Allium

Family. Amaryllidaceae.

Origin, where it grows. The natural habitat of allium is the vast territory of the Northern Hemisphere.

Description. Allium is the closest relative of the well-known onion; it is a perennial plant with a large bulb with long roots at the base.

The leaf blades are green, entire, sword-shaped, reaching a length of 50 - 60 cm. In some varieties and species, the surface of the leaves is covered with a bluish waxy coating, in other plants it remains smooth and glossy. The leaves can be either erect or arched; sometimes the leaf blades simply lie on the surface of the ground. When damaged, the leaf blades emit a garlicky odor.

In late spring or early summer, alliums produce thick, hollow inside, leafless, vertical flower stalks. At the tops of the flower stalks there are spherical flower heads up to 30 cm in diameter, consisting of numerous purple, blue, lavender or white buds.

Currently, there are varieties with pink and even burgundy flowers. Some species form umbrella-shaped inflorescences. Individual buds have 5 - 6 narrow petals and resemble miniature stars in shape.

After flowering, the plants form achenes with small black seeds. Sometimes small daughter bulbs, called bulbs, form in the flower heads after flowering.

This extensive genus includes about 900 species of herbaceous plants; over 130 species are used in gardening, each of which is capable of decorating a garden. 

The name "Allium" was given to the plant by the famous botanist Carl Linnaeus. It is believed that it comes from the Celtic word “all”, meaning “burning” in translation.

Many types of decorative onions are edible and can be eaten both fresh and can be used for preparing hot dishes.

Height. Depending on the specific species, the height of the plant can vary from 20 cm to 1 m. Some species form peduncles up to 180 cm high.

When does allium bloom?

It is difficult to name specific flowering dates, since they vary significantly depending on the species and variety. The very first buds can decorate plants as early as April, while some varieties bloom in the second half of summer.

The flowering period is short - it takes only 15 - 20 days. 

Planting and care

To grow allium, you should choose a sunny location - only in such conditions the plants will demonstrate all their beauty. When grown in partial shade, the leaves become smaller and lose their attractive color, and flowering may not occur.

For tall types of decorative onions, it is worth choosing a place protected from strong gusts of wind or planting the bulbs between small bushes. The south side of buildings and structures is excellent for planting allium.

The bulbs should be strong and dense, without soft spots and an unpleasant putrefactive odor. The surface should be covered with dry brownish scales, there should be no sprouts. 

How and when to plant

The timing of planting bulbs should be selected depending on the flowering period. Bulbs that bloom in spring and bloom in June are planted in the first half of autumn so that the plants have time to adapt to new conditions and build up the root system before the onset of night frosts.

Bulbs are usually planted 3-4 weeks before the onset of subzero air temperatures. It is not recommended to plant too early - young shoots will appear that can die from frost. It is believed that the most suitable time for planting in the middle zone is the second half of October, when the thermometer does not exceed 10 degrees Celsius during the day.

Species that bloom in July - August are planted in the garden in the spring, when the last night frosts have receded and the top layer of soil has warmed up.

To prepare planting holes, you should pay attention to several points. As a general rule, the taller the plants, the more distance is left between them. For tall alliums, it is necessary to leave about 40 - 50 cm between the holes; for low-growing varieties and species, 15 - 20 cm will be enough.

If you plan to dig up the bulbs in the fall and store them indoors in the winter, it is better to make holes large enough to accommodate several plants in each hole at once. Decorative onions look great in group plantings.

The bulbs are placed singly if digging is not planned and replanting will be carried out every 2 - 4 years. The depth of the holes will depend on the size of the bulb and the quality of the substrate.

In loose sandy soils, the bulbs can be placed deeper, but in heavy clay soil it is better to reduce the planting depth. For small bulbs, 10 - 15 cm in depth will be enough; for large bulbs, the planting depth is increased to 25 cm.

It is advisable to place a layer of river sand about 3-4 cm thick at the bottom of the planting holes. The bulbs are sprinkled with loose soil mixed with river sand on top, and the soil surface is lightly compacted.

When planting in autumn, mulch in the form of spruce or pine needles, fallen dry leaves or peat is immediately placed on the site. The layer height can reach up to 7 - 10 cm. Mulch will protect plants from freezing in winter, and in spring it will inhibit the development of weeds.

