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Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
P	P							P	P	P	P

(Best months for planting Burdock in Australia - cool/mountain regions)

P = Sow direct in garden where they are to grow.

• Easy to grow.
• Harvest in 17-18 weeks.
• Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 20°C.
• Space plants: 60cm

Burdock grows wild on roadsides and waste places and around field boundaries throughout Britain, Europe and North America; it is cultivated in Japan. It grows to about 2m (6ft) high. It has dark green leaves with a long tap root

Keep watch for seed heads as it can become an invasive weed. The prickly balls were the inspiration for the inventor of 'Velcro', George de Mestra.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Burdock

Harvest in the first year when the burdock root is very crisp and has a sweet, mild, and pungent flavour with a little muddy harshness that can be reduced by soaking julienne/shredded roots in water for five to ten minutes. Immature flower stalks may also be harvested in late spring, before flowers appear; the taste resembles that of artichoke, to which the burdock is related.

It is a key ingredient in the traditional Dandelion and Burdock beer.

Your comments and tips

07 Jun 10 (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have raised garden beds because my soil is stoney. Has anyone tried to grow burdock in bins? That sounds easy to get 90cm of sandy loam happening.

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18 Apr 10 Sue (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I would like to know where can i buy this burdock roots. I live in Brisbane and i don't know where to get it. Thank you

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06 Feb 10 Sharonne (Australia - temperate climate)

SHIPARDS HERBS in Queensland have every medicinal herb u can want both in seeds and plants. They ship anywhere in Australia

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29 Dec 09 James CHOI (Australia - temperate climate)

Dear Sir, Nice to see your web about Burdock,I am a new hand for growing and planting. Is it possible to ask you where I could buy the fresh or dried Burdock in Melbourne. Please let me have your recommendation. Thanks a lot. James

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25 May 10 Luis O (Australia - tropical climate)

James, I'm not sure about fresh ones, but I used to buy dried ones in Sydney chinese medicine shops. You may find them in cylinder shape boxes or loose ones in chinatown (little broke st)

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14 Sep 09 Richard, Perth (Australia - temperate climate)

I like to grow some burdock plants in my backyard. Where can I get its seeds or seedlings? Is it suitable to grow as a pot plant? If yes, what size of pots?

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16 May 09 Kenny (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Another ebay store that has them is TheSeedCollection thats where i got mine much cheaper than anywhere else.

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25 Mar 09 Kat (Australia - temperate climate)

Hey Jonathan, you don't have a recipe for that tea do you? I grew up in the UK and I remember is dandelion and burdock as my favorite fizzy drink! I have seen mention of an old fashioned cordial too, which I guess is where the fizzy drink idea came from.

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12 Dec 08 Catherine (Australia - temperate climate)

Burdock and other culinary and medicinal seeds can be bought cheap and in bulk from Pleasance Seeds. Google for address.

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01 Nov 08 Jonathan (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

The Japanese are great consumers of Burdock, or "Gobo" stir fried with carrot and chilli and soy and is fantastic - called "Kinpira Gobo" it is a lovely dish. I sometimes buy my seed in Japan and if anyone would like me to get some, I can pick some up the next time I'm there... It's ok to import as long as customs see the original packet and can see that the contents have not been tampered with. I have just dug up my first crop but didnt realise the fingers grow really deep and should really be harvested quite early to get them really tender. To think we used to drink dandelion and burdock tea when i was a kid in the U.K... It seems such a under-rated veggie and has a delicious nutty flavour.

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