Ornamental onion planting and care in the open field by seeds

 

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 in different types of allium is different, some representatives of bulbous blooms for a long time and even after that do not lose their decorative appeal. 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 by 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, plants with a paler color of inflorescences develop from seeds.

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 last 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 plant care.

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 for the 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 off 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 early flowering (in May), mid-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"

Decorative bows - Alliums, are very diverse and are able to decorate any garden with bright balls of their inflorescences. Unpretentious bulbous plants begin to bloom at the end of spring and “freeze” for a long time at the peak of beauty. And even after the end of flowering, during the ripening of the seeds, the drying heads of decorative onions look very attractive.

Dutch onion 'Purple Sensation'

Ornamental onions are close cousins ​​of common edible onions and garlic and belong to the Alliaceae subfamily of the Amaryllidaceae family. If you rub a leaf, stem or bulb of any plant from this family, you will get an easily recognizable "onion" or "garlic" smell. In nature, there are several hundred species of onions that grow in the northern hemisphere.

Linear or belt-like leaves of basal onions. Each onion flower is very small in size, but the flowers are combined into an inflorescence, which gives the plant the main decorative effect.

Some ornamental bows can be as large as 30 cm in diameter, such as Christof's Onion (Allium cristophii). Most ornamental onions bloom in May-June, but there are also autumn-flowering varieties. The flowering of some species can last for a long time and even after its end the plant will not lose its attractive appearance. So, dried balls of inflorescences of Christof's decorative bow look no less charming in an autumn garden than bright purple ones in a spring one.

Giant bow 'Globemaster'

Features of growing decorative onions

Location: most onions are light-requiring, therefore, sunny areas and southern slopes with well-drained loose fertile soils are chosen for them. The best illumination determines the intensity of the color of flowers and leaves.

The soil: The preferred reaction of the soil solution is close to neutral. At a pH below 5, the soil must be limed.

Fertilizers: When preparing a site for planting onions, the soil is filled with rotted compost and a complete mineral fertilizer with trace elements is applied, based on the indicators of its fertility. Like all bulbous plants, ornamental onions are very susceptible to lack of potassium in the soil. An excellent potash fertilizer for them is wood ash.

Watering: Onions tolerate both short-term drought and short-term waterlogging of the soil well. Adequate provision of moisture is a necessary condition for the normal development of plants in the first half of the growing season, when the formation of leaf apparatus and flowering shoots occurs. With a lack of moisture, the growth of leaves stops and resumes again when watering.

Stalked onion 'Mount Everest'

Ornamental bow care

When growing ornamental species of the genus Allium in a temperate zone, it is best to dig up the bulbs every year after the seeds have ripened and the leaves have dried up and replant them in the fall.

The fact is that ephemeroid onions and many xerophytic bulbous species originate from the middle belt of the mountains of Central Asia - an area with hot dry summers and winters with frequent thaws. At home, after the end of the growing season at the end of June, the bulbs of these species remain in warm, dry ground until autumn. There is practically no rain during this period.

In central Russia, if the second half of summer turns out to be damp and cool, the bulbs left in the ground can be affected by diseases and rot. Therefore, it is better to dig them up, dry them well and store them at room temperature in a dry ventilated room until autumn. In areas with favorable environmental conditions, the bulbs can not be dug out every year, but when the plants thicken, they become smaller and bloom worse.

In autumn, the bulbs are planted after a steady drop in soil and air temperature, usually in the third decade of September. The optimum temperature for the rooting of bulbs is the temperature of the soil in the zone of root formation at the level of 10 ° C. The planting depth of the bulbs is determined so that above its top point there is a layer of earth equal to three heights of the bulb itself. Accordingly, large bulbs are planted much deeper than small ones.

It is better to plant in a moistened groove, on top of the planting they mulch with humus or peat, which should prevent the formation of a soil crust. In autumn, root growth continues until the soil temperature in the zone of their occurrence drops to 2-3 ° C. Some types of bulbs - moth, Ostrovsky, pink, blue, blue-blue - can be planted in autumn and spring after storage in a cool dry place. It is better to store small bulbs in peat or sawdust to prevent them from drying out.

