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Ornamental Onion
Allium giganteum, commonly known as the ornamental onion or giant onion,
is a great eye catching plant. For approximately three weeks in June, it
displays large, deep lilac flower balls about 4-5 inches in diameter on
graceful, leafless stalks rising from the midst of the foliage. Its bluish-green
foliage is hollow and straplike, growing about a foot and a half long with
each leaf approximately two inches wide. This member of the amaryllis family
can reach a height of three and a half feet, making it ideal for background
plantings in a bed or border.
The bulb of the ornamental onion should be planted in fall (September
to October) six inches deep in well-drained areas which receives full sun.
Each should be placed 12-18 inches apart, or 10 bulbs per square yard,to insure
sufficient room for growth. The plants should be lightly fertilized when the
leaves first emerge. Following package instructions, spread a complete
fertilizer on the soil or mulch. Spring rains will wash it down to the roots.
Keep the soil moist throughout the growing season. In the winter the bulbs
require cold nights with soil temperatures below 45 degrees F°.
The ornamental onion is usually propagated from a bulblet, a little
bulb that grows at the base of the original bulb. The bulblets may be
separated from the mother bulb in early fall. It is also reproduced by seed.
The seedlings may require three years before flowering whereas the bulblet
usually takes only one. Unlike several other Alliums, A. giganteum
will not become invasive.
The ornamental onion grows well without any special growth requirements.
Although it is a tall plant, staking need not be considered
except in especially windy areas. Pest problems are practically nonexistent.
For these reasons, Allium giganteum is an especially interesting plant
to include in an outdoor garden. Its ornamental value can extend indoors
as a long-lasting fresh cut or dried flower.
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