Alliums

Allium  Bulbs

Alliums produce tall, thin single flower stems, ending in explosions of flowers, made up of hundreds of tiny florets and petals, in a range of blue, purple, lilac and whites – each with different sized heads and styles. From random to perfect symmetry, Allium flowers are also easy to dry and use as permanent decoration too. Just cut them when they have gone over in the garden, hang upside done for a few months to dry out, then spray them gold, silver or glitter for a natural Christmas decoration.

On Receipt

Most Allium  bulbs you buy will be packed and delivered in perforated polythene bags, and some may come with sawdust in the bags, to keep condensation at bay. Once received, if you cannot plant them straight away, it is always best to keep them in a cool, dark, moisture-free place and that’ll make sure they keep for a few weeks.

Planting Allium  Bulbs

The best time to plant these bulbs is usually between the months of September and December. Although as late as December will be fine, it is best to plant these as early as you can, so aim for early autumn. Doing so will give them a bit more time to establish a strong root system before the winter coldness settles in.

There is a simple rule of thumb when planting Allium bulbs; plant them at twice the depth of the height of the bulb and four times their width apart. e.g. 5cm tall bulbs need to be planted 10cm below the surface of the ground and 20cm apart.

Please check the bag for any additional planting instructions.

They are fine to plant even if a little green growth is showing, they’ll just need a good watering when you plant them, and then only when the soil is dry.

Where to plant Allium Bulbs

 Alliums can  handle full sun, or some shade. 

All varieties can be planted either in a border or in pots; they are not fussy. Just make sure that if you opt for pots, these drain water easily, as too much water in the soil can make the bulbs rots before they even get a chance. To prevent this, a simple scatter of broken crockery or hand full of gravel at the bottom of the pot before you add the compost, will work wonders in aiding the water to drain out.

Allium Aftercare

Whilst all the energy that a bulb needs in order to grow is stored in the bulb itself, they will do better if you feed them after planting. A small application of general-purpose feed such as Superior Soluble Fertiliser will suffice.

Other that this isn’t much else you need to do! One thing that might be necessary, if we have a particularly cold winter, is frost protection. To protect the bulbs against frost, place the pot in a frost-free area or cover it with bubble wrap over winter.

Conversely, if you experience very hot weather, make sure to give them an extra watering. Other than that, you can sit back and await their glorious blooms!

Once the flowers have come into full bloom and eventually start going dry, you can remove the flower heads and make them into indoor decorations, or alternatively they can be left on the plants to encourage self-seeding. With the latter option you might even see more flowers next year!