When planting in spring, it is advisable to apply mulch after the first leaves appear - approximately 2 weeks after planting the bulbs. 

Land for allium

As with most bulbous plants, the composition of the soil and its ability to drain moisture after rain or watering are important for allium. When planted in low-lying or poorly drained soils, the bulbs rot quickly.

In order to maintain the health of the bulb, many gardeners advise adding mixtures containing a sufficient amount of potassium to the soil - mineral fertilizers, charcoal and ash.

In order to increase the permeability of the soil, river sand is mixed into it in sufficient quantities.

There are no special requirements for decorative onions regarding the composition of the soil, the content of useful substances in it and the level of acidity. 

How to care

When grown in open ground, allium is periodically watered, weeded, and fed. At the base of the plants, the soil is loosened, making it light and well-permeable to moisture and air.

From the moment the bulbs are planted, but before the leaves form, the plants are watered little by little, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. During this period, the plant is easy to flood.

As the green mass develops, the frequency of watering and the amount of moisture added are gradually increased. During the budding period, watering should be uniform and plentiful. After flowering, as the foliage dies, the frequency of watering is reduced again, allowing the soil to dry out more and more. 

Always water decorative onions at the root, trying not to get on the flowers and buds. For irrigation, use warm rainwater or settled tap water. Watering is carried out in the morning or evening, since drops on the leaf blades during the day can lead to sunburn. Mature plants tolerate drought better than constant waterlogging.

After watering, the soil is loosened and weeds are removed. After weeding, the mulch layer is also renewed. As the buds wither, to prevent the bulbs from wasting their energy on forming seeds or bulbs, the flower stalks are often cut off.

Since flower stalks are often hollow inside, the cut site is covered with clay, preventing rain moisture from entering and penetrating into the bulb.

After flowering, the onion leaf blades begin to turn yellow and die, but they should not be cut off. Until the last moment, the leaves continue the process of photosynthesis, which means they feed the bulbs. They only get rid of completely yellow leaves by cutting them off at the base with a sharp, sterile garden tool. 

Fertilizer

Allium tolerates a lack of nutrients well and does not need a large amount of fertilizer. The fact is that the necessary emergency reserve is stored in the bulb and the plants can survive unfavorable periods.

The bushes are fed only 2-3 times per season. Fertilizers are applied for the first time with the appearance of the first leaves - at this moment you can use complex mineral fertilizers and well-rotted organic matter. With the appearance of flower stalks, fertilizers are applied a second time - potassium-phosphorus mineral compositions are used. The third feeding is carried out as the buds wither and the formation of daughter bulbs - bulbs.

If the soil on the site is poor and the bulbs will spend the winter in the garden, then in early autumn you can add a fourth fertilizer - potassium fertilizer to prepare for the cold.

In addition to standard fertilizers, wood ash is periodically applied - decorative onions always respond to such feeding with gratitude. 

Allium transplant

With age, plants lose their attractiveness - flowering becomes less attractive, inflorescences become smaller and lose their bright color. This is due to the fact that the mother plant forms small daughter bulbs, which begin to compete with the main one for nutrients and moisture. Over time, the bulbs can also go deeper and digging them out becomes a real problem.

To rejuvenate the plants and separate the daughter bulbs, allium is replanted every 3 to 7 years. The best time for replanting is late summer - early autumn. At this moment, the plants have already faded, but the leaf blades have not yet died off.

Pre-prepare the site and planting holes. Plants are dug up, shaken off the ground, divided if necessary and planted in a permanent place. 

Wintering in the garden

You can leave the bulbs on the site for the winter only if the soil has good moisture permeability - in heavy soils the plants will quickly rot. Most often, allium is not as afraid of frost as it is of excess moisture after autumn rains and melting snow.

Plants need additional protection from frost only in the first year after planting. The area with young bulbs is sprinkled with a small layer of mulch in the fall. Remove the cover in early spring, as soon as the snow cover melts. 

Digging and storing bulbs

If wintering in the garden can result in the death of plants, then before the onset of night frosts, it is better to dig up the bulbs and store them indoors until spring. Digging is carried out after the leaves die.

