How to Grow Chinese Artichokes

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: Full sun on an east-, south- or west-facing aspect (RHS); PFAF adds that it will also take light shade. Keep the soil moist through the growing season, because summer moisture is what decides tuber size. Tolerant of acid, neutral and alkaline soils alike.

Growth Stages

Stage	Notes
Planting tubers	Plant tubers in spring, points upwards, 4-8cm deep in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil in full sun. PFAF plants out in March. Divide and plant while the tubers are still dormant.
Shoot emergence and leafing	Low mint-family foliage appears and the plant begins running underground. Keep it weeded early; once it is away it covers the ground itself.
Runner and tuber formation	The work happens out of sight, at the ends of the rhizomes and stolons. Steady summer moisture through this stage is what decides tuber size.
Die-back and harvest	Top growth dies down from October. RHS harvests from November as needed. Lift a few plants at a time and leave the rest in the soil, which keeps them in better condition than any shed will.

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Time to harvest	150-210 days
Soil texture	Undemanding. RHS lists chalk, clay, loam and sand as all suitable; PFAF adds light, medium and heavy soils, preferring well drained. A fertile, humus-rich soil gives the best tubers.
Drainage	Moist but well drained. The plant takes winter wet better than most root crops, which is part of why the tubers can be left in the ground.
Lifecycle	Perennial, grown as an annual root crop and lifted through the winter.
Edible parts	tubers

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Wait for the top growth to die back. PFAF gives 5-7 months from planting to tuber development, with harvest from October onwards; RHS says tubers can be harvested from November as they are needed. Lift only what you want at a time, because the tubers shrivel quickly once out of the ground. Expect about 1kg per square metre, and go carefully with the fork: every small tuber left behind will grow next year.

Storage

Leave them in the ground and dig as needed through winter. The tubers tolerate freezing, and out of the soil they lose condition within days.

What the research guides add

Chinese artichoke is grown for its small tubers, and the RHS notes when they are ready.

• In summer purple-pink flowers are borne on erect flower stalks. (RHS)
• Tubers can be harvested from November as they are needed. (RHS)
• Propagate by division. It may be susceptible to slugs and is generally disease-free. (RHS)

Sources for this section

• Royal Horticultural Society: Stachys affinis (Chinese artichoke)

Section researched and checked on 25 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.

Sources

1. Plants For A Future (PFAF) - Stachys affinis - Chinese Artichoke

   Fetched and read directly.

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Plants For A Future (PFAF), Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to chinese artichokes; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.