Sowing allium seeds
msqingxiao
Posts: 480
in Plants
Just collected some seeds from the allium heads (bog standard ones bought from supermarket, nothing fancy). Wondering what I can do with them... After reading some old posts here and on other websites I learnt that:
- They may not come true to original plant, which I don't mind
- They may take a few years to reach flowering size, which I'm happy to wait
- Shall I sow them now in pots?
- Or put the seeds into a fridge and wait till spring to sow?
0
Posts
Sow the seed fresh. It germinates better straight from the plant rather than being dried off.
Cover lightly with grit, gravel or whatever rather than compost.
Sow in a deep pot rather than a seed tray (reasons later).
Leave exposed to weather. They need a period of cold followed by warmth to initiate germination.
When (if?) they germinate do not be in a hurry to p rick them out. This is the reason for deep pot rather than seed tray. They have only one root to begin with and if it is damaged, it dies and a new one has to be produced from the base of the seedling, usually they die.
Feed the seed pot with dilute Baby Bio type stuff, until the leaves go yellow then allow the pot to dry off.
Repotting may be done when they are dormant. Some types never really go dormant so be careful.
I often do not repot until they have had another seasons growth. Remember many of them actually grow in late winter/early spring.
Cannot think of anything else for the moment.
Not as hard as it seems.
If I sow them in pots now, when will they germinate please? If only next spring then keeping the pots regularly watered for half a year is quite a task...