Allium Bulbs - am I too late??

LittleBearsGarden

Hi everyone,

We have recently moved to a new house and I would love to plant a large collection of alliums but realise that it is already February and I have read they are suppose to be planted in Autumn!!

I found some bulbs cheap online so I have gone ahead and ordered some and thought I would just give them a try. What are the chances of them surviving and blooming this year? do you think I should plant them in pots in the shed first then move them out in spring or just plant them straight outside? I plan to keep some in containers and some in our front garden. For those in the containers, what would be the best plant to accompany it to find the dead foliage?

We are new to gardening but keen to get stuck in!

Thanks in advance for your help.

Alex

Purplerain

I think you are too late. I found some in my porch yesterday, and thought to myself " why didn't I plant them out"? Maybe next year you will learn as a new gardener when to plant them. I am always catching up and I have been doing this for 40+ years 😀 

Paul B3

I have planted Allium 'Purple Sensation' in the past in a mild  January ;they flowered early Summer . Better planted out and given a chance .

Purplerain

@Paul B3 i might as well give them a go. I did plant out 60 drumsticks at the " right time" but up here in Scotland I think they have rotted. It just goes to show that advice from all over the country doesn't always work, no matter how "experienced" posters are.

Hostafan1

I found a random allium bulb on the surface of the soil last week which had started growing . I've stuck it in a wee pot and will find a spot for it later. 

Masonmuse

I planted my allium bulbs in October, some of the shoots are 10 inches through already which is not a good thing. If you plants new bulbs out now I don’t think you will have any problem with them growing and flowering in spring. 

pitter-patter

There are some late flowering alliums that can be planted now, like Allium Millennium or Summer Beauty, but I think those are bare roots rather than bulbs. Are your alliums from this category?

I wouldn’t have thought companies are still selling autumn planting alliums.

AnniD

I had some alium sphaerocephalon (sp? ) that l didn't plant until this time of year. Leaves appeared but they didn't flower. Thought I'd give them another chance, and the following year they put on a good show. If you've already bought them, then you've nothing to lose, you may just need to wait until next year to see how successful they are.
Just get them in the ground ASAP 

Dovefromabove

If you’ve got them
then plant them and give them a chance ... they won’t keep. 😊 

LittleBearsGarden

Thanks for your comments. They are a mixture of purple sensation, powder puff and superglobes. Guess as you say, I’ve bought them now so I will plant them and cross my fingers! The bulbs haven’t arrived yet, just hope they are in good condition. 

LittleBearsGarden

Also meant to say that the are bulbs not bare root plants.