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Alliums not flowering

JMM31JANJMM31JAN Posts: 16
in Problem solving

I have some giant allium planted and in the last two years all I get are very tall leek-like stems and no flowers.  It looks like the same this year in to now - April.  Should I persevere, and if so anything I should be doing for them, or should I just dig them up and compost them?  They were not cheap, so I am loath to just chuck them.

Thank you

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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Are you over feeding with something that's more suited to foliage growth? That can mean more green at the expense of the flowers. Overfeeding alliums will often do that anyway. They like a nice gritty soil in decent sun to do their best.

    Also - have you planted them deep enough? 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JMM31JANJMM31JAN Posts: 16

    Thanks for your response. They are not being over fed, and they are in gritty soil in decent sun!  They are also planted at the depth suggested for their type.  That is why I am baffled!!

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Only other thing I can think of is - small bulb size. Were they small when you got them? They can take a little while to bulk up enough to flower.

    I'm all out of ideas after that! 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JMM31JANJMM31JAN Posts: 16

    The bulbs were large when I bought them at Gardeners' World from one of the Dutch allium suppliers two years ago.  Thanks for all your input - I too, am baffled.  Reckon I will dig them in to an empty space in another part of my tiny plot and see if they like the "ambience" there!!

    Thanks again for your input.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Ah - the ambience JMM. That just might do the trick   image

    It's certainly a bit odd. You sound like you've done all the right things, and they're usually fairly straightforward. Maybe you should threaten them while digging them up - that may buck up their ideas!

    Perhaps someone else here might have a few other thoughts to help. image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502

    Do you know which type they are JMM? I'm just thinking of your description of the leek like stems...

    Wearside, England.
  • JMM31JANJMM31JAN Posts: 16

    They are Allium Giganteum - at least that is what I thought I had purchased

  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150

    The allium/leek & dutch suppliers at a show references on this thread reminded of another thread from a couple of weeks ago.

    Here is the link for you to look at JM31JAN....

    http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/plants/identification/994563.html

    Sorry I have no answers to your problem, but this seems very similar to me.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    I never thought of that Victoria! Look on the bright side JMM - if you grow some spuds as well, you can always make soup  image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502

    Some of the alliums do grow in a leeky jointed fashion, I'll take some photos...

    I thought giganteum had thick strappy leaves but no 'stem' until the flowering stem appears (however I've mixed mine up with globemaster and another 'g' and no longer know which is which).

    Wearside, England.
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