What housewife doesn't like ornamental plants? And who would refuse to decorate their garden plot with interesting, rare and, most importantly, beautiful flowers? There are thousands of plant species in the world that exude exceptional aromas and create a real palette of colors. The decorative allium onion is an excellent, absolutely not whimsical plant that will decorate any site. Planting and care in the open field is not difficult. A flower ball named Allium will ennoble the landscape design in any weather conditions from spring to autumn.
Pay attention to a flower like allium. This is a kind of decorative bow that has purple spherical inflorescences. The flowers themselves emit a smell similar to onions, but more pleasant. The spherical shape is a visiting card of Allium, a photo of which can be easily found on the Internet.
In the meantime, look at the decorative allium bow in the photo, illustrating the beauty and nobility of this flower:
Description of Allium
Allium, which is also called ornamental onion, is a herbaceous plant that looks rather exotic against the background of flowers familiar to a Russian gardener. Central Asia is considered his homeland, he belongs to the Amaryllis family, to the Onion subfamily.
Its roots are thin and do not lie too deep, the main body is a bulb, which can be either small or large. From each such bulb, several blown stems grow, at the end of which there are spherical or cone-shaped inflorescences of many small flowers. Their color varies from pale blue to deep purple. Sometimes leaves are attached to the stems, dark green, long and sharp.
Allium decorative bows are distinguished by their characteristic smell and sharp taste. However, they are usually not eaten.
Description of decorative bow
Allium got its sonorous name thanks to Karl Linnaeus, the father of botany, who used the Celtic word all, meaning "burning". According to another version, the name comes from the Latin verb halare, translated as "to smell". Ornamental onion belongs to the perennial grasses of the Onion subfamily of the Amaryllidaceae family.
Allium's authentic appearance consists in tiny flowers that form inflorescences-balls, the diameter of which reaches 30 cm. Long and narrow leaves grow only near the ground. Stem, often thick and smooth, capable of supporting powerful corollas. The color spectrum is huge and includes shades from white to purple.
Types and varieties of Allium
Allium has more than a hundred different varieties - there are plenty to choose from.
Allium aftalunsky
Aflatunsky - up to one and a half meters in height, the flowers are spherical, dense, of a light purple hue.
Allium Gladiator
Gladiator - the leaves of this species can be eaten, it reaches a meter in height, the flowers are in the form of a star, their color is lavender-blue, and the diameter is at least 20 cm.
Allium Eros
Eros - height up to 30 cm, flower diameter up to 10, pink color, ball shape.
Allium the Roundhead
Round-headed - blooms closer to August, cone-shaped inflorescences, purple or lilac, height 60 cm.
There are other decorative bows that look beautiful in varieties. For example, blue allium or allium yellow, the names of which are determined by an unusual color.
In general, the variety is so great that there is something for any garden.
Allium Roseum (roseum)
The presented type of flower is the opposite of the above-described variety. Its formed umbrellas are scattered, with the presence of light pink flowers. The flowers are large in diameter, can reach up to 1.5 cm. Allium Roseum inflorescences grow up to 60 cm in length. The plant mainly grows along the Mediterranean coast.
The presented type of bulbous plant is one of the few that has thin leaves, reaching a width of only 1 cm.The buds are located on a thin stem.
Conditions for growing allium
Allium, planting and caring for which requires not so much skill as patience and accuracy, is still sensitive to environmental conditions. Before planting it, you need to make sure that the soil and the chosen location are suitable for it.
Place on the site
Allium bows are native to hot, arid lands, so they prefer sunny, open places, away from trees, fences and other flowers. Best of all - a hill illuminated by the sun, moisture does not stagnate in such a place, and the color saturation of the plant will become maximum.
Onions do not like lowlands - they are generally sensitive to excess moisture.
The soil
Allium loves soil fertile, light, saturated with air. Does not tolerate excess acid, prefers neutrality. If the land itself is too acidic on the site, it is worth adding dolomite flour or lime in the fall - this will reduce the effect and allow the plant to develop adequately.
Decorative bows allium: giant, gladiator, molly (with photo)
Particular attention should be paid to the so-called decorative bows alliums anzur (anzur means "mountain", this name has long been assigned to Asian bows). These are mountain plants from Central Asia.
These include:
- aflatunsky bows (A. afla-tunense);
- allium giant (A. giganteum) and others.
Plants are tall, with large and bright spherical inflorescences. During flowering, you cannot take your eyes off them. But they must be dug up periodically. This is usually done in the second half of the summer. They bloom at the same time, and then the energetic anemone hides the onion leaving for rest.
Christoph's Onion (A. christophii) also refers to plants that will not survive for a long time without digging: after planting imported bulbs, amazing huge inflorescences are formed, in the second year there are no inflorescences, and a year later the plant itself is gone. To preserve the allium plant of the Christoph variety, after flowering and seed formation, the bulbs are dug up, dried and placed in a warm place. Planted only at the end of September.
