Ornamental onion planting and care in the open field in the Urals

 

Allium decorative bow will become a real decoration of any flower bed or garden. Unusual and original spherical inflorescences impress with their beauty and texture. Growing an allium does not require any special knowledge or a lot of practical experience. Allium is the Latin name for an ornamental bow. This is a perennial herb from the Amaryllis family, the closest relative of the familiar onion and garlic. Fruiting of decorative onions occurs in August - September.

   

In its natural environment, allium is distributed in meadows, forests, steppes, mainly of the northern hemisphere. Allium onions have a characteristic onion smell and a pungent taste due to the content of essential oils. Allium root is a slightly flattened bulb, covered with scales of brown, white or purple. The thickened stem can reach a height of up to 1.5 meters, although there are also undersized varieties. Onion leaves are basal, linear in shape and, as a rule, die off after flowering.

Small flowers of the plant are collected in an umbrella inflorescence, grow on long pedicels. It is the spherical loose inflorescences that are the most decorative part of the plant. Some species can "boast" of the gigantic size of such balls, reaching a diameter of about 30 cm. Moreover, the color of the balls is very diverse and impressive with a palette of colors: from soft green and purple to pink and white. Flowering occurs in summer: from June to August, although there are also autumn flowering representatives of the genus. The duration of flowering differs in different species of allium, some representatives of bulbous flowers bloom for a long time and even after that do not lose their decorative attractiveness. Dry balls look unusual and original on the flowerbed.

The decorative allium bow is widely used in landscape design, for landscaping and decorating gardens, flower beds, summer cottages. Allium flowers are often used for cutting and making bouquets.

 

 

Allium growing from seeds

 

Allium seeds are sown outdoors, both in autumn and spring.Some species of allium emerge only when sown in winter, thus passing through natural stratification. Moreover, such an artificially created procedure does not always give a positive result.

The seeds can be purchased from the store or harvested yourself from existing plants. For this, the earliest large specimens of inflorescences are selected and left in advance. After the allium has completely bloomed and the seeds are finally ripe, you can collect the seed material.

Seed propagation does not guarantee a complete repetition of the characteristics of the mother plant. Usually, the seeds develop plants with a paler color of the inflorescences.

When propagated by seeds, allium does not bloom immediately, but only after the bulbs grow up and reach a certain maturity. On average, this process takes 3 to 6 years. Although there are species that can bloom after the first year of vegetation. An example is the giant allium.

 

 

Allium outdoor planting

 

It is better to choose a place for planting allium that is sunny, open and protected from the wind. The latter condition is especially important for tall varieties of allium, so that the wind does not tilt and break thin long shoots with heavy spherical inflorescences. The sun-loving plant, allium, responds to the degree of illumination with the intensity of the color of inflorescences and leaves, therefore, a shadow for a decorative onion is contraindicated. Only light partial shade is allowed.

Allium grows in almost any soil, giving preference to well-drained, water-permeable neutral soil. Only boggy soil with constant stagnation will not work.

Planting is carried out in the spring or autumn.

Previously, before planting, you should prepare the site: dig up the soil and add humus (rotted manure, compost or mineral fertilizers). Bulbous crops are very sensitive to a lack of potassium in the soil, so wood ash can be added to the soil - an excellent source of potassium.

Then, allium bulbs are planted in moistened wells. The planting depth is determined according to the size of the bulb. Typically, the depth is equal to 3 sizes of the planted bulb. The interval between plants is maintained at about 30-50 cm, taking into account their subsequent growth.

It is better to mulch the planting site, thus ensuring moderate humidity and preventing crust formation.

Some growers practice growing onions in seedlings. In this case, pre-soaked and hatched seeds are sown into a substrate of humus, peat and sod land. The emerging onion shoots dive. Seedlings are planted in a permanent place at the age of 60-70 days, having carried out a series of hardening procedures in the fresh air in advance. Seedlings are transplanted into moistened rows, up to 10 cm deep.

 

 

Allium outdoor care

 

It is not difficult to take care of a decorative bow, it is enough to know the key features and basic needs of the allium.

