Hello,

I have been briefly browsing some of the forums awhile and finally decided to join and post. Lots of great information!!! This is my first posting.

My question is in regards to growing / Winter Sowing Artichokes / Cardons in South Georgia, zone 8a. I have had success with Fava Beans and Peas via Winter Sowing and wanted to expand. First, I will explain my plan of action. I am treating the Cardons in the same manner as the artichokes.

After reading posts and various articles, it seems that some growers in Central Texas have had success with this loose time line. I plan to place the seeds in cups with soil in the refrigerator for about 600 hours. I am using the Globe and Violetta variety, mainly because I already had the seeds. I am putting them in the fridge to artificially mimic vernalization. I do not trust the South Georgia winter, it fluctuates to much with high and low temps.
Once reaching 600 hours in the fridge, I plan to remove and germinated indoors as normal, harden off and move outside.
I plan to shade them outside for about a week, then let them adapt until the winter temperatures arrive. I am also going to plants them in an area to receive morning sun but shade from the afternoon sun. I then plan to cover them to protect from the frost and wait for Spring to arrive. I am hoping they follow a similar timeline to my overwintered Fava Beans and I see positive growth.

I hope that this explanation makes sense. I plan to start within the next week or so. Does anyone in zone 8a have experience with artichokes. Any suggestions? Even if I make it through the winter and spring, am I doomed during the hot summer? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You!!