Re: Platycodon

In a message dated 8/19/1999 10:54:09 PM Central Daylight Time, 
cdpierce@intop.net writes:

<< Well i need some more info. is a platycodon the same thing as what is 
called
 the balloon flower? if so will the seeds come up if i harvest them? when do i
 need to harvest? my first time with this flower, has bloomed really well this
 summer [until the drought] -------
 Mine is sky blue in color, do they come in other colors >>

Yes, they are the same plant and Platycodon comes in a number of diffrent 
blue shade from light blue to dark blue, white and varying shades of pink.
There are double flowering forms too in all the colors. Plus many forms that 
are low growing, plus one's that do not open up but keep their baloon shape.
  I have grown types that were only 5" tall and some that were 4' tall.
They are long lived plants that really only start to bloom heavy when they 
are three or four years old.
Seed is easy to germinate, collect it once the "seed heads" open up and you 
can turn them upside down and the shiny black seeds fall out, or just wait 
till the 'seed heads' turn brown and cut them off and shake the seed free in 
a paper bag.

Start the seeds in a well draining but moist seed mix (do not like overly wet 
"feet")
Surface sow-light helps with germination -- seedling should appear in 10 days 
at F 70, after seeds start to germinate sprinkle more medium over them.
Plants have white tap roots that should be planted 1/4 inch deep.
Takes one to two years to flower.
Grow in full sun to light shade, Plants come up very late in the spring.
The roots can grow to a large size and are grown in China as a food crop. 
Division of rootstock is hard and results in week plants so seed is the best 
way to propagate this plants.

Paul

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index