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Allium Gladiator- Short Lived Flowering!

Beany1971Beany1971 Posts: 47
in Plants
I continually read that Alliums have a long flowering season, but for the 3rd year running my Gladiators have lasted no longer than a week before loosing their colour.
my neighbours seem to last a lot longer, should I have neighbour envy, or is there something I need to do other than feeding/watering them.
They're positioned in a sunny bed in the garden.
Thanks in advance  

Posts

  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 931
    Are your neighbour’s Gladiators too? It may just be the variety? 

    I haven’t grown Gladiator but did have a few of a different giant variety (white ones) and I vaguely recall that they went over more quickly than the rest. Purple Sensation and Purple Rain lasted well for us (re flowering period, they don’t really like our soil so had all disappeared by year three).

    The only other reason may be where they are in your garden compared to your neighbours - only a slight difference in conditions may make all the difference.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,452
    Alliums do seem to have gone over quite quick this year more than usual probably the weather. I grow Gladiator, normally flowers about 3-4 week . Globemaster - purple rain - Christophii flower longer for me . I am growing a few new ones this year so hopefully they will have a one flowering period 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,705
    I'd agree, it's the weather, it's a lot warmer and drier in many places than is normal for this time of year. That'll make pretty much all flowers pass over more quickly than usual. The plant effectively jettisons the energy sapping flower.
    Devon.
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 931
    My first thought was the weather but the poster said it was the third year in a row. I can’t remember what the weather was like this time last year, I don’t think it was as hot but maybe we had a dry spring. It all seems so long ago....
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,705
    we had a very hot easter last year in Devon
    Devon.
  • Beany1971Beany1971 Posts: 47
    @Hostafan1 @Butterfly66 @Perki - Thankyou. 
    I live in Surrey and we have had hot May‘s in 2019 & 2018, but if I recall Easter 2018 was ‘damp’.  The other thing I thought was we have also experienced 6 months of rain up till March not sure that helps either.  
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