I recently bought these seeds and thought I would check whether they need a different treatment before sowing them. Am I too late or can I still put them in the refrigerator for 30 days ?
I've had a go at this and now have a bunch of seedlings. I started mine off in the fridge and they seem to have liked that approach. How long from seedling to blooming bulb do you think?
Well done on your successful germination. Because these new bulbs have to get to a reasonable size before they are mature enough to flower I am afraid that it will take several years. Once temperatures allow, harden them off so that they can take the full sun. Giving them optimal growing conditions will give you the shortest time before they flower. Good luck, Simon
Thanks for your comment. Sowing these should be very easy as I have seedings coming up at the base of the parent plants each year with no help from me.
OMG this year I had 12 of these beauties grow that blew in from another garden. They are gorgeous. I just harvested the seeds and have a whole cup full. I am excited about growing more. Do they actually grow an edible onion in the ground?
Im in MN USA where we have very cold winters. Do you think I should plant my seeds back in the garden to germinate over winter? Or should I put in fridge for a month, then germinate so it grows to a little plant prior to winter coming in november(ish)? I assume it needs several cycles before it will flower?
Hello Lindsey and thanks for getting in touch. Yes it will be a few seasons before the bulbs reach flowering size. A month in the fridge should break dormancy bit I would do it for 6-8 weeks incase it hasn't worked and you have to start the process again. It can take around 3 months after cold treatment for germination to occur so if you are starting now I would hedge my bets and put half in the fridge and half in a seed tray outside or in a coldframe. Kind regards Simon
I have sown some ornamental alliums (different variety) in a small tray and had very good germination. It is now mid December, what do i do? They are starting to fall over. Also the top of all of them "kinked" over...i thought they might be too cold and moved them to a warmer spot. Should i separate them? Thank you.
Hi Julia, I wouldn't worry too much about the kink as this is typical. Yes, I would carefully separate them, keeping damage to the roots at a minimum, and no, they need to be in a cool spot such as an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. I hope this helps. Kind regards, Simon
Hi! I just harvested some seeds of allium ”mount everest” and was planning on winter sowing them outdoor in a tray or something. I tried last year with zero germination, but we’ll see how it goes this year. IF they germinate- how much growth would be expected during that first year? And when should they be planted out in the ground? (I live in Sweden with cold climate). 🌸
Hi there, I would plant them out in the ground after late frosts have passed. However, it may take a couple of years before the bulbs are large enough to flower. I am not familiar with your winter weather, but I will assume it's cold, wet, and prolonged. Alliums are not going to like over wintering in freezing waterlogged conditions and need to be baked with heat over the summer. If you can provide good growing conditions, they should reach maybe 18inches in the first year but no blooms until.subsequent years. Simon
Yes you can. However, they will need a cold period to break dormancy so unless you cold treat them first, they won't germinate until the spring, assuming the seed is viable. Kind regards, Simon
I have tried numerous times to germinate seeds from my alliums. It could be the variety I own, the seeds maybe sterile. But the fact that most alliums are bi-annual bloomers, it may take a number of attempts to grow from seed.
Hi Kris and thanks for the feedback. You maybe right as there are sterile forms out there. Also, are you seeds cold treated to break dormancy? If so you might need to increase the cold period, three months a most. I hope this helps. Simon
@@walkingtalkinggardeners Yes, I keep the seeds cool until Christmas-time then try to germinate. Who knows, there may have been some that germinated in the garden. I have "help" that forgets that the front garden is full of perennial bulbs and pull a cultivator and rake through it every Spring.
Can I cheat even more by doing the pre-germinating on wet tissue paper in the hot press trick ? Obviously after the six week fridge treatment. Question two do the large alliums produce offsets ? Many thanks from a new subscriber .
Hi George and thanks for subscribing. We need all the support we can get. Yes, giant allium produce offsets. I am.not sure about the pre-germination but it's worth setting at least some seeds aside to use as a trial. If you do so, let me know the results. I would be interested to know how you got on. Kind regards, Simon
Hi there Esmysyeild, great question. Ornamental onions do contain sulfur compounds which, depending on the individual, how much and which part of the onion is eaten, can cause side effects like vomiting, nausea etc. Some people do eat them such as young leaves chopped in a salad but it will depend on people's sensitivity to the sulfur compounds as to whether they can get on with them or not. Kind regards, Simon
@@walkingtalkinggardeners Oh I see. I developed a fascination with edible alliums. I am in search of not so commonly known multiplying onions. I have collected 3 so far.. Thanks for the response. Have a great day!
I recently bought these seeds and thought I would check whether they need a different treatment before sowing them.
Am I too late or can I still put them in the refrigerator for 30 days ?
Yes you can do that now. Simon 🙂
@@walkingtalkinggardeners 😀👍
I've had a go at this and now have a bunch of seedlings. I started mine off in the fridge and they seem to have liked that approach. How long from seedling to blooming bulb do you think?