Watering allium Ornamental onions are a fairly drought-resistant plant that can tolerate short periods of drought without consequences. Stagnation and excess moisture is much more destructive for bulbous than its deficiency. Excessive moisture causes bulb rot and death of the entire plant. Regular moderate watering is especially important during the active growing season of the plant, when the leaf mass and flower stalks are formed. Watering is carried out as needed. In a dry period - more often, in a rainy period - after the soil dries out. Weeding, loosening and mulching of the soil will also be a mandatory agrotechnical measure for caring for the plant.

Allium fertilization and fertilization Complex mineral and organic fertilizers (compost, wood ash, manure, bone meal) are used as top dressing.Top dressing must be applied at certain periods of plant development to help the crop cope with stress and stimulate further onion growth and development.

In the spring, in the phase of active leaf growth, bud setting and bulb formation, nitrogen-containing complexes in nitrate form are ideal, stimulating the above processes.

In the summer, it is rational to carry out liquid feeding with a full solution of mineral fertilizers. At the beginning of autumn, for top dressing, you need to use dry phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, preparing the plant for the winter period.

For the winter, it is better to mulch the site with humus or peat.

 

 

Allium reproduction

 

Bulbous crops, as a rule, are propagated with the help of a bulb, or rather, children that appear on it.

During the transplantation of allium (in autumn), the overgrown bulbs are carefully (so as not to damage the roots) separated from the bottom of the mother bulb and planted separately, already in a permanent place. In what year after planting the bulbs the allium will bloom directly depends on the size of the planted daughter bulbs. In addition to daughter bulbs, the cloves of an adult bulb can also be used for reproduction.

To breed allium in your area, you can use faded heads of decorative onions. Inflorescences of some species of allium, after flowering, form small airy bulbs, the so-called bulbs. They are treated with a growth stimulant and planted in a garden bed for further growing.

Allium onion-rhizome species reproduce mainly by dividing an adult (at least 3-year-old) bush into parts. Each full-fledged division should have a rhizome with several (2-3) shoots and developed roots.

 

 

Allium transplant and storage

 

It is recommended to replant and rejuvenate the decorative allium every 4-5 years. Some species of ephemeroid alliums are dug up every year, without leaving them to winter. It is also recommended to do it for other types of decorative onions in the conditions of central Russia, in order to prevent their rotting or freezing.

It is not necessary to specially cut the green mass of the onion, it must die off naturally. Thanks to this, it is possible to accumulate and store the maximum amount of nutrients in the bulb.

Dig the bulbs for storage only after all the green mass of the onion has completely dried. Peeled and dried adult bulbs are stored in a dry, ventilated place at room temperature. The smallest bulbs, in order to avoid drying out, are placed in storage in a box with peat or sawdust.

 

 

Allium diseases and pests

 

Improper care and high humidity can provoke the appearance of diseases such as downy mildew or cervical rot. Signs of powdery mildew will be yellowed leaves, which eventually become covered with light mold. If the indicated symptoms appear on the plant, it is necessary to treat the onion with Bordeaux liquid or special combined fungicidal preparations (ridomil MC, Previkur-energy). As a preventive measure, experienced flower growers warm the allium bulbs for 12 hours at a temperature of about 40 ° C in a dryer or oven before planting. In addition, it is important to properly store the bulbs prior to planting.

Of the pests, the root mite and onion fly are the most dangerous. At the first signs of damage, the plant is treated with tobacco dust (ash) or chlorophos solution (2%).

One of the main preventive measures to prevent infection with diseases is high-quality harvesting of plant residues of ornamental onions at the end of the season and disinfection (warming up) of allium bulbs.

 

Allium species and varieties

 

Allium has more than 600 varieties, differing in color, size and shape of the inflorescences, as well as the height of the onion itself. There are several approaches to systematizing allium species.

One classification is based on the flowering time of ornamental bulbs and is subdivided into the following groups: early flowering (in May), medium flowering alliums (mid-summer) and late flowering (late summer-autumn).

Some botanists classify alliums according to the height of their peduncles into: high (more than 80 cm), medium-sized (40-80 cm) and low (less than 40 cm). Consider the most popular and beautiful onion varieties.

 

Allium "Globemaster"

It has spherical inflorescences up to 25 cm in diameter and a long flowering period (June to October). Peduncles reach a length of 80 cm.

 

Allium "Purple Sensation"

A common garden form with bright crimson or purple cupped flowers. Peduncles about 70 cm, ribbed stem.

