This plant is one year old and growing in San Francisco. We are in the Richmond District so do not get a lot of sun, maybe four hours a day. The soil is pretty sandy where it is planted. These are some photos of it and as you will see, it is not doing every well. I check it daily for bugs and once found a larva of some kind of moth so then sprayed the plant with soapy water. It gets deep watered about every four days, and when the sun shines directly on it, it wilts like crazy. I am thinking of moving it to an even shadier spot, but am concerned about doing a transplant while it had fruit on it. Any thoughts? Thanks, Mike

Wish I had an answer, Mike. I haven't grown artichokes, preferring to eat mine marinated in the jar...but hopefully someone will come along who has grown them in your area.

Edited to add that if there is not a good response here, perhaps there will be more help in the 'Edibles and Preserving' forum.

you might find help using this google search I tried. Lots of articles related to growing artichokes in the SF Bay Area
http://tinyurl.com/lsf6djx

Welcome, Greybeard......it may have been said already in another forum, but still worth repeating....

Welcome..........................

The artichokes I've seen that are doing well are in some pretty good sun. In fact the largest ones I've seen were growing inland where it was downright hot. I, too, have tried to grow them, more than once. Honestly I think they are picky. Picky about soil, and picky about water PH. Those giant artichokes I mentioned . . . they were completely inedible, I think it was the alkaline water, they tasted like alum. The ones I grew, well they got so buggy I just gave up. I think if you really want to grow them you will need to do some serious research.