It’s fascinating to grow cultivars and see what you get even though the seeds won’t be true to type.
Can you obtain allium seeds?
Alliums, which include onions, leeks, shallots, chives, and garlic, were once only considered to be vegetables, but today’s taller species with their enormous spherical flowerheads are among the most prominent members of the architectural plant community. Their stiff lollipop-shaped heads are ideal for counterbalancing tall, poker-shaped flowers, softer flowing grasses, and sharp vertical leaves, while their rich color—typically purple—looks stunning either in contrast to warm reds, yellows, and oranges or mixed with cooler tones of lilac, blue, and white.
Alliums can reach heights of up to 200 cm, with flowerheads ranging in size from small pompoms to enormous spheres of star-shaped blooms. For rock gardens at the front of the border, the little types work great. Garlic and chives grow well in these conditions, and they have the added benefit of confusing aphids and other bothersome insects so they go for food elsewhere. To ward against pests, surround other veggies and delicate plants like roses with these smelly plants.
Alliums are attractive not just when they are fully bloomed; the fallen flowerheads can also be left on the plant to dry and add architectural interest in the fall and winter. Hard frost will make the globes, especially those of Allium christophii, look gorgeous. For an eye-catching interior arrangement, you may also cut the flowers fresh and combine them with iris and thousand-flowered Gypsophilla.
Growing guide
Alliums prefer a warm, sunny location with healthy, rich soil. They can live in a more sandy area, but they will need to be well mulched if they want the truly magnificent huge heads. Since they are perennial bulbous plants, you can either plant them as potted plants year-round or as bulbs in the fall, putting them up to 15 cm deep. The plants will quickly take root and typically bloom the following year. Being bulbous also means that plants will eventually generate small offsets around the parent, forming large clumps.
Propagation
Any very big clumps can be separated into smaller portions in the late summer and replanted. Additionally, offset bulbils can be used to propagate new plants (newly formed, little bulbs). The majority of bulbils develop underground around the initial bulb. These can be carefully broken off and buried 1 cm deep in grittier compost. Aerial bulbils are produced by the Allium sphaerocephalon variation and emerge from the flowerhead. The same procedure as above can be used to plant these.
A content allium will freely self-seed. You can gather the seeds from the plant before they fall if you like to control where your new plants will sprout up (as opposed to leaving it up to chance and chaos). As soon as the heads (and stems) start to turn brown, remove them. Place in a paper bag so you can catch the seeds as the pods split open. The seeds can be kept in the bag in a cold location until the following spring, or they can be sown straight into the soil where you want them to grow. It can take up to a year for some alliums to germinate, so patience is essential.
Pest alert
Alliums are typically healthy plants, yet during a humid time they might get white rot and downy mildew. Since they belong to the onion family, they may experience onion fly attacks. Yellowing leaves are a typical early sign, and as white maggots eat away at the roots, the plant will abruptly collapse. Because the maggots are so deeply embedded in the soil and even in the bulb itself, this pest is particularly challenging to eradicate. Dig up any afflicted plants to get rid of onion flies so that the maggots can’t develop into adults, pupate, and create more grubs.
Variety guide
The most well-known flowering allium is undoubtedly A. giganteum, which grows up to 1.8m and produces 10-15cm-diameter spherical heads of purplish-pink flowers. Despite their size, almost never do they need to be staked. It looks lovely placed beside another monster, the grass Stipa gigantean, in the back of a border as a focus point. Another choice is the 80cm tall cultivar “Globemaster,” which grows best between shrubs in a sunny border and adds a dash of deep violet to the season with its enormous 15cm wide spherical flowerheads. Allium sphaerocephalon, which has stunning two-tone maroon and green flowerheads, may be the prettiest member of the clan. When combined with grasses or other globe-headed flowers like Echinops and Eryngium, it makes a stunning border plant.
The rich rosy-purple flowers of Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ make it a charming addition to a sunny border. It will reach a height of 1 m. It looks especially beautiful when planted with fennel with feathery leaves. A. karataviense is ideal for the rock garden because it only grows to a height of 25 cm. Large, delicate pink blooms with unique leaves with dark crimson edges adorn the plant. Another option for a rock garden or for growing in a pot on the patio is the variety “Ivory Queen,” which is even shorter at 20cm tall and thrives in dry soil in a sunny location.
Crocus tip
Many of the taller alliums’ foliage will already be starting to die back by the time the blooms bloom, but if they are surrounded by perennials with appealing foliage (such herbaceous geraniums), these unkempt leaves can be covered.
Container plants
Alliums prefer a sunny location with well-drained soil, but if they are planted in pots, they must not be allowed to dry out in the spring as this can prevent the flower buds from opening.
Are allium bulbs formed from the seeds?
The growing requirements for these relatives of common onions are the same whether you are growing alliums for their eye-catching, globular flowers, like the Star of Persia (Allium christophii or A. albopilosum), or for their flavorful, pungent bulbs, like leeks (A. ameloprasum) or chives (A. schoenoprasum). Depending on the variety, both types of alliums can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 11, producing edible bulbs or blossoms in the spring, summer, or fall before withering away in the winter and regrowing the following year.
Are allium seed heads salvagable?
Alliums are magnificent plants, therefore it’s worthwhile to save a few seeds to plant in the spring to increase the number for the garden.