 

Allium "Mount Everest"

It is distinguished by snow-white spherical inflorescences (15 cm in diameter) and long arrows reaching up to 100-120 cm. Leaves remain green for a long time. The flowers in the inflorescence are large, star-shaped. Used for making bouquets.

 

Allium "Hair"

It stands out for its unusual foliage, gray shades and spectacular flowers. Highly decorative appearance with a pleasant delicate aroma. It blooms for about 3-4 weeks.

 

Allium sphaerocephalon (ball-headed)

A beautiful ornamental plant that blooms in mid-summer and continues to bloom for about a month. The inflorescence has an irregular shape, resembling an oval. The color of the inflorescences is pink or lilac.

 

Allium "Schubertii" (Schubert)

A dwarf but extraordinarily attractive plant. The inflorescence of gentle, bluish-pink tones resembles a star in shape. Pedicels of completely different lengths, arrows are not high, up to 30 cm. Flowering begins in June.

 

Allium "Moly"

Stunted appearance, forms inflorescences of golden yellow shades and star-shaped.

 

Allium "Christophii" (Christophe)

It is characterized by low peduncles (about 30 cm) and huge (up to 25 cm) inflorescences of purple or pink tones. Decorative allium is especially effective when dry.

 

Allium gigantheum (giant)

It has high (about 1-1.5 meters) peduncles and decorative linear leaves. The inflorescence is spherical, medium-sized, up to 10 cm in diameter, purple in color. Blooms for about 20 days.

 

Allium "Gladiator"

Tall view with a spherical inflorescence of star-shaped flowers of lilac shades.

 

Where to buy allium seeds

 

The Scientific and Production Association "Sady Rossii" has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. In the work of the association, the most modern technologies are used, a unique laboratory for microclonal reproduction of plants has been created. The main tasks of NPO Sady Rossii is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and novelties of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, onions, seedlings) is carried out by Russian post. We are waiting for you for shopping: NGO "Gardens of Russia"

Onions are not only a plant that is actively used in cooking. Botanists include more than six hundred species, including decorative ones, in the Allium genus. They grow everywhere - both in Novaya Zemlya and in southern Africa. You can also plant decorative varieties of onions in the country, in a flower bed, in a garden. They are quite unpretentious, but at the same time they are distinguished by their original colors, shape and a long flowering period. Only from different varieties of such a flower can a so-called continuous flowering garden be created. Today's article is about growing and planting decorative onions in the ground.

What is a decorative perennial onion?

Ornamental onion varieties are attractive flowering plants of a wide variety of species. There are both very tiny and fairly tall specimens.

Decorative bow

Most types of such onions are perennial, that is, you do not have to buy seeds every year, grow seedlings or engage in picking.

In total, about 130 varieties of this flower are used in gardening, and some of them are eaten. However, it is better to add table varieties to the salad, and decorate a bouquet or flower bed with decorative ones.

A feature of alliums, because of which they are practically not used in floristry on their own, is a high content of essential oils with a specific smell. For the same reason, they are best grown outdoors. These flowers have long been used in landscape design:

• when forming alpine hills or stone gardens;
• when making curbs or group landings;
• for decorating garden lawns, parks;
• use plants as dried flowers.

The most popular varieties of decorative onions

Decorative bow in landscape design

In horticulture, many varieties of such flora are used, as well as hybrids.... Among the popular types are chives, aflatunsky, karatavsky, Roseum, Christoph's bow.

• Chives well known to lovers of the first greens. It can be grown both on the street and at home, in pots. It reproduces and grows very well, it looks very decorative. Leaves may turn yellow during flowering. In such cases, they must be cut off, and after a couple of days new ones will appear.
• Aflatunsky - the most popular variety of decorative alliumaa. It is also known under the name of the Dutch. Spherical inflorescences consist of small purple flowers.

In some countries, the wild Alfatun bow is on the verge of extinction. It is listed in the Red Book. The properties of the plant are comparable to those of ginseng.

• Karatavsky - a variety that looks especially good on mini-flower beds and alpine slides. Short, but hardy. Inflorescences can be purple, pink, cream.
• Roseum - a variety that differs in light pink flowers of a small size.
• Bow of christoph Is a popular ornamental variety used in large flower beds. The diameter of the balls, which consist of individual flowers, reaches 18-20 cm.

