How to Grow Artichoke Flowers

Buy or cultivate artichoke offsets from an existing plant. Offsets can be bought at local plant nurseries. Another option is to cut side shoots off an existing plant when they reach about 9 inches in height. Cut the shoot vertically and include part of the root from the original plant.

Prepare a garden bed with soil that drains well. Work the soil as you would for any other vegetables, adding compost and the organic fertilizer of your choice. Use products that don't contain pesticides or other chemicals you might ingest.

Plant the shoots about 6 inches deep, as the University of Florida recommends. The offsets should be planted in the early spring after the threat of frost has passed. Plants reach 4 to 5 feet in height and spread as much as 5 to 6 feet wide, so plant offsets at least 6 to 8 feet apart.

Replant artichoke plants every three years. Globe artichoke plants have a life expectancy of about three years. To keep an active artichoke in your garden, cut shoots off of current plants each spring and transplant them. Once the plant has yielded a third crop, pull it up and destroy it to prevent issues like root rot.