It’s fascinating to grow cultivars and see what you get even though the seeds won’t be true to type. The seeds will sprout swiftly and mature into flowers in a few years. To obtain the finest show, when planting, pick a place that is protected, sunny, and has excellent drainage.
Try tapping the seeds directly into a paper bag if you want to keep the seedheads in the garden for winter interest. The cut seedheads could potentially be used again in indoor arrangements.
What should you do with alliums once the flowering is over?
Post-bloom maintenance for alliums is quite simple. Simply continue to water the plants sparingly until they start to shrivel and turn yellow. At this point, you have the option of either dividing the plants or cutting them all the way to the ground.
Divide allium bulbs every three to four years. Simply use a shovel to dig around the plant and lift the bulbs out. You should see a group of bulbs that you may gently separate with your hands. Replant a few in the same location, and immediately transplant the others to different sites.
It’s considerably simpler to take care of allium bulbs that you don’t wish to divide. When the foliage starts to fade, simply trim it back, and in the fall, mulch the soil with 2 to 3 inches (5-7.5 cm) of material. In the spring, remove the mulch to allow room for fresh growth.
How are allium seed heads dried?
By planting fall bulbs for spring blooms, we are already thinking ahead for the garden of the next year. Alliums are among our favorite bulbs to plant in the fall because they promise to produce enormous, eye-catching flowers. Because of their extraordinary height, they can be used in formal or casual gardens as well as naturalized landscapes. They are whimsical yet dignified. Additionally incredibly adaptable and durable, alliums are perfect for year-round decorative use. Continue reading for our instructions to growing, drying, and using these garden giants as decorations.
Planting Select a planting place with well-drained soil and full sun as soon as the leaves start to fall. This will help your alliums grow stronger stems. These huge bulbs, which can rot if exposed to too much moisture, require good soil drainage. For each bulb, dig a hole that is 2-3 times as deep as the bulb’s height, measured from the bottom of the bulb. Place the bulb in the ground with the pointed end facing up, completely cover it with dirt, and give it a good watering to help it settle. If you’re planting several bulbs, make the holes about 6 to 8″ apart. In the fall and winter, roots will begin to grow, and in the spring, leaves and flowers will appear.
Find a spot for alliums where they may tower over other plants without getting blown over by the wind. The majority of allium stems are robust and sturdy, but as they get older, they might break and become untidy. Never allow the stake extend past the ball if you decide to stake an allium as it grows. Alliums can benefit from having mounding plants around them, such as hardy geranium and nepeta, to help hide the leaves as it turns yellow later in the season.
Drying The majority of allium cultivars bloom in the late spring and early summer, but if they are left in situ, they can keep the garden going into the fall and even the winter, becoming a tawny gold. Their pointed seedheads, however, can also be carried inside and dried for ornamental purposes. Pick a drying location first when you’re prepared to take your alliums from the garden. A pantry or closet may be the best location because they are cool, dark, have good ventilation, and have low moisture levels. To suspend the allium stems, run a taut strand of twine or wire across the area.
When the seedheads are fully developed and dry, harvest them, leaving the stems intact. Make bundles of two or three stems using rubber bands after trimming any extra leaves. Your alliums can be suspended separately if they are quite large. The seedheads should dry for three to six weeks after you attach the bundles to your drying line (we like to use an unfolded paperclip for this).
Decorating Once dried, seedheads make amusing embellishments for both the home and yard. When placed within a glass cloche with other preserved flora, they develop into a natural collection. Tall stems provide new plantings, like a hanging basket or a barrel of autumn grasses, architectural interest. We’ll also add dried alliums to wreaths and evergreen trees as the holidays get near for a botanical Christmas.
How are alliums reproduced?
They can be sown directly in the garden in the summer or fall for germination during the following spring.
Put your seeds in moistened growing media, store them in the refrigerator for four weeks, then plant them in trays or pots to start them inside. Keep the growing medium’s temperature between 65 and 70 degrees.
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How long does it take allium seeds to grow?
Scoop a soilless seeding mixture into a flat or tray for beginning seeds. Peat moss, vermiculite or perlite, sand, and occasionally a little amount of lime and compost are included in a soilless mix. Make sure the mixture is also sterilized for the greatest outcomes.
Allium seeds should be liberally scattered around the mixture’s surface in the tray or flat. For a more precise planting, you can use a pair of tweezers or forceps or pinch a group of seeds together between your thumb and index finger. The allium seeds should be placed 1/4 to 1/2 inch apart.
- The allium seeds should be spread out on paper towels to air dry for about a day.
- Peat moss, vermiculite or perlite, sand, and occasionally a little amount of lime and compost are included in a soilless mix.
Using a spoon or a tiny piece of wood, press the allium seeds into the seeding mixture approximately 1/8 of an inch deep.
Place the tray in a location that will stay at a temperature of about 70 degrees F for three weeks. At least once per day, check on the tray. Keep the allium seeds moist by spritzing the seeding mixture with a thin mist of water as needed rather than drowning them in water to the point where they become sodden and soaked.
After three weeks, move the tray and put it somewhere where the temperature won’t drop below 50 degrees or rise above 70 degrees. For the remainder of the germination period, keep the tray in this position. Germination can start in about a year, depending on the allium variety you are growing.
The majority of alliums produced from seed will start blooming in two to three years, according to the University of Maryland Fact Sheet on Alliums.