Bulbous-rhizome species are grown in perennial culture and reproduce by dividing the bushes. Plants are transplanted after 3-5 years, sometimes even after 7 years, but in this case, the planting must be thinned out and self-seeding should not be allowed.

The optimal planting time is early spring and late summer, with the expectation that the cuttings take root well before frost.

Each spring, the site should be deeply loosened, cleaned of plant debris and snow mold. Plant care during the growing season is usual - weeding, loosening and mulching the soil.

Plants are watered only when there is a clear lack of moisture, they must be fed in the spring after the leaves grow back, as well as in the budding and bulb formation phase and at the end of summer with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to improve the overwintering of plants.For spring feeding, complex mineral fertilizers (NPKMg) with microelements are used, selecting forms with a high nitrogen content in the nitrate form. In the summer, liquid fertilizing is carried out with a solution of mineral fertilizers. When feeding in August, granular phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied in dry form. For the winter, plantings can be mulched with peat or humus.

Reproduction of decorative onions

Onions are propagated by seeds and vegetatively.

Seeds are sown in spring or fall. Seedlings dive into well-lit ridges. There are two important points to keep in mind when propagating by seed. Firstly, the seeds of many species, for example, xerophytic ephemeroids - giant onions, aflatunsky, stalked, etc. - germinate only when sowing in winter, after the seeds are exposed to a complex of conditions of the autumn-winter spring season. It is not even always possible to replace it with the same shelf life of seeds in the refrigerator. And secondly, when grown from seeds, many types of onions - anzura, wild garlic, etc. - bloom in the 3rd to 8th year, only after the bulbs have reached a mass sufficient for reproductive development. The longest juvenile stage is observed in ephemeroid onion species with a short annual growing season.

The vegetative propagation of bulbous species occurs during the branching (division) of the bulbs and the formation of baby bulbs developing on the bottom and stolons of the mother bulb. The degree of branching of the bulb and the ability to form children are species characteristics. Rhizome species, characterized by active branching of shoots, reproduce mainly by dividing the bush.

When growing plants from seeds, bushes can be divided from the third year of life. Delenki represent areas of rhizomes with two or three intact shoots and well-developed roots. In all species, small onions - bulbs can form on inflorescences. Their formation can be stimulated artificially by cutting the buds and treatment with growth regulators. Bubbles can be used for planting. This is a valuable, stage-by-stage planting material free from phytopathogens.

The use of decorative bows in design

Decorative onions are used in group plantings, mixborders, undersized species - on rocky hills. Cut ornamental bows decorate the interior for a long time, almost for 2 weeks, and dried plants can be used for dry bouquets. From onions, you can create a garden of continuous flowering.

Types and varieties of decorative onions

Decorative bow "Globemaster» - very good garden shape. It begins to bloom in June, and often ends with the onset of autumn. Spherical inflorescences, up to 25 cm in diameter, consist of many star-shaped flowers. The flower stalks that appear between the shiny green leaves reach a height of 80 cm.

Decorative bow "Purple Sensation" - a well-known garden form of hybrid ornamental onion with dark purple flowers. Representatives of this variety reproduce by seeds. Normally, up to 70 cm high, with slightly ribbed stems, protruding leaves up to 4 cm wide and cupped dark purple flowers.

Decorative bow "Mount Everest» - decorative bow with large white flowers and long arrows growing up to 120 cm. Beautifully shaped leaves remain green for a long time. Spherical umbrellas with a diameter of 15 cm consist of several dozen white star-shaped flowers. Cut inflorescences are used to make bouquets.

Round-headed onion 'Hair'

Decorative bow "Hair" - decorative bow with unique flowers and gray leaves. It is widely used in landscape flower gardens and for cutting. A plant with a pleasant aroma, easy to propagate, does not present any difficulties in culture. Ideal for containers, bulk plantings, curbs, and cuttings. Blooms from late spring for 3 weeks.

Ornamental round-headed bow, or ball-headed bow (Allium sphaerocephalon) is a very beautiful plant that can be planted in flower beds with other perennial grasses. It is also placed on lawns and lawns, as well as between or under fruit trees, as is often done in England. When planted in large groups, the ball-headed bow looks as impressive as possible.

