Artichoke Green Globe Seeds

Green Globe is a large cool-season globe artichoke grown for rounded green edible buds with substantial hearts. It is naturally perennial and normally rewards multi-season culture more reliably than a rushed first-year crop. GARDENING.co.za offers Green Globe in 2 g and 20 g raw-seed packs.

Ready to grow rounded Green Globe artichokes? Follow our step-by-step Artichoke Grow Guide for sowing, chilling, regional timing and harvest advice.

Quick Grow Facts

• Plant type: Cool-season perennial vegetable; annual or biennial treatment is practical where frost, heat or wet soil prevents reliable crowns
• Scientific name: Cynara cardunculus Scolymus Group (widely listed as Cynara scolymus)
• Variety: Green Globe
• Seed form: 2 g or 20 g raw seed; raw describes form and does not prove untreated status
• Packet sowing season: Spring/Summer; use the linked regional guide to place the crop into a safe cool establishment window
• Position: Full sun in cool weather; protect establishing plants from severe dry heat and wind
• Sow depth: 5 mm; cover the seed and give bright light immediately after emergence
• Germination light: Cover the seed; give bright light immediately after emergence
• Germination temperature: 20–24°C
• Germination: Packet planning window 14–21 days under steady moisture and warmth
• Transplant: At 3–4 true leaves, usually about 8–10 weeks; harden for 7–10 days and do not bury the crown
• Chilling for buds: Established 4–6-leaf seedlings commonly need about 250–500 or more hours below 10°C, depending on cultivar; a practical minimum treatment is about 10 days at 7–10°C without freezing
• Spacing: 1 m minimum; allow about 1.2 m for permanent plants where space permits
• Height and spread: Commonly about 1–1.5 m high and wide under good conditions
• Harvest: Packet 80–100 days is an optimistic early-crop line; practical annual planning is about 4–6 months from transplant, with stronger harvests often after establishment
• Bud outcome: Expect large rounded green buds and a stronger crop after the crown has established. Seed-grown plants may vary because the supplied breeding line is not confirmed.

Sowing and Care

Sow 5 mm deep at 20–24°C and do not surface-sow. Use a deep cell or 8–10 cm pot of clean, free-draining seedling mix. Keep it evenly moist but never saturated and provide bright light from emergence. Transplant at 3–4 true leaves before roots coil.

For first-year bud set, established seedlings need cool exposure; seed refrigeration is not a universal substitute. Plant into deep, compost-enriched, well-drained soil at least 1 m apart. Keep water steady through bud formation, feed moderately during active growth, and keep wet mulch away from the crown.

Harvest

Cut the primary bud first while the bracts are tight, leaving about 7.5–10 cm of stem. Pick smaller side buds as they size up. Open flowers are beautiful, but the bud becomes fibrous and past eating quality once the scales spread.

Safety

Never eat the seed or use it for sprouting. Use only controls currently labelled in South Africa for edible artichoke and observe all withholding periods.

Ubuntuberg Seeds was founded by a horticulturist to provide high-quality horticultural seed to gardeners and professional growers throughout Southern Africa.