Plants ordered today will begin shipping in June of 2024
Balloonflower (Platycodon grandiflorus) potted plant, organic
$8.50
Family: Bellflower (Campanulaceae)
Hardy to Zone 3 to 10
(Jie-geng) Herbaceous perennial native to China. The plant is already familiar to many as an heirloom garden favorite–its unopened flower is a striking blue-purple balloon that has fascinated horticulturalists for centuries. Used in Chinese cookery, the white, fleshy, and man-shaped root becomes a potent culinary ingredient to special soups and sauces. Traditional usage (TCM): antitussive. Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Plant 1 foot apart. Flowers from 30 to 40 inches tall.
Potted plant, Certified Organically Grown
In stock
Question
M. –
Hello Richo,
I’m wondering how best to sow these seeds at this point; I’m in Vermont, zone 5a, and would like to try growing this plant. How would you recommend sowing at this point? Perhaps I could stratify with a little sand in the refrigerator, or sow in pots and keep on the north side of the house?
Thank you.
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Richo Cech –
Hello M.,
Thanks for contacting us and I think you can get balloonflower to work still this spring. The monograph does state sow in outdoor conditions in early spring which would be now, esp. in your cold zone. One trick I’ve been employing with good results is to do a “quick prechill” by putting the seeds in a jar of water and refrigerating overnight before planting. I did this recently with sea buckthorn, which has many of the same requirements as does balloonflower, and the results were swell. richo
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