Ornamental Schubert Bow (Allium schubertii) is so unusual that when you first see this plant, you will not immediately understand that it is an onion. Blooms in June. This plant is usually planted in the foreground of the rock garden, where it attracts attention with its originality. The bulbs are not frost-resistant, so they need shelter for the winter.

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 that 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.

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

Having picked 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.

Allium is just appearing in garden plots, it is a plant for innovators who appreciate everything unusual. Ornamental onion (allium): planting and care are described in detail in the article, a description of the plant is also provided, varieties, features of reproduction, cultivation in open ground are indicated, especially successful combinations with other plants in landscape design are indicated. The article is accompanied by colorful photos.

Description: varieties and varieties of allium

Decorative bow - allium - an extraordinary decoration of the garden plot. The plant looks like an alien among the usual asters, irises, peonies, tulips, attracting the eyes of everyone around.

Due to its unusual appearance, the decorative bow is appreciated by landscape design professionals. Growing ornamental onions is possible even for novice gardeners, the main thing is to provide him with the necessary conditions for planting in open ground, care, adhere to all the rules for its reproduction.

Ornamental onion is an unpretentious and very beautiful plant

Existing varieties and varieties of decorative onions can be used not only as decoration for flower beds and flower beds, but also for making bouquets. Certain varieties (for example, Hair) have a rather pleasant aroma. Alliums amaze with a variety of colors, shape and structure of inflorescences, they come in different heights.

One of the most common outdoor ornamental bow varieties is Allium Schoenoprasum (shnitt). The plant is short with lilac-pinkish or light lilac spherical inflorescences. It blooms in spring, suitable for growing both as an ornamental plant and for use as food. The green leaves of this allium variety are suitable for salads and have a rather mild taste.

Allium Schoenoprasum

Effective in bouquets and other floral arrangements Schubert's bow, Hair, MountEverest:

• Schubert's bow - a low plant (arrows up to 25-30 cm), the inflorescence of which (grayish-pinkish shades) has the shape of a star, all pedicels of different lengths, blooms in June. Only professionals at first glance can recognize onions in this plant;

Schubert's bow

• Hair - an unusual hybrid of onions, has unique inflorescences and leaves of smoky-gray tones. Especially effective in landscape flower beds, used for flower decoration and bouquets. Blooms for about 3-4 weeks, starting in late May;

  Hair Bow

• Mount everest - a type of onion that adorns the garden with white inflorescences-balls, consisting of dozens of flowers in the shape of an asterisk. Reaches 100-120 cm in height;

Mount Everest Ornamental Bow

• Great as an ornamental plant bow "Globemaster", which blooms in early June and blooms almost until late autumn. Onion inflorescences are spherical (they can reach 20-25 cm in diameter), consist of individual flowers in the shape of an asterisk, ornamental onions grow up to 80 cm in height;

Globemaster variety

• Moth bow, golden (Allium moly, Allium aureum) - interesting with star-shaped inflorescences of golden (yellow) color, usually grows up to 20-25 cm;

Moth bow

• Round-headed onion blooms quite late (in the middle of summer), blooms for about a month, the inflorescences are in the shape of an oval (or a slightly elongated egg). Flowers of pink or lilac shades, arrow height - up to 60 cm;

Round-headed onion

• Will add variety to the flower arrangement bow bow (wild), growing up to 50 cm in height. Inflorescences differ from other decorative bows in shape - a bunch of short spherical flowers of pale pink shades.

Bow bow

Planting a plant

If you want to decorate your flower garden with such an unusual plant like allium, planting and caring for it will not cause much trouble.

There are a few rules to keep in mind:

• decorative onion is a light-loving plant, it is advisable to plant it in sunny areas;
• the soil under the onion should be soft, breathable, and it should be well drained to avoid stagnant water;
• the acidity of the soil should be close to normal (7.0).

Advice: if the acidity of the soil where it is planned to plant allium is below 5.0, liming should be carried out.

