A lot of people don’t actually see onions
as beautiful plants, but the truth is that onions as a plant have some very
close cousins that certainly deserve a place in your flower garden. Alliums are
fast-growing ornamental plant that can grow taller and they also have round
flower heads that is composed of dozens of star-shaped flowers. Allium plants
are not edible but their leaves actually have a slight onion-like scent when they
are crushed. Allium plants are not also bothered by rodents or deer, and there
are also plenty of them to choose from for any garden. Below is the basic
information about Allium plant;
The botanical name: The botanical name
is Allium.
The common name: The common name is Ornamental
Allium.
The plant type: The plant is a Bulb or rhizome.
The mature size: The mature size is
about one to four feet tall, three to ten inches wide.
The sun exposure: Allium prefers full
sun.
The soil type: The soil must be
well-draining.
The soil pH: This should be around 5.5-6.5
The blooming time: The blooming time
is spring, although there are fall bloomers.
The flower color: The flower colors
are yellow, pink, white, purple, and green.
Plant hardiness zones: USDA 4-10
The native area: Allium is native to Middle
East.
Plant toxicity: The plant is mildly
toxic to humans and also toxic to cats and dogs.
Growing Alliums in containers
Allium can be grown in containers.
The following are the steps on how to grow Allium in containers;
1.
You have to wait until it’s cold
outside, with a soil temperature of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit or even lower. If
you are in the North this will be in September or October, but if you are in
the South it is October or November.
2.
You have to pick a spot in your garden
that really gets full sun.
3.
Try and look for a well-draining
container and then fill it with loose soil, make sure that water those not
gather and stay at the bottom of the container.
4.
Make sure you plant the Allium bulbs
about four to eight deep and six to eight apart and also place them in the soil
with their pointy ends up.
5.
Water them well once and then wait
for spring. But if you live in hardiness zone 3-7, you have to water them well
and then bring the containers indoors, in other to let them spend the winter in
a cool spot.
6.
After the alliums plant has bloomed,
make sure you don’t cut off the foliage. You can leave them until they are
completely withered and yellow, and then remove.
Pest and disease control
Allium plants don't actually attract
too many pests. Deer and rodents normally avoid Allium plants.
Allium plants can be attacked by
fungal diseases such as downy mildew and rot, on the other hand these are not serious
problem in a flower border as they would be in a vegetable garden. To actually fix
this problem, try and avoid overhead watering and also remove the infected Allium
bulbs.
As for insect pests on the plant, try
and always watch out for snails and slugs as well as the Allium leaf miner.
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