Sorry to hear about your artichokes. Since they are a Mediterranean crop, winter protection can be a bit tricky, although it is definitely possible to overwinter them. If your wet winter (snow and rain) was also accompanied by periods of thawing and freezing, it may not have mattered how well protected your artichoke crowns and roots were because that excessive moisture making its way into the ground followed by colder freezing temperatures is a recipe for disaster.
You can certainly try to protect them inground again this year. Another way of doing it is to make a 2-foot-tall cage out of chicken wire (secured to the ground) that is 12 inches wider than the plant and fill it completely with leaves and straw. The cage will keep the leaves and straw in place. Some even recommend adding extra soil on top of the plants prior to mulching with leaves and straw.
An alternative is to dig up the crowns and roots, remove as much soil as possible and store for the winter in a box of moist sand or peat in a cool location, like a garage or basement.
Also, if you find yourself needing to plant new artichokes next year or in the future, consider planting varieties like Green Globe or Imperial Star, which have shorter growing seasons and are more hardy.
Hi Jill,
Sorry to hear about your artichokes. Since they are a Mediterranean crop, winter protection can be a bit tricky, although it is definitely possible to overwinter them. If your wet winter (snow and rain) was also accompanied by periods of thawing and freezing, it may not have mattered how well protected your artichoke crowns and roots were because that excessive moisture making its way into the ground followed by colder freezing temperatures is a recipe for disaster.
You can certainly try to protect them inground again this year. Another way of doing it is to make a 2-foot-tall cage out of chicken wire (secured to the ground) that is 12 inches wider than the plant and fill it completely with leaves and straw. The cage will keep the leaves and straw in place. Some even recommend adding extra soil on top of the plants prior to mulching with leaves and straw.
An alternative is to dig up the crowns and roots, remove as much soil as possible and store for the winter in a box of moist sand or peat in a cool location, like a garage or basement.
Also, if you find yourself needing to plant new artichokes next year or in the future, consider planting varieties like Green Globe or Imperial Star, which have shorter growing seasons and are more hardy.
Hope this helps!