- Spring Onions: Hidden in the ground, waiting to be planted
- Grow the seeds for sowing
- Self-sowing: just leave the flowers where they are
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If you don't want to pay the expense of buying new ornamental onion bulbs or constantly buying new packets of seeds, you can easily multiply them with your own hands and without buying anything - except perhaps seed soil. Read below how to do it!
The easiest way to propagate ornamental onions is to use spring onions
Spring Onions: Hidden in the ground, waiting to be planted
Like many other leek plants, the ornamental leek forms bulbs. With the help of this, the plant can be propagated in a targeted manner. The brood onions are usually in the ground and right next to the mother onion. Some species also develop their onions on the surface.
First you need to get the bulbs out of the ground. It is best to do this in the fall if you have previously cut down the plant. Use a spade to pry the mother onion out of the ground.
The brood onions usually stick to the mother onion. They emerged over the summer. It is important for propagation that these bulbs are plump, white and firm. Simply separate the brood onions from the mother onion.
Plant in a new location
Now the onions are planted in another location. Please note the following:
- sunny to semi-shady position
- permeable, loose, nutrient-rich soil
- distance of at least 15 cm
- Planting depth: 10 to 15 cm
- Insert with the tip up and the roots down
Grow the seeds for sowing
The seeds of ornamental onions are small, black, smooth, slightly shiny and unevenly shaped. They look like the seeds of regular green onions. Sowing is generally not very common, as it is much more complex than propagation using the onions.
Disadvantages of this method
The downside to this method is that it takes a long time for seeds to develop into large plants with vigorous bulbs. In addition, with bad luck, it takes longer than 3 months for the seeds to germinate. They are cold germs. Furthermore, it takes 2 to 3 years until the first flowering.
Procedure for sowing
First, the seeds need a warm and humid period. For this you can e.g. B. Harvest in late summer and wrap in damp kitchen paper and place in a glass bowl. After about 4 weeks, put the seeds in the fridge with the paper towels. After a waiting period of 6 to 8 weeks, the seeds are normally sown in seed soil.
Self-sowing: just leave the flowers where they are
It is not uncommon for the hardy ornamental onion to sow itself without any action. For this you should leave the faded flower stalks in the summer. The seeds overwinter on the ground and germinate in spring.
tips
You don't have to sow the seeds immediately after you collect them. They can also be stored in the refrigerator until next spring. There they retain their ability to germinate well.