Allium has come up with head bent pointing downwards??

iamjowilson

i have alliums planted in a trough with lots of other bulbs. The alliums have come up but their heads are currebtinf bent right over so that they are pointed downwards - is this ok? Will they right themselves later?

Fairygirl

What sort are they, and what is the trough like? It seems early for most alliums to have heads on, apart from the dwarf types, and they're quite sturdy.

They may have grown a bit leggy due to the other planting competing with them for light, and therefore the stems are struggling to hold their weight. 

iamjowilson

Oh dear - i can’t remember which type they are... the trough is large and deep, but I have crammed it with a bulb lasagne. It may well not be getting enough sun because the trough faces east and is right next to the house. I can always relocate them if they fail in this location I suppose. 
Pictures show trough and close ups of three alliums. They are all doing it. 

iamjowilson

The thing is, the stems are not soft, you can’t bend them straight. They are sturdy and strong seemingly, just bent right over.

Dovefromabove

That looks very familiar ... can’t for the life of me remember the name but it’s normal and they’ll sort themselves out. 😊 
ill try to remember the name ...

fidgetbones

There is an allium that comes up like that. It has a shaggy head rather than the ball head type. Allium bulgaricum aka Nectaroscordum siculum aka Honeybells.   Remember to give the tub a water. You will be surprised how dry the tubs of bulbs are at the moment. I had to get the hosepipe out on mine.

Dovefromabove

That’s what I was trying to remember @fidgetbones 👍 
Nectaroscordum siculum 😊 

nutcutlet

I must look at mine but I don't like the look of those twisted leaves. It all doesn't look right to me

iamjowilson

Honey bells rings a bell! I’ll keep my fingers crossed, but I think I may have over done the stuffing. I planned for the tub to have colour through spring and summer but forgot how much room the leaves would take up before and after the flowers (rookie mistake 😬). I suspect the alliums may be feeling strangled. Oh well, if it doesn’t work I’ll move them elsewhere for next year. 

iamjowilson

Thanks !!

Fairygirl

Is that a clematis in the corner as well - on the cane?
I'd move that somewhere else too. It'll struggle in there, unless there's nothing in with it, even if it's a type that doesn't need lots of moisture. 
The soil level is quite low too, so you may need to top that up afterwards. That's quite normal in containers/raised beds, so if you do that once everything's flowered, that'll help nay bulbs you leave in there. A bit of liquid food while the foliage dies back is also helpful