This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Allium Seeds
Ronnie Paterson
Posts: 27
in Talkback
Hi Folks,
I live in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex and the climate is warm but as yet not baking.
I had a wonderful show of Allium with huge purple heads. They have now all but turned green which I presume are seeds?
My question if I let these dry out can I sow them and if so will they produce flowers next year or in year 2?
Your advice will be much appreciated.
Ronnie
0
Posts
Hi Ronnie, I have just looked up on the RHS website and they say that it will take several years for them to get to flowering height. Will not come true from hybrids if this method is under taken.
I would suggest if you want more of the same for next year your better off buting more bulbs.
Hope this helps.
Hi Charlie & Bilje,
Thank you for that advice. I will avoid the attempt to grow from seed and buy more bulbs. They certainly give a wonderful display. If I leave the current bulbs in position will they return in full bloom next year or will it be a diminished show?
Thanks again for your help.
Yours aye
Ronnie
Ours have been in situ for well over 10 years and they are the same size as when first planted. They have increased in number. Our soil is good and fertile though.
Seems a shame not to try them from seed. Sow a few every year and before long you will have bulbs ready for flowering coming along in succession. Cheaper than buying them.
Most of the tall Alliums are forms rather than hybrids so they do come true.
I leave them , they are attractive through winter then the birds help themselves to them .But they don't get them all , the remainder end up on the ground and come up as self set .admitted they take a while to get to flowering stage , about two years but they don't take up any space and all in all I see it as an added bonus.
They are not seed ready unroll they open and turn black on the plant .I leave it to nature as they are a bugga to get from the seed head.go for it , the wait is worth it !
Hi Berghill,
Good plan I will give it a try. Do you think sowing in a pot would be a good start point to observe the progress?
Yours aye
Ronnie
I just let mine seed where they will. I've got a lovely volunteer patch of A. christophii and one of the eryngiums this year
In the sticks near Peterborough
This is what you get when you allow them to self seed.
I have grown dozens of varieties of Alliums from seed over the last cough cough years. It is reasonably easy, but the bigger the bulb the longer the wait for flowers. So here goes
Sow the seed fresh. It germinates better straight from the plant rather than being dried off.
Cover lightly with grit, gravel or whatever rather than compost.
Sow in a deep pot rather than a seed tray (reasons later).
Leave exposed to weather. They need a period of cold followed by warmth to initiate germination.
When (if?) they germinate do not be in a hurry to p rick them out. This is the reason for deep pot rather than seed tray. They have only one root to begin with and if it is damage, it dies and a new one has to be produced from the base of the seedling. usually they die.
Feed the seed pot with dilute Baby Bio type stuff, until the leaves go yellow then allow the pot to dry off.
Repotting may be done when they are dormant. Some types never really go dormant so be careful.
I often do not repot until they have had another seasons growth. Remember many of them actually grow in late winter/early spring.
Cannot think of anything else for the moment.
Not as hard as it seems. Oh and since they are almost always self pollinated you get what you sow, no variations. UNLESS you have been given some Allium flavum hybrids in which case.................