It is recommended to plant decorative onions in open ground either in early spring or in autumn (in September when the air temperature is not lower than 12 ° C). A hole for an onion is made on the basis that the thickness of the soil above it should be two to three times the height of the bulb itself. Thus, reliable wintering of the plant is ensured, protection from drying out.

Culture loves well-lit places

Before planting allium, the soil should be dug up, at the same time applying mineral fertilizers and humus.It is recommended to water the hole a little, the planting site should be mulched.

Tip: do not plant onions in lowlands, where melt and rain water stagnates in spring.

Plant care

Growing ornamental onions does not require a lot of effort from the gardener; this plant is quite unpretentious in care. Moderate watering is recommended for decorative onions; it is better to under-supply it with moisture than to pour.

Attention: the onion does not tolerate waterlogging, the bulb begins to rot and the plant dies.

After flowering and drying of the leaves, the bulbs should be dug up and stored at a temperature not exceeding 18-20 ° C. Small bulbs should be stored in peat or sawdust to prevent them from drying out.

Fertilizing and feeding allium

As a fertilizer when growing allium in open ground, compost, wood ash, and mineral preparations are applied. It is necessary to provide feeding onions in the phase of leaf regrowth, in the period of budding, as well as in the formation of bulbs.

Onions require feeding at least once a season.

Landscape design specialists recommend using complex fertilizers containing nitrogen in nitrate form for these purposes. In the summer months, you can water the plants with liquid solutions of mineral fertilizers. At the beginning of autumn, to ensure a good wintering, decorative onions need to be fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, the granules are introduced into the soil without preliminary dissolution.

Plant propagation

Reproduction of allium, like all bulbous ones, is possible in 2 ways: by seeds and vegetatively, that is, by dividing the mother bulbs, as well as by growing small bulbs - bulbs (for growing bulbs, see also - gladioli, tulips, hyacinths).

Ornamental Onion Seeds

Ornamental onion seeds can be sown either in autumn or in spring in well-lit areas. After germination, seedlings should be dived. In this case, it is necessary to take into account a number of factors: some types of ornamental onions emerge exclusively when sowing seeds before winter, after natural stratification. An artificial change in temperature (keeping the seeds in a cold place) may not give the desired effect. In addition, when growing onions from seeds, it should be remembered that some species will begin to bloom only in the third, and maybe the fifth or sixth season, only after the bulb has gained sufficient weight for the next reproduction.

It is much easier to propagate the favorite varieties of allium with bulbs, separating the cloves from the mother's babies. It should be noted that the ability to form small bulbs, the degree of dividing the bulb into cloves, depends on the features inherent in the species. Babies should be carefully separated from the mother bulb, they should have a well-formed root system and shoots.

Allium bulbs

In allium varieties, very small bulbs can form on the inflorescences. It is recommended to stimulate their appearance by cutting the buds, while treating the plant itself with growth stimulants. These ground bulbs can then be planted outdoors to grow ornamental onions.

Diseases and pests

With improper care, high humidity, ornamental onions can be affected by powdery mildew, rot, root mites, and onion flies. To prevent these diseases, experienced gardeners recommend heating the bulbs for 10-11 hours at a temperature of about 40 ° C (you can use a dryer or oven). Cut onions should be thoroughly dried before storage and also warmed up.

Onion fly

When infected with a tick or fly, the plant should be treated with a solution of chlorophos (2%), use peat, ash, tobacco dust.

Ornamental bow: combination with other plants

In flower beds, allium will look most advantageous and emphasize beauty:

• peonies;
• aquilegia;
• lupines;
• irises;
• poppy.

Allium in combination with other plants

You can create beautiful flower arrangements using tall allium in combination with hosts, delphinium.

Allium in landscape design

Allium is spectacular in the photo and "live" both in a single planting and in a group flower garden. A tall plant planted in the area will attract attention and focus on the desired point in space. Ornamental onions in a group planting are also beautiful and attractive, by planting several plants in one place, you can create a bright color spot.

Allium in landscape design

Growing allium, planting and caring for are fascinating activities, because using its various varieties and types, you can create a garden of continuous flowering and admire the amazing shapes and shades from spring to autumn.

Agricultural technology for growing allium: video

Allium in landscape design: photo