Growing Burdock: A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 10, 2026
Burdock is a long-rooted Asian specialty root vegetable, grown for its mild, slightly sweet root rather than for anything happening above ground.
Deep, loose soil is non-negotiable
Direct-seed only, sown anytime in spring, about 2 inches apart and three-quarters of an inch deep, in rows 24 inches apart, thinned to 2 to 3 inches apart. The root needs 1 to 2 feet of deep, well-drained soil to grow straight and free of forks; shallow or compacted ground produces stubby, misshapen roots instead of the long, straight ones the crop is grown for.
Harvest without breaking the root
Harvest runs from fall through early spring. A raised bed with removable sides makes it possible to harvest from the side rather than digging straight down, which results in far fewer broken roots than trying to pull a long taproot straight up out of open ground.
Storage
Store unwashed roots at 32°F and 95 percent relative humidity; they hold up better and wilt more slowly than washed roots.
Burdock has no well-established companion pairings, and nothing it needs to be kept away from. At 4 plants per square foot, it needs a dedicated deep-soil bed in the Garden Designer, ideally one built or amended specifically for long-rooted crops.
Source: Burdock: Key Growing Information, Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
Companion planting guide for Burdock · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 3-10. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Mature height: 2-4 ft
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. It doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
When to plant burdock, by zone
Every zone burdock grows in. Pick your zone in the header and it will be highlighted here. Each zone links to its full page.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a & 3b | Not usually | Jun 6–Jun 13 | Oct 4–Oct 11 |
| 4a & 4b | Not usually | May 22–May 29 | Sep 19–Sep 26 |
| 5a & 5b | Not usually | May 17–May 24 | Sep 14–Sep 21 |
| 6a & 6b | Not usually | May 2–May 9 | Aug 30–Sep 6 |
| 7a & 7b | Not usually | Apr 17–Apr 24 | Aug 15–Aug 22 |
| 8a & 8b | Not usually | Apr 1–Apr 8 | Jul 30–Aug 6 |
| 9a & 9b | Not usually | Feb 22–Mar 1 | Jun 22–Jun 29 |
| 10a & 10b | Not usually | Feb 6–Feb 13 | Jun 6–Jun 13 |
Harvest dates are about 120 days after the sow or plant-out date.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Burdock plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: 4 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 2-4 ft.
Varieties worth considering
- 'Chiko': Johnny's Selected Seeds' listed burdock variety, described as a nutritious, medicinal Asian specialty; there's little named-cultivar diversity beyond it in the seed trade this plant is sold through. (source) Buy seeds: True Leaf Market
Why each variety is listed comes from the source shown next to it. We haven't grown these ourselves yet, so treat this as a research-backed starting point, not a personal endorsement. The buy links are separate from those sources: they go to seed suppliers that sell that exact variety, and we may earn a commission on some of them.
Where to buy burdock seeds
True Leaf Market (each supplier's burdock seeds)
The varieties we recommend above each have their own buy links, for the suppliers that sell that exact variety.
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing burdock" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Burdock: A long-rooted Asian specialty root vegetable grown for its mild, slightly sweet root, needing deep, loose soil to grow straight.
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