Open ground planting rules

The plant is planted in autumn (early flowering varieties), in September, or in spring (late flowering varieties), in May or late April.

For decorative onions, sunny areas are chosen - the more light, the more beautiful the color of the leaves and the richer the color of the buds.

The planting depth plays a role: on average, it should be two diameters of the bulbs. There should be up to 0.5 m of distance between the shoots.

Blooming allium care

It is very important to provide such an onion with a sufficient amount of moisture during the growing season - without this, it stops expelling leaves. Later, he practically does not need watering.

You do not need to cover the plant for the winter., and allium should be transplanted every four to five years.

The soil should be loose and neutral. Reacts well to composting, loves potash fertilizers.

Decorative bow at their summer cottage

Alliums get along well with irises, peonies, delphinium, poppy. During preparation for flowering, the leaves die off, but they cannot be cut off. With their help, plants accumulate nutrients in the bulb.

This onion is propagated by bulbs, bulbs or seeds. It is better to separate the overgrown bulbs in the fall, during transplantation. To collect seed, the first inflorescences are used, and they must be allowed to fully bloom.

To get a bright decorative flower from seeds, it is better to grow them in a separate bed in the first year, and collect the bulbs at the end of the season. A full-fledged plant in this way is obtained only after three years, and sometimes even after five years.

Diseases and pests of the decorative onion flower

• Peronosporosis - caused by fungi. Leaves and flowers turn yellow, dry out, and purple bloom is visible on them in damp weather. The reason may be too much nitrogen fertilization, contamination from other plants.Before planting, the bulbs are treated with a fungicide, and the diseased flowers and the soil around them are treated with Bordeaux liquid.
• Root mite, onion fly - these pests often infect alliums. To protect the plants, heat the bulbs at 40 degrees Celsius for 12 hours before planting. Plants can be sprinkled with tobacco dust, ash, sprinkled with dichlorvos.

Decorative bow in combination with other flowers

Application and combination with other plants in the outdoor garden

A flower is planted on alpine hills, in flower beds, stone gardens, used as a border. Giant blue or light blue balls are especially popular. Large varieties are used independently, while they should be planted at a great distance from each other. Small varieties can be planted side by side, "islands": so they look more advantageous.

Since the leaves of alliums can dry out during the flowering period, it is better to plant low-growing flowers next to them: delphiniums, hosts. Such plants look very attractive next to lupins, poppies, peonies, irises, aquilegia. It is especially good to combine allium with perennials.

In landscape design, both single plants and groups are used. Tall shoots are planted one at a time, creating color accents in certain areas. When planted in groups, decorative bows create colored spots.

Ornamental bow bed

By picking up varieties with different flowering periods, you can create a garden of continuous flowering, which will delight with bright inflorescences from mid-spring to late autumn.

Ornamental onion is an original plant with ball-shaped inflorescences. It is widely used to create colored bouquets, flower beds or flower beds. Easy care and unpretentiousness make this perennial popular with gardeners and landscape designers.

This onion is a purely ornamental plant, therefore it is usually used in landscape design to decorate borders, when creating ribbon lawns. It also looks good on flower beds. This plant is absolutely unpretentious, it feels good on any soil (the only thing is that this soil must pass water well), it can grow both in sunny areas and in slightly shaded places.

General description and growing environment

As soon as the snow melts and the ground warms up to 13-14 degrees Celsius, the first leaves appear on the allium, they can have a belt-like or linear shape. And only then the peduncle begins to grow. The entire aerial part of the perennial has a characteristic aroma - garlic - onion. As soon as the peduncle begins to bloom, the foliage gradually turns yellow and dies off. It should not be removed - it must die off on its own, because until the leaves are dead, under the influence of the sun's rays, the process of photosynthesis takes place in them, during which useful substances enter the bulb. To "hide" the withered foliage of this ornamental onion, spreading ornamental plants are usually planted nearby.

Planting and leaving

Allium is planted either in the autumn or in the spring - it all depends on the timing of the flowering of the selected variety. Early flowering allium should be planted in mid to late September so that it can take root before frost. In this case, in the next season, from the end of spring, it will be possible to enjoy the flowering of this onion. But those types of this decorative onion that bloom at the end of summer can be planted in spring, when the ground warms up enough (up to 15-16 degrees).

