Alliums (Allium sphaerocephalon)

Orange_King

I have just recently bought some of these but there were no details on when the bulbs should be planted on the packaging. Can anyone please advise if they should be put in now or left until the winter has passed?

I believe they prefer to be planted in large clumps for future mass production of flowerheads but haven't any previous experience of these flowers.

Soil_sister_1

The ideal time for planting all alliums is September. However they can also be planted in spring, although they may not flower as well in their first year. You are correct they do like to be in clumps of about 5-7 and they flower in July - that's all I know!!

Orange_King

Not the weather for planting today though! Hopefully will get them in by the end of this week but have 150 of them to place in a very cluttered garden!!

Thanks for the reply.

madjackslam

The flowers aren't that big - perhaps an inch or two across - so they will look better en masse. I've found it difficult to get them established in my clay soil, whereas Purple Sensation has settled in well. This page is helpful, and suggests they can also be tender when young. :-) http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardens/Harlow-Carr/About-Harlow-Carr/Plant-of-the-month/August/Allium-sphaerocephalon

Orange_King

Cheers for that. The bulbs aren't much bigger than a marble so will be packing them in a bit anyways! They may take a year or two to fully get going I suspect.

torbrex

I have a piece of wooden doweling that is just a bit bigger than the Allium bulbs I planted last year and I just went around the garden poking holes and dropping the bulbs in, dead easy