Alliums are spectacular plants, so it’s worth saving a few seeds to sow in spring to grow more for the garden.
While you can store the seeds for spring sowing as we’ve instructed, sow them straight away if you can, as seed viability will fall the longer they’re stored. Seeds from cultivars won’t be true to type, but it’s fun to grow them anyway and see what you get. The seeds will germinate quickly and reach flowering size in a couple of years. When planting out, choose a sheltered, sunny spot with sharp drainage to get the best display.
If you want to keep the seedheads in the garden for winter interest, try tapping the seeds directly into a paper bag. You could also re-use the cut seedheads in indoor displays.
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Find out how to collect and store allium seeds in three easy steps.
You will need
- Secateurs
- Paper envelopes
Total time:
Step 1
Cut the seedheads from your allium plants as they start to break open.
Step 2
Bring them indoors and let them dry out.
Step 3
Gently tap out the seeds and store them in labelled paper envelopes.
If the weather’s damp when you pick the seedheads from your alliums, they can be hung in a paper bag in the airing cupboard to dry out thoroughly before storing.