When planting this ornamental plant, you need to remember how deeply the allium is planted: the depth of planting is two sizes of bulbs. The distance between adjacent holes is about 0.5 m. Allium can grow in one place for up to 5 years.

For planting this perennial, a soil with a neutral reaction is required. If the soil on the site is acidic enough, then quicklime (or dolomite flour) is usually added before planting.Also, the site should be specially fertilized before planting or transplanting this onion: fertilizers containing potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen are usually applied, as well as organic matter - for example, humus or compost.

When planting this flowering perennial, it should be remembered that tall varieties should be placed in the depths of the flower bed, but low species are planted along the edge of the flower garden, used to decorate ribbon lawns or borders.

Different varieties of allium

This bulbous plant does not need to be watered too often during the growing season. It is usually watered every 10 to 14 days. The flowering of this perennial lasts 45 - 60 days, after which the peduncle dries up, and the plant retires until the next season. But until the foliage has died off, the accumulation of nutrients continues in the bulbs, so you should regularly loosen the soil around this onion and apply mineral fertilizers containing potassium. Such feeding will allow the bulbs to grow stronger after flowering and prepare for the winter season.

This blooming bulbous perennial perfectly tolerates the drought period, and is also highly frost-resistant and does not need to be covered during the period of severe frosts.

Reproduction

This decorative perennial is propagated by seed material (bulbs) or by onion babies, which are separated from the mother bulb when the allium is transplanted to a new place.

Seed propagation

When the flowering of the onion stops, the peduncle does not die off immediately - instead of small flowers collected in a ball, seeds begin to ripen. Usually they fully ripen in early September, they can be harvested and planted either in the fall before winter or in the spring. However, the process of "turning" seeds into bulbs is quite long, so at least three seasons pass before the ornamental onion planted with seeds begins to bloom.

And the seeds of some varieties of allium must first be subjected to a stratification process so that they go through a full ripening cycle. They are either stored in special containers filled with sand or earth in a cold place until the beginning of the next season, or they are planted in open ground before winter.

Reproduction by children

Usually, in the third - fourth season, small children appear on the bulbs of onions grown from seed. They should be separated from the mother very carefully so as not to damage the main bulb and roots growing in the lower part of the bulb. Onion babies are planted in open ground in the same way as seeds.

Propagation by bulbs

In this case, the buds of this decorative perennial (bulb) are planted directly into the soil. Previously, they should be kept in a solution of a growth stimulant for some time. Ornamental onions grown from bulbs take on all the maternal qualities of the variety.

Globemaster allium bulbs

The main diseases and pests to which allium is susceptible

Tobacco thrips

Small pests that settle on the aerial parts of the plant and suck sap from their cells. As a result, the process of photosynthesis is disrupted, and the perennial grows weaker, sometimes it can even die. The best preventive measure against these pests is to maintain a sufficiently high humidity in the area. And these insects should be dealt with with the help of insecticidal preparations (vermitic, atkara and other similar), spraying the aboveground part and pouring an insecticide solution under the root.

Onion fly

The onion fly usually settles on bulbs. The main symptoms of damage are: yellowing of foliage, rotting and dying off of bulbs. Usually, the appearance of this flying pest can be prevented by the following preventive measures:

• plant the bulbs of the plant as early as possible;
• process the ground part, as well as water the roots with a solution of ordinary coarse table salt.

Cervical rot

Appears when dug out bulbs are not stored properly during the winter period. To avoid this disease, the bulbs should be well dried after digging up. If there are signs of damage to the bulbs by this type of rot, then they will have to be thrown away.

Downy mildew

This disease appears in ornamental onions if moisture stagnation occurs in the soil, or the gardener does not properly care for this plant.

Preventive measures: before planting the bulbs in the open ground, they should be warmed up in the oven for 10 to 12 hours at a temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius.

Allium in landscape design

In landscape design, low varieties of this flowering perennial are actively used to decorate borders and ribbon lawns. Tall species of allium are usually planted in flower beds and in flower beds randomly - this way they look better and perfectly complement other flowering plants.

They also actively use this plant in alpine slides, decorate rabatki, and allium is also suitable for single plantings.

