Growing Burdock, also Gobo (Japanese Burdock)

Arctium lappa : Asteraceae / the daisy family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
P P             P P P P

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

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 68°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 24 inches apart
  • Harvest in 17-18 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best grown in separate bed.
  • Burdock flower (commons.wikimedia.org - George Chernilevsky - Public Domain)

Burdock grows wild on roadsides and waste places and around field boundaries throughout Britain, Europe and North America, and is cultivated in Japan. Grows to about 2 m (6 ft) high.

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

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22 May 24, Sheree Boyd (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
You can buy burdock seeds from Kings Seeds online, product code #6500.
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07 Sep 23, Allan (Australia - temperate climate)
When I was a boy growing up in England we had a lovely drink called 'dandelion and burdock.' but I have never seen it in Australia. As you show how to grow burdock in your email, maybe you could comment on this wonderful drink. Have a nice day people, Allan.
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02 Jun 22, Carol (USA - Zone 8b climate)
Buy from "Strictly Medicinal Seeds"
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17 May 22, Winter (USA - Zone 6b climate)
Why do people plant Burdock? In my area, it grows everywhere and overtakes everything. It’s also impossible to pull w/ the hands, I have to dig them out to remove them. Genuine question, as there’s obviously a use for them if there’s a guide to growing them!
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18 May 22, anonymous (USA - Zone 5a climate)
Read the notes about it - it explains it.
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01 Jul 21, Kamohelo (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I wanted to plant burdock but am not sure if I am in a semi-arid area. I am close to Bloemfontein and Bloemfontein is a semi-arid area. Milk thistle grows here so is it advisable to plant burdock
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10 Jul 21, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
You should be OK.
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27 Feb 21, Yoko (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi, where can I buy gobo seeding? Thanks.
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01 Mar 21, (Australia - temperate climate)
Try seed selling companies on the internet.
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05 Jun 22, Rene' (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Yoko, I have a lot of seed if you are still looking
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Showing 1 - 10 of 88 comments
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As a good Gobo-burdock grows its root over 1 meter, we, Japanese gardeners sometimes lay galvanized iron (or plastic) sheets in soil with 15 - 20 degree angle like this//////, and plant the seedlings in betrween the sheets. The width of the sheets depends on the width of your vegi patch, and you may plant Gobo in each row as many as you like as long as they have at least 15 cm space between them. As the roots grow, it hits the sheet and grow side way in angle along the sheet in the soil. At the harvesting time, you can easily remove the sheets one by one. It is much easier than trying to dig out 1 meter hole along the root. I have grown many 1.2 meter Gobos in my 30cm high raised garden beds in this way.

- Mickey

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