Last year I gathered seed from flowering ornamental alliums that I had sown as bulbs; I didn’t know the species but I did keep separate “small”, “short”, “medium”, “tall” and “star”. The star one produced very few seeds (just 6) but the others were much more productive and I have a small envelope of each type (if anyone wants some?)
But now I come to thinking about sowing them I’m surprised to find the on-line and book pundits on such matters suggest it takes many years (5+) to get ornamental alliums from seeds to flowers…. One authority even suggests it can take A. cristophil 4 years to germinate and a further 5 to flower….! Is this info correct? Is it worth the bother?
How come I sow ordinary onion seeds and onion sets every year (for kitchen use etc) and if they bolt and are left to their own devices they produce flowers in one season (or as bi-annuals certainly in two)? What's the difference and Why? And what do you get meantime, just a blade of grass?
Might it be easier to grow acorns and walnuts?
But now I come to thinking about sowing them I’m surprised to find the on-line and book pundits on such matters suggest it takes many years (5+) to get ornamental alliums from seeds to flowers…. One authority even suggests it can take A. cristophil 4 years to germinate and a further 5 to flower….! Is this info correct? Is it worth the bother?
How come I sow ordinary onion seeds and onion sets every year (for kitchen use etc) and if they bolt and are left to their own devices they produce flowers in one season (or as bi-annuals certainly in two)? What's the difference and Why? And what do you get meantime, just a blade of grass?
Might it be easier to grow acorns and walnuts?
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