Decorative bow allium of the Globemaster variety (Globemaster)Decorative onion allium of the Gladiator variety (Gladiator)Decorative onion allium of the Everest variety (Mount Everest)

The best neighbors for this decorative bow are:

• peonies;
• poppy;
• aquilegia;
• irises;
• lupine;
• delphinium.

And if you plant a hosta or heuchera next to the allium, then their decorative foliage will cover the drying foliage of this plant.

Multicolor varieties of allium are usually planted in several pieces next to each other - such a bright spot will attract attention in any flower garden.

Some florists use this decorative bow when making bouquets, as it does not lose its decorative appearance for a very long time when cut.

Among the plants that can decorate a personal plot, the decorative bow stands out. It is also called allium, although this word is translated from Latin as garlic. It is a beautiful, unpretentious flower that delights the eye in spring and summer, is not difficult to plant and subsequent care. In the article, we will look at how to plant and care for ornamental onions in the open field in a summer cottage.

What is so special about a decorative bow?

A decorative bow is a spherical or star-shaped inflorescence located on a high arrow... Their color depends on the variety, the specific aroma is a bit like the smell of onions, but more pleasant. Allium is a good honey plant, as a result of which bees and other insects that collect nectar hover around it.

Decorative onions are used by gardeners in landscape design to create flower arrangements at their summer cottage.

The photo gives an idea of ​​what the inflorescences look like, how they look against the background of other garden plantings.

Cut flowers are very durable and can stand in a vase for weeks. In addition, they are often used in dry bouquets and various compositions like ikebana.

Some varieties have, in addition to decorative purposes, also practical benefits, since they are used for food purposes. However, special care must be taken here, since ornamental onions have inedible and even poisonous varieties.

Propagated by bulbs, seeds or bulbs. In all cases, except for the bulbs, the growing season is longer. All varieties of Russian breeding are winter-hardy, but very sensitive to prolonged moisture. Cultures brought from Central Asia do not tolerate hypothermia. For these reasons, gardeners, in order to guarantee the preservation of planting material, prefer to dig up ornamental onions for the winter and store the bulbs in a cool dry place.

Growing decorative onions in the country in infographics

For the basics of growing onions, see our infographic below ⇓

What kind of decorative onion to choose?

There are more than 500 varieties of decorative onions, which cannot be described within the framework of one article.For this reason, the table lists the most popular ones.

Variety name	Type and size of inflorescence,		Coloration		Stem height	Flowering time	Notes (edit)
Giant	Spherical up to 15 cm		Purple		Up to 150 cm	June	Sometimes a stalk garter is required
Blue	Spherical up to 2 cm		Blue		Up to 1 m	July	Leaves die off by the time of flowering
Karatavsky	Spherical up to 10 cm		White or lilac		Up to 60 cm	June	Beautiful decorative leaves
Star of Persia	Spherical up to 25 cm		Purple		Up to 60 cm	June to July
Moli (Gold)	Star-shaped up to 4 cm		Yellow		Up to 30 cm	May June
Schubert's bow	Star-shaped		Pinkish		Up to 30 cm	June
Mount everest	Spherical		White		Up to 120 cm	June
Round-headed	Ball-shaped, up to 2 cm		Pink or burgundy		Up to 1 m	July August
Roseum	Ball-shaped, up to 8 cm		Lilac pink		Up to 30 cm	June	Does not tolerate winter, so it is planted in spring
Round-headed		Elongated oval, up to 2 cm long	Pink to purple		Up to 1 m	July
Chives		Umbrella	Pale pink	Up to 30 cm		June	Flowering time 20 days

Selecting varieties by color, the beginning of flowering, you can achieve that the area where the decorative onion is planted will delight the eye for a long time.

Decorative bow looks great only in group plantings! One of the disadvantages of decorative onions is that after flowering, its leaves quickly wither and dry, therefore it must be planted next to dense plants or bushes

How to plant decorative onions?

