How to Grow and Care for Balloon Flowers

Balloon flowers are clump-forming perennials and members of the easy-to-grow bellflower family of plants although the blooms do not resemble bells. Instead, puffy, balloon-like buds swell up to produce the 2- to 3-inch star-shaped blue-violet flowers. Balloon flowers will thrive in just about any condition, except in especially hot environments. This plant prefers rich soil, full sun, and temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Balloon Flower Care

Here are the basic needs to grow balloon flowers.

• Plant in full sun for best blooms.
• Use rich, well-draining soil.
• Keep the soil moderately moist but not soggy and supplement waterings during dry spells.
• Stake taller varieties of balloon flowers in clumps if they become floppy.

Light

You will get the most flowers if you plant balloon flowers in full sun (at least six hours of sunlight on most days). However, they will be fine in part shade and might actually prefer some shade where the afternoon sun is especially hot.

Soil

Balloon flowers prefer organically rich, loamy soil that has good drainage. They don’t grow well in dense soil, such as clay. They like a soil pH in the 5.5 to 7.5 range.

Water

Keep the soil of young plants consistently moist but not soggy. Once established, balloon flowers like a moderate amount of moisture in the soil, but they can tolerate short periods of drought. They won’t need a lot of supplemental watering unless you have a long period without rainfall that causes the soil to dry out.

Temperature and Humidity

Balloon flowers are hardy and thrive in USDA growing zones 3 to 8 where they can experience their ideal temperature between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, they can withstand higher temperatures with some afternoon shade. Frost kills young plants and causes established plants to die back into the ground in the fall. Balloon flowers tolerate both humid and dry air conditions, provided they have the right amount of soil moisture.

Fertilizer

Balloon flowers typically don't need supplemental feeding if you have rich soil. But a layer of compost in the fall can help them replenish the energy they expend blooming during the growing season. If you have poor soil, use an all-purpose, slow-release fertilizer in early spring.

Types of Balloon Flowers

There are several popular varieties of balloon flowers, including:

• Platycodon grandiflorus Astra series: This type grows double flowers with 10 petals in blue, pink, or white. They're an ideal choice to start from seeds.
• P. grandiflorus Fuji series: This is the most commonly sold variety, as well as the tallest, with 30-inch stems and flowers in blue, pink, or white.
• P. grandiflorus 'Komachi': The purple-blue flowers in this variety stay in their puffy pillow stage even after blooming.
• P. 'Sentimental Blue': This dwarf variety grows about 6 inches tall with lots of 1- to 2-inch purple flowers.

Pruning

Pruning generally isn't necessary with balloon flowers, though you can do so for appearance. To achieve stockier plants, you can cut back tall stems by about half in the late spring. This can help to prevent the plants from flopping over.

Propagating Balloon Flowers

Balloon flowers are favorites of gardeners because they are solid and fast performers but you have to be careful how you propagate the plant. Propagating by division is generally not recommended for balloon flowers because the deep taproots do not like being disturbed. Instead, propagate this pant by taking stem cuttings.

1. Use sterile, sharp pruners to trim a 4-inch stem length, and remove the lower foliage to expose the bare stem.
2. Use a rooting hormone on the bare stem and pot it in moist soil.
3. Keep the soil moist (but not soggy) in a bright spot as you wait for roots to take hold.
4. Once you see leaf growth and feel resistance when you give the cutting a gentle tug, you’ll know the roots have grown and the plant is ready to be transplanted into the garden.

How to Grow Balloon Flowers From Seed

Start seeds indoors in the early spring about six to eight weeks before your area's projected last frost date. Take these easy steps:

1. Barely cover the seeds with 1/16 inch of seed starter mix or ordinary potting soil.
2. Place the container in a warm, bright location until the seeds germinate.
3. After the weather has warmed, transplant the seedlings outdoors. If you plant seeds directly in your garden, do so after your last frost date, but know they likely won't flower in their first year.

Potting and Repotting Balloon Flower

Balloon flowers look beautiful in pots but the container needs to be deep enough to manage the taproot. A container that is 10 to 12 inches deep would work well. Or, you can use dwarf balloon flower cultivars for pots rather than risk the tall, floppy stems of standard balloon flowers. You can also grow balloon flowers as houseplants and use them in indoor container gardens. Put balloon flowers in a rich potting mix and a cool and bright spot to watch them bloom.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Balloon flowers generally attract slugs and snails, as do many other outdoor bloomers, which can be coaxed off the plants with bait.

However, the plant may become afflicted with crown rot, root rot, botrytis gray mold, powdery mildew, or fungal leaf spot. Crown and root rot may cause plants to die over the winter. Leaves presenting powdery spots, mottling, or blotching can usually be treated with a fungicide. Quickly discard plants with gray mold so it doesn't spread, then use a preventative fungicide on the remaining plants.

How to Get Balloon Flowers to Bloom

Bloom Months

Balloon flowers are generally planted in the spring after the danger of frost has passed, growing quickly to bloom in the first year during the summer. In subsequent years, the plant will bloom beginning in late spring and last through the summer.

What Do Ballon Flowers Look and Smell Like?

This easy-growing plant blooms intense blue-violet flowers, but there are also cultivars with white and pink blooms. The unopened flower buds resemble little hot air balloons, which is how the plant got its common name.It's an excellent plant for border gardens or rock gardens and the pleasantly scented blooms attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies thanks to their wide-open petals.

How to Encourage More Blooms

For abundant, vibrant blooms, make sure the soil is rich with nutrients and compost. Use an all-purpose, slow-release fertilizer in the early spring if you have poor soil.

Deadheading Balloon Flowers

Deadheading your plants (removing spent blooms) will keep them looking good and repeatedly blooming. Don't remove the whole stem, just the faded flowers. The remaining buds on the stem will continue to open.

Common Problems With Balloon Flowers

The balloon flower is one of the most hands-off plants you can grow successfully. But always look out for signs of distress.

Brown, Yellow, Mushy Leaves

If your balloon flowers are brown, yellow, and mushy, they are getting too much water and the soil is soggy.

Shriveling Buds

Buds that shrivel up are also caused by overwatering.

Leggy Plants

Cut back mature tall and leggy stems by half in the late spring to rejuvenate balloon flowers. They will rebound and grow back thicker.

From: thespruce