It is much easier with rhizome species. Let's go back to the beloved chives (A. schoenoprasum). That's an unpretentious creature!
Bows can be conditionally classified by height. This figure can vary from 15 to 80 cm, depending on the variety. Among them are both dwarfs and giants.
One of the smallest - Ostrovsky's onion (L. ostrowskianum) - not higher than 20 cm. Very nice plant, forming a bright crimson inflorescence-ball. This allium does not require special care, you can not dig it out for several years.
Its opposite is blue onion (L. caeruleum)... Can "stretch" to the waist. A curious way of breeding blue onions: daughter bulbs are formed in the stem at ground level, then the stem bursts, and the bulbs on the soles of shoes begin to travel around the site. The natural blue tone of wild onion flowers of this variety is very pleasing to the eye.
It reaches a height of only 15-20 cm.Look at the overgrown allium in the photo:
It is literally strewn with bluish-blue balls. This is a long-lived onion, giving self-seeding under favorable conditions.
Allium Gladiator - This is a large variety of onions, which got its name for its powerful flower stalks and large flowers.
Another option is to divide the onions into groups according to the flowering time.
One of the earliest - karatavian onion (A. karataviense)... It often starts blooming in early May and finishes in June. The bluish-green broad leaves are very attractive, especially when planted in massifs.
Looks like karatavsky allium akaka onion (A. akaka)... But if the first onion regularly divides every year, then the second multiplies mainly by seeds.
In late August - September blooms mountain onion (A. montanum)... This rhizome plant grows rapidly and blooms profusely.
Look at Allium Moli in the photo:
This variety is very fond of flower growers for its beautiful yellow inflorescences. He also likes it due to the fact that it is one of the few onion varieties that can live in a fairly shaded place. Moli belongs to an early flowering variety, therefore, one of the first to appear in a flower bed. Its height reaches 30 cm.
It is almost impossible to list and describe all varieties of allium. You need to choose them according to the main criteria that you want to ultimately see in your flower bed.
Growing allium from seeds
Planting ornamental onions with seeds is an occupation that requires patience, first of all, since it will bloom only after a few years. Species with small inflorescences will take about 3 years. With large ones - up to 7. Moreover, allium seeds are stored only if the temperature regime is observed. Therefore, you cannot find them on sale, you just get them on your own.
They are harvested when the flowers finally lose their petals and ripen, and one of the first and largest should be chosen. Then they are put away in a cool place (refrigerator or basement) and wait for spring.
At the beginning of winter, the seeds are immersed in damp soil and put back in the refrigerator, wetting them again from time to time. Only then can they be planted - after removing those that have rotted - according to the same scheme according to which any seeds are planted:
- prepare the soil;
- dig holes, fill them with drainage;
- put seeds;
- sprinkle with earth;
- moisturize.
Varieties with descriptions and photos
Among the decorative bows, there are 600 varieties, of which only 130 are used in landscape design. The varieties differ in color, flowering time, and stem height.
The following have won the greatest love among flower growers.
Allium Aflatunsky (Purple Sensation)
It has a ribbed 1.5-meter stem, crimson or purple flowers. The diameter of the "ball" is 12 cm.
Allium aflatunense purple sensation
Allium giant
This purple giant is 1.5 m high. However, it has modest inflorescences - only 8 cm in diameter. Wide leaves are also considered decorative. It blooms throughout June under favorable conditions.
Allium giant
Allium blue
It is considered the most prominent among bows due to its dense 7 cm umbrella. The bright blue inflorescence consists of 250 tiny bells. Plant height is 80 cm.
Allium blue
Allium Christoph
This variety is easily recognizable by its low (30-40 cm) stems and huge purple or pink balls. You can admire the inflorescences up to 25 cm in diameter during June.
Allium Christoph
Allium ball-headed (round-headed)
It has an average size (up to 60 cm) and an atypical oval head shape. Pink and purple flowers appear in July and are pleasing to the eye for a month.
Allium ball-headed
Allium Schubert
A short but unusual variety. This plant, 25-30 cm high, has blue-lilac inflorescences, shaped like a volley of fireworks. This exotic onion begins flowering in June.
Allium Schubert
Gladiator
One of the largest representatives of the species, whose "growth" reaches 1 m. Purple flowers look like stars with six rays. In diameter, these colossal constellations grow up to 20 cm.It is interesting that the leaves of this variety can be eaten.
Allium Gladiator
Globemaster
It has 25-centimeter inflorescences in the form of purple stars, which appear in early summer and bloom until the end of the season. Globmaster's height is 80 cm.