Well done on your successful germination. Because these new bulbs have to get to a reasonable size before they are mature enough to flower I am afraid that it will take several years. Once temperatures allow, harden them off so that they can take the full sun. Giving them optimal growing conditions will give you the shortest time before they flower. Good luck, Simon
Very interesting, I might have a try!
Thanks for your comment. Sowing these should be very easy as I have seedings coming up at the base of the parent plants each year with no help from me.
OMG this year I had 12 of these beauties grow that blew in from another garden. They are gorgeous. I just harvested the seeds and have a whole cup full. I am excited about growing more. Do they actually grow an edible onion in the ground?
NOOOOOOOOO!! Don't eat it, it's not edible!!!!
Im in MN USA where we have very cold winters. Do you think I should plant my seeds back in the garden to germinate over winter? Or should I put in fridge for a month, then germinate so it grows to a little plant prior to winter coming in november(ish)? I assume it needs several cycles before it will flower?
Hello Lindsey and thanks for getting in touch. Yes it will be a few seasons before the bulbs reach flowering size. A month in the fridge should break dormancy bit I would do it for 6-8 weeks incase it hasn't worked and you have to start the process again. It can take around 3 months after cold treatment for germination to occur so if you are starting now I would hedge my bets and put half in the fridge and half in a seed tray outside or in a coldframe. Kind regards Simon
I have sown some ornamental alliums (different variety) in a small tray and had very good germination. It is now mid December, what do i do? They are starting to fall over. Also the top of all of them "kinked" over...i thought they might be too cold and moved them to a warmer spot. Should i separate them? Thank you.
Hi Julia, I wouldn't worry too much about the kink as this is typical. Yes, I would carefully separate them, keeping damage to the roots at a minimum, and no, they need to be in a cool spot such as an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. I hope this helps. Kind regards, Simon
@@walkingtalkinggardeners thank you so much Simon. Much appreciated. 😊
No problem Julia. You are very welcome. Simon 🙂
Hi! I just harvested some seeds of allium ”mount everest” and was planning on winter sowing them outdoor in a tray or something. I tried last year with zero germination, but we’ll see how it goes this year. IF they germinate- how much growth would be expected during that first year? And when should they be planted out in the ground? (I live in Sweden with cold climate). 🌸
Hi there, I would plant them out in the ground after late frosts have passed. However, it may take a couple of years before the bulbs are large enough to flower. I am not familiar with your winter weather, but I will assume it's cold, wet, and prolonged. Alliums are not going to like over wintering in freezing waterlogged conditions and need to be baked with heat over the summer. If you can provide good growing conditions, they should reach maybe 18inches in the first year but no blooms until.subsequent years. Simon
Hello is there an update on your allium seedling?
Hello Serena, yes I do have one in the pipeline. Kind regards, Simon
I have This Allium seeds, can I plant them at this time?
Yes you can. However, they will need a cold period to break dormancy so unless you cold treat them first, they won't germinate until the spring, assuming the seed is viable. Kind regards, Simon
I have tried numerous times to germinate seeds from my alliums. It could be the variety I own, the seeds maybe sterile. But the fact that most alliums are bi-annual bloomers, it may take a number of attempts to grow from seed.
Hi Kris and thanks for the feedback. You maybe right as there are sterile forms out there. Also, are you seeds cold treated to break dormancy? If so you might need to increase the cold period, three months a most. I hope this helps. Simon
@@walkingtalkinggardeners Yes, I keep the seeds cool until Christmas-time then try to germinate. Who knows, there may have been some that germinated in the garden. I have "help" that forgets that the front garden is full of perennial bulbs and pull a cultivator and rake through it every Spring.
Can I cheat even more by doing the pre-germinating on wet tissue paper in the hot press trick ? Obviously after the six week fridge treatment.
Question two do the large alliums produce offsets ? Many thanks from a new subscriber .
Hi George and thanks for subscribing. We need all the support we can get. Yes, giant allium produce offsets. I am.not sure about the pre-germination but it's worth setting at least some seeds aside to use as a trial. If you do so, let me know the results. I would be interested to know how you got on. Kind regards, Simon
Are ornamental onions edible?
Hi there Esmysyeild, great question. Ornamental onions do contain sulfur compounds which, depending on the individual, how much and which part of the onion is eaten, can cause side effects like vomiting, nausea etc. Some people do eat them such as young leaves chopped in a salad but it will depend on people's sensitivity to the sulfur compounds as to whether they can get on with them or not. Kind regards, Simon
@@walkingtalkinggardeners Oh I see. I developed a fascination with edible alliums. I am in search of not so commonly known multiplying onions. I have collected 3 so far.. Thanks for the response. Have a great day!
No problem, you are very welcome. I am publishing a video on growing giant alliums tomorrow if you are interested. Simon