The first shoots of decorative onions appear on the 8-12th day, and the appearance of a bunch of leaves is about 3 months. At this stage, careful care of the seedlings is necessary: ​​watering and removing weeds

For this culture, there are three methods of planting in open ground:

1. Seeds. This is how onions are planted in spring, but better in autumn - then they will undergo hardening or natural stratification. The landing site should be well lit. The distance between the seeds is small, because then they will have to be dived. More than one season passes before flowering, since the bulbs do not gain strength immediately. As a result, low-growing varieties begin to bloom not earlier than the 3rd year from the moment of planting in the soil, tall ones - not earlier than the 5th year.
2. Bulbs. The preferred planting time is autumn. During the growing season, the so-called babies appear on the bulb - small bulbs, which, after digging, are separated, cleaned, dried and stored as seed. In some varieties, such bulbs appear in 3 years, in others, the period of their emergence can reach 5 years.
3. Bulbs. Small bulbs form on the inflorescences of some varieties of decorative onions. In order to get the desired effect, it is necessary to cut the buds in a timely manner, and then use special stimulants. The method allows you to fully preserve all the properties of the mother flower.

From the moment the small bulbs are planted until the first flower appears, it can take a long time - up to 5 years, depending on the variety. However, even without its balls, decorative lx looks quite dignified - like small green bushes. There is also a place for them on the site.

Preparing the soil for planting

For planting onions, the acidity of the soil should not exceed 7.0, and be at a level below 5.0. If the acidity is below this indicator, liming of the soil is required. What should be the optimal soil for onions

The recommended soil temperature during planting should not be lower than 16 ° C. This crop loves warmth, and lowering the temperature threshold at the time of planting can lead to damage to the seed. In addition, if you plant onions long before the onset of frost, it will have time to take root a little and winters better.

The size of the onion hole is small and is approximately equal to the size of three onions in depth. For small bulbs, this is approximately 10 cm, for large ones - 15 cm.

The soil must have good drainage so that oxygen can flow freely to the roots of the plant. Moisture in such conditions leaves the root area faster. To achieve the desired result, you can add a little non-clay sand mixed with potash fertilizers or wood ash to the soil.

Planting ornamental onions in open ground

Ornamental onions are planted in autumn from September to October.

The landing algorithm as a result boils down to the following steps:

• We make holes three onions deep and two onions wide.
• We place the bulbs 25-30 centimeters apart if they are tall varieties, and about 10 cm if the varieties are undersized.
• Pour a little water into the hole and, as soon as it is absorbed, put an onion in the prepared place.
• Cover the hole with earth, crushing it a little. If there are severe frosts in the region, it is advisable to mulch the planting site with loose dry manure or peat (see → Onion mulch: rating of species, what and when to use).

Gardeners advise planting ornamental onions at such a distance from each other so that the leaves of neighboring plants do not overlap. It should be borne in mind that with a long stay in one place, a bush is formed due to the stems growing from the propagating bulbs.

In winter, decorative onions need to be fed. For this, granules of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are sprinkled on the soil. During the season, they will dissolve on their own and gradually go into the soil.

Growing and caring

For the successful cultivation and care of ornamental onions, several simple rules should be followed, such as:

• The culture is viable only in open areas. Permanent shadow is fatal to allium.
• The soil should not be wet. An excess of moisture in the root area will cause the plant to wither.
• For the same reason, onions do not need frequent watering. Allium should be watered only when the soil dries up.
• During the summer, before the leaves wither, the plant needs a small amount of liquid mineral fertilizers.
• The bulb should be dug out after all the leaves on the plant have dried. Before planting in the fall, it should be stored in a dry place, where the temperature is kept at room level - 18-20 ° C.
• Small bulbs should be protected from drying out. To do this, they can be placed in sawdust or loose peat.
• In the spring, you should clean the area where the bulbs are planted, gently loosen the areas around the plantings.

Fertilizers in the spring are applied only after the branches of the leaves.

Gardeners' recommendations for growing ornamental onions

Tip # 1. Do not break off withering leaves, as this will damage the root of the plant, and it may die or become very sick. Wait until the leaves are completely dry.

Tip # 2. If the bulb is constantly in the soil and is not dug up, it can lose its properties over time. At least once every 3-4 years, it must be removed from the ground and the side bulbs must be separated. They can be used to increase the number of plantings in your area or with colleagues.

Tip # 3. Fresh manure should not be added to the soil intended for planting ornamental onions. Fresh ammonia not converted to nitrogen will damage the plant.

What plants and flowers does it match with?

Decorative bow goes well with low-growing ornamental plants and perennials, contrasts perfectly with yellow and white roses

Allium bulbs are usually planted at a considerable distance from each other. This allows other floral and ornamental crops to be positioned in between. The result is a motley and colorful area.