Allium Globe Master
Mount Everest
This is a tall (100-120 cm) species with large snow-white inflorescences (15 cm). It differs from its relatives in that its leaves do not fade for a long time and remain green.
Allium Mount Everest
Moly
Low-growing species with yellow inflorescences, 20-30 cm high. Flowering period - from late May to mid-June.
Allium Mole
Allium vegetative propagation
But it is much easier than using seeds to use bulbs instead. They are obtained in several ways:
- in the fall, they dig allium from the ground and carefully separate the daughter bulbs from the mother ones;
- on some varieties of ornamental onions, on the heads, small onions are formed - bulbs. The heads with bulbs are cut off, treated with a growth stimulant, the bulbs are separated and planted in the garden;
- buy in a store.
The bulbs that are dug out of the ground must be washed, held in a solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, then dried, and only after that they can be planted.
Bulb, it is enough to immediately dip into the solution and dry.
Those bought from the store are already ready to disembark.
Reproduction
The culture can be propagated by bulbs by planting the babies formed on the mother plant. Bulbs are formed on the inflorescences, which can also be used as planting material, preserving all the qualities of the mother plant. You can propagate it by seed, like any other plant.
It is preferable to sow allium seeds before winter so that they undergo natural cold treatment (stratification). They are sown on a prepared bed with loose fertile soil, observing the distance between the seeds of 3 - 5 cm, followed by the seeding of the seedlings.
You should know that the flowering of an ornamental onion sown with seeds will come only in 3 - 5 years.
Allium baby onions are also planted in autumn. The landing time depends on the local climate. The soil temperature should not be lower than +15, only in this case the bulb will have time to take root and take root before the onset of cold weather.
The baby is formed on adult plants over 3 years old. At the end of summer, the plant is completely dug up, the baby is separated and dried. Onions without signs of disease are planted in a prepared bed. The planting depth of the bulb is three times its height. The distance between plants is 25 cm for tall varieties, 10-15 cm for low-growing ones. If winters with little snow occur in the region, then the plantings are mulched with a layer of peat or fallen leaves.
Some species form bulbs (small onions) on the peduncle. They are cut off together with the peduncle, allowed to ripen, and planted in the ground. If you use special growth stimulants, the survival rate of the bulb is quite high.
Planting allium in open ground
Planting bulbs is a responsible business. It takes place in several stages.
Soil preparation
The first is soil preparation. Need to:
- choose a sunny, warm place, away from trees and other flowers;
- dig it up so that the earth is filled with air;
- add compost and wood ash to the soil to increase its fertility;
- dig holes - at a distance of at least 20 centimeters from each other, otherwise the roots will begin to get confused, and the plants interfere with each other, at least 3 bulbs deep;
- pour a drainage layer into each hole - expanded clay, any ceramic shards, coal or even foam, so that excess moisture does not linger and go away before the roots are damaged.
After that, the soil is considered ready for planting.
Landing dates
Onions are planted mainly in September, when the temperature has not yet dropped below 10 degrees, even at night. Be sure to heavily fall asleep with sawdust or needles so that the seedlings do not freeze.
They are usually ready to bloom by next year.
If in the fall for some reason it did not work out, you can plant it in the spring, when the temperature will stably stay above 10 degrees. If there is no rain and it is warm, the allium may bloom in the same year.
Disembarkation
An event that can be titled: Allium, Landing, Doesn't Require Much Skill. Need to:
- immerse the bulbs in pre-prepared holes;
- sprinkle them with earth, and then mulch - with scraps of bark, needles, dead leaves, sawdust;
- water in moderation.
After a while, the first shoots will sprout.
Allium genus and photo of flowers
Genus of bowsAllium is quite large - about 600 species, 100 of them are used in ornamental gardening, so the information should be systematized.
Allium belongs to perennial plants. They are part of the onion family and, oddly enough, are closest to garlic and onions. Their similarities are clearly visible during the flowering period. In addition, the green parts of some species have a similar smell to these plants.
Onion flowers can be very different in color from bright lilac to blue.
The flowering period is late spring and early summer, but among alliums there are varieties that give color in autumn. The plant received its decorative effect thanks to the inflorescence, which forms a ball.
If you do not get into the botanical jungle, but focus on aspects important for the grower, it is important to know the following.
It is clear that all plants of the bulbous class have bulbs. But in some plants, they sit in the ground by themselves, separately, while in others they are interconnected by a powerful rhizome. In this case, the former behave like ephemeroids (that is, after flowering, the leaves dry out), and the latter vegetate throughout the season.
This is of fundamental importance, since rhizome and "ordinary" onions require different agricultural techniques. It is better to dig "ordinary" ones in our climate (at least once every two to three years), dry and plant in September. To bloom well, the bulbs must warm up well, a damp summer can cause irreparable damage to them. Allium rhizome onions do not need to be dug up annually, they can be grown in one place for a long time.