The bulbs are removed from the soil, shaken off soil residues and dried for 1 - 2 hours in a warm and well-ventilated place. It is best to dry in direct sunlight - ultraviolet light disinfects the surface of the bulbs and kills many pathogens and fungi.

After such treatment, it is advisable to place the bulbs in an oven or a special electric dryer, where they are heated for several minutes at a temperature of 45 - 48 degrees Celsius. 

The storage location for large bulbs should be fairly dry and cool. The room temperature should be 15 - 20 degrees Celsius.

Small, young bulbs are more difficult to tolerate long-term storage and can lose a significant amount of moisture in the process. Such specimens are placed in small containers and sprinkled with barely damp peat, river sand or sawdust to reduce moisture loss.

Every week, the bulbs are taken out and sorted, separating rotten and diseased specimens. Before planting, to disinfect and prevent the development of rot, the bulbs are placed for half an hour in warm water with a small amount of potassium permanganate or a special fungicidal preparation. 

Application in homeopathy

 Preparations based on plant raw materials are used as sources of carotene and iodine; they contain a large amount of natural antibiotics - phytoncides. These supplements help with the initial stage of a cold - they are used as an antiviral and antifungal agent.

Decorative onions are a source of vitamins such as B1, B2, C, PP; they contain minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium.

Medicines can relieve headaches and phantom pain, calm and tone the body, and alleviate the condition of a runny nose and diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Such drugs have a positive effect on the functioning of the liver and kidneys. 

Reproduction

Ornamental onions are propagated by seeds, by dividing bulbs or by planting bulbs.

Growing from seeds

This method of reproduction has both advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that seeds can produce a large number of plants at once.

The disadvantages of this method are that it takes a long time - from sowing seeds to the formation of buds most often takes from 3 to 7 years. In addition, varietal plants with this method of propagation will not inherit all the attractiveness of their parents - the color of their buds and the flowering period may differ from the mother bushes. 

Sowing

You can grow allium from your own collected seeds. In order to obtain high-quality planting material, select the very first blooming, large and brightly colored inflorescence and mark it, for example, with colored thread. Seeds can only be collected from fully matured - dry flower heads.

The collected seeds are dried for 2 - 3 days in a warm, ventilated room. After drying, the planting material is collected in paper envelopes and stored in a dry and cool place, using as needed for 2 - 3 years.

Some types of decorative onions require special preparation - cold stratification. In order to carry it out in a natural way, the seeds are sown in open ground in the fall in such a way that the first shoots do not have time to appear before the onset of the first frost.

If you plan to sow seeds in spring, then first place them in the refrigerator for 8 weeks - on a shelf for vegetables. Before stratification, the planting material is sprinkled with a small amount of barely damp river sand and placed in a plastic bag.

To sow seeds, prepare the area - dig up the soil, get rid of weeds and level the soil surface. Make shallow furrows into which to sow. Sprinkle the seeds with a layer of soil about 0.5 cm thick on top. When sowing in autumn, the first shoots will appear in this place in early spring.

You can sow seeds at home, at the end of winter - beginning of spring, after preliminary stratification. For sowing, use seedling boxes with drainage holes and a transparent lid.

A drainage layer is placed in the containers and filled with nutritious and loose substrate. After sowing, the surface of the substrate is moistened with warm water from a spray bottle, and the boxes are closed with lids and sent to a warm and well-lit place.

The soil is kept evenly moist, and care is taken to ensure that young plants are not exposed to direct sunlight. Every day the cover is removed and the crops are ventilated, and from the moment the first shoots appear, the cover is removed completely. 

Seedling care

With the emergence of seedlings, the plants are thinned out, leaving only the strongest and strongest specimens. Between bushes - teenagers leave a distance of about 15 - 20 cm. For 2 - 3 years it is not recommended to move the bushes.

In the first few years, the plants will only form leaves and grow bulbs. During this period, you can help babies by using mineral fertilizers with sufficient nitrogen and potassium content. Nitrogen stimulates the formation of green mass - leaves, which, in turn, feed the bulb. 

Feeding for young plants is diluted to a quarter of the dose recommended on the package and applied approximately every month. The soil is watered as the top layer of soil dries, and weeding is carried out in a timely manner. After 3 years, you can transplant the plants to a permanent place.