Ornamental gardening experts recommend combining onions with plants that bloom at the same time.... Peonies, poppies, irises, lupins are usually considered as such.If the flowers are selected according to the length of the stem, this allows not only to hide the fading leaves of ornamental onions, but also to create the unique beauty of natural scenery.

Very often, landscape designers plant an allium among roses. The combination of lilac or lilac balls with red or white roses looks very impressive and pleasing to the eye. A similar result can be achieved in combination with peonies, which were already mentioned above.

There are also original solutions, when decorative onions of varieties are planted very densely - up to 50 plants per square meter. As soon as flowering begins, colorful carpets form, spreading between trees and shrubs. Low-growing varieties are successfully used to decorate flower beds, alpine slides and borders.

Diseases and pests of decorative onions

Ornamental bows, like any cultivated plant, are subject to the influence of negative factors, which are shown in the table. Here are the ways to deal with them.

Name of the disease or pest	Signs	Ways to fight
White rot	Yellowing of leaves starting from the top and death of the plant.	Culling diseased bulbs, harvesting dried leaves to prevent fungus
Peronosporosis	The appearance of oval yellow spots on the leaves, followed by their drying	Bordeaux mixture, fungicides, etc.
Onion fly	Withering, drying of leaves, the appearance of an unpleasant odor	Owl solution, dandelion root infusion, tobacco dust

To prevent disease, it is recommended to decontaminate the bulbs before planting. This is done in one way - by heating. A week before planting in the ground, the bulbs are blown with hot air for 10 hours (up to 45°WITH). You can simply warm it up to the desired temperature without blowing, but in this case it is more difficult to achieve uniformity. The drugs should be used according to the dosage recommended by the manufacturer.

Gardener mistakes when caring for ornamental onions

Despite the fact that allium is unpretentious, mistakes do happen when caring for this cultural one. Here are the most common ones:

• Waterlogging of the soil, which leads to rotting of the bulb and the death of its children.
• Planting allium together with onion garden crops, which is fraught with disease infection. The chemicals used for allium are contraindicated in food crops, since they take a long time to be removed from them and can get on the table to people.
• The spread of weeds leads to the fact that the bulbs are damaged or they are depressed.
• The plants are fertilized with fresh manure, which leads to the destruction of the onions.

Answers to current questions

Question number 1: Bulbs of one variety were planted in the ground before winter, and after digging it turned out that some began to form additional bulbs, while others did not. What's the matter?

The purchased bulbs appear to belong to different generations. Therefore, some have not yet matured to the condition when the bulb acquires the properties of a mother bulb.

Question number 2: For a long time, onions have been growing in one place and have already formed beautiful bushes. But in the last season, yellow spots began to appear on the leaves. Spraying with chemicals gave a short-term effect. What should I do?

After the sheets are completely dry, dig up the onion, sort it out, discard all affected, dry it and decontaminate it by heating. During the growing season, use drugs that can destroy downy mildew.

Question number 3: We collected seeds from ornamental onions, planted them in the ground, the shoots turned out to be very uneven. Why did it happen?

Apparently, agricultural technology has been violated. Seed ornamental onions require some consistency. First, the seeds are put into the ground at the same depth and at a short distance - about 5 cm - from each other. Secondly, picking of seedlings is done. At this stage, the first culling is performed.Thirdly, onions should be planted in open ground only when a certain plant size is reached. Usually it is 10-12 cm. At this stage, marriage is also removed from circulation.

Question number 4: We have a very swampy area, but I would like to grow ornamental onions. Is there such a possibility?

We recommend making good drainage in the area that you intend to set aside for growing allium. The result is achieved with sand and small trenches on the water side. The sand is mixed with the top layer of the soil, and it is necessary to ensure that the level of the allocated area is higher than the main area.

Question number 5: Is it possible to plant a decorative bow like this. so that it creates a continuous carpet when it blooms?

From horticultural practice, it has been revealed that such an effect is achievable if the bulbs are dug out every year, sorted out and only healthy material is planted in the winter. Otherwise, there is a risk of death of some of the bulbs. In addition, the bulb multiplies by division and in new shoots the crops will inevitably thicken and interfere with the development of the flower stem.

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