Ornamental onions are not all the same - this becomes clear when you look at the many different varieties. They all have one thing in common and that is they have very similar demands and tolerances when it comes to cutting.
Ornamental onions are ideal as cut flowers in the vase
Do not remove yellowing leaves too early!
When the flowering period begins and the ornamental onion needs an incredible amount of energy and nutrients for its flowers, its leaves gradually turn yellow. Of course, that doesn't look very nice. You quickly reach for the scissors and cut off the leaves. But beware! This is exactly the mistake you shouldn't make!
The onion needs the nutrients
If you simply remove the yellowing leaves, you risk the ornamental onion dying before it blooms the following year. The reason is that this plant needs the nutrients from the leaves for its bulb in the soil. Nutrients slowly migrate out of the leaves and into the bulb as flowering begins.
Only when the leaves are completely yellow - ideally dried up and lying on the ground - can they be removed carelessly. They do not necessarily have to be cut off, but can also be pulled out.
Cover the ugly leaves with ground covers
If you are bothered by the increasingly yellowing leaves of the plant, you should underplant them with ground covers in autumn or spring. It is ideal to do this when planting the ornamental onions. The following ground covers are suitable, for example:
- low ornamental grasses
- Comfrey
- lady's mantle
- cranesbill
- bed roses
- lavender
- catnip
- oregano
Cut off the inflorescences or not
A cut does not necessarily have to be due. When the flowers wither, you have the choice of cutting off old inflorescences or leaving them on the plant. If you choose the former to prevent the allium from forming seeds, you can simply cut off the flower stalk at the base.
Leaving the inflorescences after the flowering period is also good, as they are extremely decorative when dried until late autumn. On the other hand, the ornamental onion can multiply by self-sowing or you can harvest the seeds.
tips
Most ornamental onion varieties are perfect as cut flowers. They also look great in dried bouquets.