When grown at home, young bushes peak from the moment 2 leaves appear - they are planted in separate cups. Seedlings are planted in open ground in early June, after preliminary hardening.

To carry out hardening, the seedlings are taken out into fresh air during the day and left for a couple of hours. Over the course of a week, the time spent outside is gradually increased. 

Division

Near an adult bulb that is 3 or more years old, small daughter bulbs appear over time. When replanting, such specimens are removed from the soil and shaken off any remaining soil.

When daughter bulbs with a sufficiently developed root system are found, ready for independent life, they are broken off from the main bulb.

If as a result of such manipulations wounds appear on the plants, they are sprinkled with crushed charcoal powder for drying and disinfection. After this treatment, the bulbs are planted again in the garden. 

Reproduction by bulblets

Since plants accumulate errors in the genetic code over time, which lead to the appearance of various diseases, one of the best ways to propagate allium is to form and plant bulbs. Unfortunately, some species lack the ability to form bulbs. 

After formation and ripening, in the fall, the bulbs are planted at a depth of 2 - 3 cm. To protect from frost, the planting site is sprinkled with a layer of mulch on top, which can reach up to 10 cm in height. Remove the cover in early spring, as soon as the snow cover melts and the soil surface warms up slightly.

With this ability of reproduction, you can get a sufficient amount of healthy planting material, and the first flowering of plants can occur already 2 - 3 years after planting.

Another positive point is that the resulting daughter plants will fully correspond to the varietal characteristics of the parents - they will be their exact copy. 

Diseases and pests

Ornamental onions get sick due to poor care and the choice of an unsuitable place for planting. If the soil on the site is too heavy and does not conduct water well, the bulbs of the plant rot.

When planting is too dense, diseases such as powdery mildew occur. Rain and cool weather often provoke the appearance of fungus. Sometimes neck rot, downy mildew, rust, and smut appear.

Of the harmful insects, plants can be annoyed by onion flies, bronze flies and thrips. 

Use in landscape design

 Decorative onions often lose their attractive appearance immediately after flowering. Such plants should be combined with other perennials that can hide unsightly allium bushes. It is worth choosing a neighborhood taking into account the flowering time of a particular variety.

This type can be used in garden design in a variety of ways. So, low varieties should be planted closer to the edge of the flower bed, in the foreground. You can also use these plants to create edging for garden paths or flower beds.

In addition to all of the above, low-growing plants can be grown at home. This process is called forcing. 

Tall plants belong in the center of the flowerbed - such specimens will become the center of attention and will not get lost in flower arrangements.

Allium flowers are also used for cutting - they do not lose their attractiveness for a long time in a vase with water. To eliminate the unpleasant onion-garlic “aroma,” the bases of the shoots after cutting are washed for several minutes with running water. Peduncles are cut in the morning or evening using a sharp, sterile pruner or garden knife.

Varieties and types of allium:

Allium Gladiator

Tall perennials, whose flower stalks easily exceed 1 meter in height. The leaf blades are wide, bluish-green. Large purple inflorescences form in late spring - early summer and reach a diameter of 15 cm. The bulbs are planted in the fall.

Allium moly

The light green, pointed, rigid leaves of this plant contrast perfectly with the bright golden flowers, collected in small umbrellas at the tops of the peduncles. These perennials reach a height of 40 - 60 cm and form inflorescences in the summer months. The buds reach a diameter of 2 cm.

Allium Purple Sensation

The flower stalks of this variety reach a height of 70 - 90 cm. The spherical inflorescences consist of many small, bright purple buds, reaching a diameter of 8 cm. The flowering period occurs in late spring - early summer.

Allium Roseum

 Compact flowering perennials up to 35 - 40 cm high with strong erect peduncles. At the tops of the peduncles there are inflorescences with large, soft pink flowers. The diameter of the inflorescences - umbrellas reach 7 cm, are formed in May - June.

Mountain-loving onion or Ostrovsky's allium - Allium oreophilum

 Low-growing species - plant height is only 20 - 30 cm. Suitable for growing as border plants. The species has linear green leaves, often covered with a bluish bloom. The inflorescences consist of several dozen bright pink buds and are formed in May - June.