Look at the photo of the allium flower - some species are not inferior in their beauty to popular garden flowers:
Another plus of most onions is ornamental greenery, which remains until late autumn after the spring flowering period.
Allium care
It is not difficult to water and fertilize allium, it rarely needs another kind of care.
Watering
Allium should be watered sparingly only when the ground is apparently dry. In most cases, the moisture that can be obtained from precipitation is enough for it.
In general, too little watering is better for him than too much.
Top dressing
Allium is fed several times:
- in the spring, when the first leaves begin to break through;
- during flowering, when the first buds appear;
- for winter.
Moreover, in the first two cases, a mixture of compost and ash is used, and in the latter a combination of phosphorus and potassium, and in the form of granules not dissolved in water.
Allium in winter
In winter, Allium can freeze or suffer from heavy rainfall. There are several ways to solve the problem:
- mulch the soil. In summer, it helps against pests and weeds, but in winter it prevents the roots from freezing. Mulch should be abundant, woody, laid in a thick layer. Until the snow falls, you need to carefully monitor its condition;
- dig up the bulbs and carry them out into the warmth. This can be combined with a transplant, which is needed every couple of years. Separate daughter bulbs from mother bulbs, disinfect, dry and keep until spring.
The first method is well suited for warm regions of the country, the second for those where the frosts are severe and the snow falls late.
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. Sufficient 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'.
Diseases and pests
Diseases
Decorative onions require careful care, as they are prone to certain diseases:
Neck rot. The bulbs are affected, not the plant itself - rot from dying leaves and stems spreads to them. So that they do not deteriorate during storage, they need to be held in the sun immediately after they have been dug up.
Downy mildew... It also affects the bulbs and also requires disinfection and heat.
Gray rot... It affects the stem and leaves if the allium is over-watered. Requires adjustment of the irrigation regime and destruction of the affected parts.
Allium roundhead (sphaerocephalon)
Allium sphaerocephalon is the most widespread species in Russia, because it is unpretentious to climatic conditions and in the wild can grow both on coastal rocks and sands, and in meadows of European countries and countries of North Africa. Russian breeders and amateur flower growers are attracted by the bright brown inflorescence of the plant, which blooms in mid-July and delights the eyes for 2-4 weeks.
The arrow of the round-headed allium can grow up to 60 cm in height with an inflorescence of at least 5 cm in diameter. The flower umbrella is dense, goes well with ornamental greenery planted between the bulbs.
The flower grows well in loose soils, while tolerating the winter without the need to dig out the bulbs. It is enough to cover Allium Spherocephalon with a special material and sprinkle with fallen leaves.
Care
Ornamental onions are not picky about watering, only a young plant needs regular moisture. Stagnation of moisture in the root zone is detrimental to the root system; it is necessary to loosen the soil between the bushes in a timely manner, letting in air to the roots. This measure is especially relevant in a rainy summer.
The culture is fed twice a season: in early summer and in autumn. In autumn, granules of a complex mineral fertilizer (superphosphate) are scattered around the planted bulbs. Before or during flowering, liquid fertilizing with potash fertilizer is carried out.
Fresh organic matter is not added for allium!
Tall varieties require a peduncle garter to a support.
In the middle lane and the Moscow region, the second half of summer is often rainy, which has a bad effect on the bulb in the ground. Therefore, as soon as the plant fades and leaves dry on it, it is dug up and dried. Until the autumn planting, the bulbs are stored in a dry and dark place.
Under unfavorable weather conditions and violations in agricultural technology, allium can be affected by powdery mildew, rust, rot, heterosporia. Of the pests, the onion fly and golden bronze annoy the plant.
Perennial decorative bows
It differs from all Schubert's onions - it has two types of flowers on pedicels of different lengths - fertile short 5-8 cm long, and very long infertile ones - up to 20 cm.The perianth petals are painted in pale colors: light pink or light purple, but from -the size of the inflorescences look simply gorgeous in flower beds.
Each type of decorative onion has its own application - undersized in the design of the outer tier in flower beds and flower beds, medium and tall ones occupy a central place in flower beds.
And each species has several of the most successful and popular varieties and variations. There are also interspecific hybrids.
For example, the Globemaster Onion is a hybrid between the Maclean and Christoph Onions (Allium macleanii x cristophii), the complex parenting combination is omitted, and suppliers only indicate Allium ‘Globemaster’ on the bulbs. Onions have truly gorgeous inflorescences, reaching 26-28 cm in diameter, and interestingly, the inflorescences can be dried and used as dried flowers.
In some types of onions, many varieties and interspecific hybrids with inflorescences of various shades of flowers have been obtained - Dutch onion.
