Allium 2013

[wmel]

some photo's taken today;

1e allium membranaceum
2e allium tuncellianum
3e allium X   : baisunense x trautvetteranum
4e allium seed from SRGC seed distribution
5e allium X    :chloranthum x convallarioides

[Onion]

As mentioned before, there is a lot of frustration in growing alliums. I love them, but sometimes it is a "hate-love".
Bulbs don't grow, seed does not germinate and the wrong names are always a problem.
But the chance to look back to Allium postings of the last years is like a book you can never pay for.
People have a interest in Alliums, but the problems also.

[pontus]

I find that as with most plants, you have to find the right growing conditions for the sp and hybrids, and once this is done, mainly through trial and error, and also researching the conditions in which they grow in the wild, most alliums are fairly easy.

The problem people are having it seems, and also from talking to people at plant shows here in switzerland where I exhibit, is that their alliums decrease or loose in vigour with the years. I find that this is due to 2 main factors, 1 is dampness or wet during their summer dormancy period which can easilly make the bulbs rot, and secondly, the choice of hybrids or sp which degenerate with the years, producing small bulbs which then take several years to reach FS.

As some allium hybrids "replace" the bulb annually from within, leaving a slimey old withering bulb remains on the outside, this has to be removed, and the new bulb cleaned and dried to prevent rotting.

I tend nowadays to dig up most of my alliums and dry store them over summer after drying and cleaning annd I have very good survival rate this way.

I also test hybrids to see which degenerate less and even if the bulb devides, still produces 2 or more FS bulbs. I am currently doing an allium trial this year, various sp and hybrids, so i will post the results here in august when all bulbs have gone dormant

It is also true as some members have said that some garden centres sell poor quality bulbs or bulbs which are too small to flower, which is also a problem.



Pontus

[olegKon]

 Wietse, thank you so much. The trip back home with alliums flowering in the bag was nice. The only difficulty was the slight smell of onion I felt. Now everything has been planted with many of them still flowering and A.meteoricum about to flower. So thanks again.
Pontus, to keep allium bulbs dry for summer was just the advice I receivEd from Wietse. What is the best way to keep them after digging up? Shall I cover them with dry send to prevent drying out? I am looking forward to reading your experiment results in August.
I still hav hope that somebody will ID the allium I showed on the previous page of this thread.

[pontus]

Hello Oleg,

I store my bulbs in sawdust in big boxes (either cardboard, wooden boxes or plastic). I try and make sure no bulbs are directly touching each other to prevent rotting, and at least once every 2 weeks i moove the bulbs around a bit and try and aerate the mix, especially during very damp or warm weather.

my garden shed is quite shaded, so it stays at between 15 and 20°c..which seems ok...but if it gets too warm, i close the window blinds to try and cool down the temperature a bit

i read an article once in a swedish garden magazine that they used this method of storage in sweden as well with great success

Pontus

[olegKon]

Many thanks for your advice

[TheOnionMan]

I've had so little time to participate here, frustrating, and there's so much to comment on, I hope to catch up.  Wietse, never have I seen Allium membranaceum flowering so nicely, a lovely species; this and allied campanulatum I find to be difficult to keep going.  The allium cross baisunense x trautvetteranum is groundbreaking, a very different look, fantastic! And Allium cross chloranthum x convallarioides is delightful, so many buds, one of the best things I've seen in Allium.  Are these crosses happening on their own (self-sown)  or as surprise hybrids when you're growing your many species from seed?

I intend on commenting on some earlier posts too, as time allows.

The reason for posting today, is that I saw an Allium on Facebook, a purchased plant, labeled as Allium roseum var. nanum, and invalid name, and the plant is misidentified.  It is being sold by Pottertons Nursery under this name:
http://www.pottertons.co.uk/pott/view_product.php?pid=2194

I recognized this plant as Turkish Allium tauricola, a species I grew from MacPhail & Watson seed back in the 1970s to early 1980s, it came as Allium sp., but I identified it as A. tauricola, distinct on account of the white edge to the pink to mauve petals.  It's a small rock-garden-sized Allium of excellent behavior and habit. Here are two links that show Allium tauricola:

http://www.vanherbaryum.yyu.edu.tr/flora/famgenustur/li/al/ta/pages/Allium%20tauricola%20BOISS_jpg.htm

http://rareplants.co.uk/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=77&P_ID=200

Maybe I'll drop Potterton's a note about their misnomer.

[Maggi Young]

Maybe I'll drop Potterton's a note about their misnomer.

Rob Potterton is a Forumist, Mark - I've dropped him a line.

Even a really good nurseryman like Rob can have a mis-named plant - it is something that can happen to anyone 

[TheOnionMan]

Rob Potterton is a Forumist, Mark - I've dropped him a line.

Even better, faster action :-)

[TheOnionMan]

Panayoti Kelaidis took this photo at RBG last week, the label says A. cyaneum... probably just a left over label from a deceased plant.  What do you all think this lovely lavender pink one is?

[wmel]

Are these crosses happening on their own (self-sown)  or as surprise hybrids when you're growing your many species from seed?

thanks for all the positive comments!
most small-flowering alliums are surprise seedlings, we let them pollinate by the bees. Also in the large-flowered alliums are often surprises, but here we also make many conscious crossings, although this requires a lot of time and usually leads to nothing.
Because we are planting many species intentionally mixed, we get more and more exciting new hybrids.
Very often the plant, flower or bulb shows what the crossing parents were.

[wmel]

Panayoti Kelaidis took this photo at RBG last week, the label says A. cyaneum... probably just a left over label from a deceased plant.  What do you all think this lovely lavender pink one is?

It looks very much like allium nigrum "pink".
I also have some seedlings from allium lycoanicum that look much like it

photo: allium nigrum "Pink"

[TheOnionMan]

Good suggestion, my first instinct was A. nigrum too, I grew a pink nigrum a number of years ago.  However this plant has much more pointed tepals so it reminds me of another species, the true Allium cyrillii (not the ubiquitous imposters).  This species has dark ovaries like nigrum, but again with those pointed tepals, has a more starry look to each bloom, thus a shaggy look to the umbel.  If only I could see the flowers closer.

[TheOnionMan]

Can anyone help ID this allium? The lable says "seed 2007 Allium insubricum". This was the only seedling so real A.insubricum didn't germinate. But I'm happy to have this one flowering for the first time. The pictures were taken at the beginning of flowering just before my trip to Holland. When I came back the flowers had already faded. No seed this year, unfortunately. And sorry again if I still have problems with rotating.

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=10020.msg279678#msg279678

Oleg, a beautiful red Allium, even when just in bud. 

I know there are not many red Alliums, but I did recognize it (98.7% sure ), and when searching google on Allium cardiostemon, I found a couple images showing emerging flowers, looking similar to your plant. I've never grown this Turkish Allium, there are so many Turkish delights and Alliums to tempt the senses.  I include a link to a scanned Van Herbaryum web site image, and as well; under the Fair Use Provision I'm posting a screen shot from the Taxonomic Allium Reference Collection at Gatersleben IPK, from one of the eight acquisition records at the 2nd link below.

http://www.vanherbaryum.yyu.edu.tr/flora/famgenustur/li/al/ca/pages/Allium%20cardiostemon%20FISCH_%20ET%20MEY_%20%20%20_jpg.htm

Allium cardiostemon at Gatersleben IPK:
http://pgrc-35.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=265:3:947489780413001::NO::P3_SCIENTIFIC_NAME:232

[olegKon]

Mark, thank you for the ID. It was so much exciting! I haven't even dreamt of having this beauty. It is worth 6 years waiting.