Blue Allium - Allium caeruleum

 The height of these plants is 30 - 60 cm. A distinctive feature of the species are spherical inflorescences consisting of small, bright blue flowers. The diameter of the inflorescences can reach 3 - 5 cm. The flowering period is long, occurring in late spring - early summer.

Allium giganteum

 These tall plants will not get lost in any flower garden - the height of their flower stalks reaches 150 - 180 cm. The bluish-green leaves reach a length of 50 - 60 cm. The inflorescences are spherical, appear in May - June and reach a diameter of 12 - 15 cm. 

Allium roundhead

 A medium-sized flowering perennial - during the flowering period, plant height reaches 50 - 60 cm. Erect, thin peduncles are formed at the end of May and bear dense spherical inflorescences at the tops. An interesting feature of this species is that the inflorescences, as the buds bloom, change their color from green to a rich burgundy hue.

Allium Christophii or Allium albopilosum

 Depending on external conditions, the height of plants of this species can reach 15 - 40 cm. The belt-shaped leaves of a bluish-green color reach a length of 40 cm. Strong, erect peduncles bear loose spherical inflorescences at the tops. The buds are purple or lilac, each flower has 6 very narrow petals. The flowering period occurs in late spring - early summer.

Allium Nectaroscordum

 If, as the leaves form, this perennial differs slightly from most types of allium, then as it blooms, the difference becomes obvious. Tall flower stalks, reaching 120 cm, form large umbrella-shaped inflorescences with drooping bell-shaped buds at the top. Flowers are formed in May - June, the petals are colored greenish-pink. The center of the flowers remains green.

Allium bulgaricum

 Flowering perennials about 1 meter high with thin, vertical peduncles. Inflorescences - umbrellas consist of several dozen large bell-shaped buds. The flowering period begins in late spring.

Allium karataviense

 Plants of this species are distinguished by their stocky, strong appearance - the height of the bushes reaches only 20 - 30 cm. The wide, entire leaves are colored green and covered with a bluish waxy coating on top. In May - June, plants form flower stalks and spherical inflorescences, reaching 10 - 15 cm in diameter. The buds are small, fragrant, often painted in white, green, lilac or burgundy shades.

Allium Ivory Queen

 The variety was bred on the basis of the Karatav onion. These perennials look great in group plantings and reach only 20 cm in height. During the flowering period, which occurs in May - June, they adorn themselves with strong, thick peduncles with spherical inflorescences at the tops. The inflorescences consist of several dozen small, fragrant, white or light lilac flowers with long and narrow petals.

Allium schubertii

 Plants 30 - 40 cm high have arched, glossy, light green leaves. The inflorescences that form in late May - early June resemble fireworks - they consist of many flowers with burgundy petals.

Decorative onion Red Mohican

 This species is suitable for growing as a bright accent in the center of a flower bed - the height of its flower stalks reaches 90 - 100 cm. A characteristic feature of the variety is dense, slightly elongated inflorescences with bright, burgundy buds. The shape of the flower stalks during the flowering period resembles drumsticks. During flowering, the plants emit a pleasant sweetish aroma.

Decorative bow Globemaster

 The height of these plants reaches 150 - 190 cm. This hybrid is a bulbous perennial with a bright appearance - during the flowering period, which begins in May, the bushes decorate themselves with bright flower heads. The inflorescences of this variety reach a diameter of 25 cm and consist of many lilac buds.

Allium aflatunense

 These flowering perennials reach a height of 60 - 80 cm and form buds in May - June. The inflorescences are spherical, reaching a diameter of 12 - 15 cm. The buds are small, painted in a lilac or pinkish tint. 

Allium Atropurpureum

 The height of plants of this species reaches 100 cm. During the flowering period, the bushes throw out thin, leafless, erect peduncles. Inflorescences - hemispheres consist of several dozen darkly colored buds - purple or burgundy. The flowering period begins at the end of May.

Allium unifolium

 A compact bulbous perennial whose flower stalks do not exceed 30 - 50 cm in height. In late spring - early summer, the main decoration of the bushes are inflorescences consisting of large pink buds. Each flower head can contain up to 30 flowers.

Allium neapolitanum

 These perennials reach a height of only 20 - 30 cm; during the flowering period they form inflorescences - loose umbrellas. At the base of the inflorescences are several dozen delicate star-shaped flowers with white, narrow petals. The flowering period is very long.