Question
I live in Kingman AZ. Zone 8. I started artichoke plants from seed this year. 2 are about 3' tall, 2 about 2' tall. It does get below freezing here, and some snow in the winter. What would be a good way to overwinter these plants? They are in a raised bed garden between our house and wall, so have some protection. I have checked the internet, and some say to cut them back, others say cover with hay or leaf mulch. They didn't produce this year, being their first year, and I don't want to lose them!!! I've been trying to raise them for 3 years, this is the first success I've had!! I think they like where they are growing.  Thank you so much for your response. Karen

Answer
You can either cover them with row covers or mulch them heavily with straw or shredded leaves. I personally prefer the row covers because they are made of a light-weight material similar to sheer curtains. They also are porous, which lets in light and water. They will protect the plants for up to 5 degrees, which for your area, should suffice. But the advice you received is correct about cutting them back. Regardless of which method of protection you choose, the plants should do just fine and start producing next year.

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike