conservatory without heating is well suited. Before moving, you should cut back the stems and leaves to a few centimetres.
In the spring you can gradually get the container plant used to warmer temperatures again before you finally put the artichoke outside in May.