Balloon Flowers
Common Names: Balloon Flowers, Chinese BellflowersLatin Name: Platycodon grandiflorus
General Info
- Native to east asia.
- May take 2-3 years to become completely established.
- Undemanding, good for beginners.
- Should stake them.
- Completely die back for winter. Watch out you're not messing them up and stepping on them especially as new buds are forming in spring!
Soil Requirements
- Choose a fertile, well-draining site with slightly acidic soil in full sun or partial shade.
Water Requirements
- Water balloon flowers about once weekly throughout the growing season. This should be sufficient to keep the surface soil evenly moist, but not soggy or wet. Don’t allow them to dry out or have wet feet.
Fertilization
- Feed balloon flowers a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer during their second spring.
- If desired, they can be fertilized with a slow-release fertilizer in spring.
- Balloon flowers are not heavy feeders, but a top dressing with compost in the fall will help them replenish the energy they expended blooming. It's also good to add some granular organic fertilizer to the whole bed, in the spring.
Pruning
- Deadhead balloon flowers as soon as the blooms wilt. This will extend the blooming season into part of the fall, rather than lasting only a single month of flowering in the summer.
- Since the succulent stems have milky sap, you’ll need to lightly singe the cut ends with a candle (or match) immediately after cutting to make them last longer.
Seasonal View
Spring
- Fertilize
Summer
- Should be flowering. Should be watering. once weekly.
- Deadhead regularly, stake.
Fall
- Stop blooming as we enter the fall.
- One source suggest top dressing with compost in the fall.
Winter
- Completely die back and disappear.