Burdock 'Takinogawa Long'

Takinogawa Long is a traditional Japanese variety of Burdock grown for its long brown roots with white flesh. Flavour is similar to Salsify. Stems can also be eaten. 16-18 weeks to harvest. Each packet contains 30 heirlooms seeds.
Burdock 'Takinogawa Long'
Burdock 'Takinogawa Long'
Price Per Packet: $ 2.50

Growing Advice

Photo by Fitkitchen (CC BY 2.0).

Scientific Name: Arctium lappa

Common Name: Burdock 'Takinogawa Long', Greater Burdock, Edible Burdock, Gobo, Happy Major, Beggar's Buttons

Family: Asteraceae

Origin

Burdock is native to much of Europe and Asia.  Takinogawa Long is an open-pollinated, heirloom, traditional Japanese variety of Burdock.

Culinary Uses:

Burdock produces long, thin roots that can grow over 50cm in length.  The roots are crisp and have a sweet, pungent flavour that be mellowed by soaking them in water for a few hours prior to use.  Takinogawa Long is a heirloom variety that has a rich flavour and is commonly used in Japanese cooking.  Younger roots can be peeled and pickled, eaten raw in salads or as a snack with dips.  Older roots are best sliced and cooked in stir-fries, as tempura or roasted with other vegetables.  The stems, leaf stalks and immature burdock flower stalks can also be harvested and boiled briefly before eating, they have a flavour similar to artichoke or cardoon.  The seeds are also edible when sprouted and are similar to sunflower sprouts.

Growing Tips

Choose a growing site for Burdock that receives full sun or light shade.  Burdock requires deep, loose soils, so make sure your soil is not too compacted before growing burdock or root growth may be constricted.  You can grow consistently long roots by digging over your soil to a depth of about half a metre prior to sowing.  Incorporate lots of organic matter including well-rotted animal manures, compost and worm castings when digging your beds to improve soil structure and give your burdock plants the nutrition they need to grow.  If your soil is too compacted or heavy in clay consider growing Burdock in tall raised vegetable beds or large containers instead.  Burdock shouldn't need any additional fertiliser while growing if the soil was rich enough to begin with, but apply an organic liquid fertiliser as needed if plants are showing signs of nutrient deficiency.  Too much nitrogen will cause Burdock plants to put on lots of leafy growth and become excessively large in size.  Burdock is a biennial and the roots can grow longer than 50cm if soil conditions are ideal but they become tough and woody when they reach this age so it's best to pick them when young.  Burdock is cold hardy and tolerant of frosts.  Water Burdock plants regularly and thoroughly to reach their deep roots.  Mulch around Burdock plants week to keep their roots cool, retain moisture and reduce competition from weeds.

When To Sow

In cooler regions of Australia sow Takinogawa Long Burdock seeds in Spring or Summer from September to February.  In temperate regions of Australia sow Takinogawa Long Burdock seeds from September to April.  In subtropical regions of Australia sow Takinogawa Long Burdock seeds from August to May.  In tropical regions of Australia sow Takinogawa Long Burdock seeds during the dry season from April to June.

How To Sow

Sow Burdock seeds 5mm deep, spacing plants about 50cm apart to give them plenty of room to grow.  The taproot of Burdock may be damaged when transplanted so it's best to sow the seeds directly in your garden where they are to grow.  Burdock seed can have erratic germination, you can aid germination by soaking burdock for a few hours in lukewarm water prior to sowing.

Time To Germination

Takinogawa Long Burdock seeds take between 6 to 12 days to germinate once sown.

Time To Harvest

Takinogawa Long is a late variety of Burdock taking between 16 and 18 weeks to produce good sized roots ready for harvest.  When harvesting Burdock roots don't scrub off the dirt until you're ready to use them otherwise the skin will be broken and the flesh will dry out, reducing their storage life.