I've been given a very spikey, giant headed type of (I think), allium. I've dried it off & collected the seeds. When do I sow them & how? In the ground or in pots? Advice much appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Bobbie - it's possible to grow allium from seed however you need some patience and a place to keep them while they grow into flowering plants which could take some years. depending on the variety, they may not come true to type either .... they are expensive to buy as bulbs so if you're the patient type, this could be for you! otherwise, if you're like me and like instant va va voom, go for the bulbs ...
Thing is, if you sow some this year and then seeds from your bought bulbs next year and so on, eventually you will have bu;lbs coming into flower from your own sowings, every year.
My Allium christophii self seeded under the wisteria. There are now hundreds of the things because I do little weeding there. I must get in and move some to a better position.
Thanks again folks. I don't know which type of allium this is, but the flower itself is about a foot across, very spikey and looks really effective as a dried flower head.
Sounds like an allium schubertii. Sow wome seeds thinly in a tray. they will come up looking like grass leaves. As they get big enough to handle, pot them on into small pots so they can grow bigger and maybe again until they're big enough to cope with life in teh borders without being weeded out by mistake. Lovely plants and well worth waiting for but yes, buy some bulbs too for flowers next spring/eraly summer.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Before sowing the seeds read the thing I wrote. Advice (from very practical experience, growing dozens of different species over the last 20 years) is different to Obelixx.
I quite agree with your programme of sowing Berghill. I'll be trying it myself to see if I can raise some Schubertii that will last more than one season here - challenging frost and munching rodents - but first I have to plant the bulbs to get the seed.......
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
Hi Bobbie - it's possible to grow allium from seed however you need some patience and a place to keep them while they grow into flowering plants which could take some years. depending on the variety, they may not come true to type either .... they are expensive to buy as bulbs so if you're the patient type, this could be for you! otherwise, if you're like me and like instant va va voom, go for the bulbs ...
See here
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/talkback/talkback-seeds---how-to-collect-allium-seeds/195.html
Thanks for the advice dockyrph & Berghill. I had no idea it may take years! I'll take your advice and get some bulbs instead.
Thing is, if you sow some this year and then seeds from your bought bulbs next year and so on, eventually you will have bu;lbs coming into flower from your own sowings, every year.
My Allium christophii self seeded under the wisteria. There are now hundreds of the things because I do little weeding there. I must get in and move some to a better position.
Thanks again folks. I don't know which type of allium this is, but the flower itself is about a foot across, very spikey and looks really effective as a dried flower head.
Sounds like an allium schubertii. Sow wome seeds thinly in a tray. they will come up looking like grass leaves. As they get big enough to handle, pot them on into small pots so they can grow bigger and maybe again until they're big enough to cope with life in teh borders without being weeded out by mistake. Lovely plants and well worth waiting for but yes, buy some bulbs too for flowers next spring/eraly summer.
Before sowing the seeds read the thing I wrote. Advice (from very practical experience, growing dozens of different species over the last 20 years) is different to Obelixx.
I quite agree with your programme of sowing Berghill. I'll be trying it myself to see if I can raise some Schubertii that will last more than one season here - challenging frost and munching rodents - but first I have to plant the bulbs to get the seed.......