READER’S QUESTION

WE HAVE a globe artichoke plant, grown from seed. The artichokes are excellent quality and I’d love to grow more from this one plant. Is that possible? H. Prentice, West Sussex. Globe artichokes are easy to grow from offshoots. With a spade, dig down carefully at the side of the plant, laying bare its base. Then, with your spade or a knife, slice down between a shoot on the outside and the main body. Tease out the selected shoot, making sure it has a little root material. Gather as many offshoots as you need and pot them up or plant under cloches. Globe artichokes are not fully hardy. So place potted shoots somewhere sheltered such as a greenhouse. Plant them out in April, once they have begun to grow.