Allium seedlings

Hello everyone. I was wonderng if anyone could tell me if Allium 'Purple Sensation' is likely to come true from seed and, if so, how long it would take to reach a flowering size. I left the flowerheads on last year as they're such a lovely shape, even in their skeletal form. Now my front bed's covered in seedlings which I would pot a few of up, if it was worth it.

Thank you in advance for any replies,

Iain

 

Hi Garden_Monkey. My understanding is that seedlings, in time, will revert to the duller purple of the species. Though I don't know how many generations it will take.

I have been growing some from seed the last 2 or 3 years, but none have got near flowering size yet. I think you are talking 3 to 4 years to flower. But its always worth a go. Thats they way you learn.

 

Thanks for your reply Peter.:thumb: I'll pop a selection of them in pots, leave a few in the garden and hoe the rest off then.

 

Do not be in too big a hurry to pot up the seedlings. They have only one root at first and it it is damaged then the whole root dies back to the base of the new baby bulb and it has to grow a new one from the base. Unlike a lot of plants Alliums do not develop branching roots, each one comes from the basal plate..
You are looking at 3 to 5 years to reach flowering size depending on your treatment of them.

 

On the wider subject of propagating bulbs - there is an interesting article here. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=101

Named cultivars won't generally come true from seed. But you can propagate them by the bulb equivalent of cuttings.

Have you ever tried chipping bulbs Palustris - and is it easy?

 

Yes and no.
Did it as part of a Rural Studies course over 30 years ago, with some success. However these days my eyesight is not up to the visual acuity needed for the task.