Guide to growing Garlic, Wild Onion, Allium

The common names for members of Allium include Wild onion garlic chives, and golden garlic.

They are usually grown as a hardy bulb by gardeners. Allium typically flowers from in the spring or summer, with species variations.

Giant Chives are also members of Allium, and can be grown by similar methods.

Description of Wild onion, Garlic and similar plants

The Allium genus contains the plants Wild onion and garlic; Members of the genus vary widely in height and can grow from between 15 cm and 150 cm in height.Allium has balls of blue, pink or purple flowers. As a consequence of the plants variations in height they can have many uses in the garden, and are often used as edging and in borders.

How to grow Golden Garlic, Wild onion

It is best to plant small Allium bulbs at a depth of 9 to 15 cm and larger ones at a depth of 20cm, with a spacing of 10 cm for smaller species and up to 30 cm apart for larger species in the autumn. Wild onion, garlic and simiar species prefer partly shady conditions or full sunlight. The soil should be well drained, well composted and have a pH between 6 and 7. Allium requires between 2 weeks and a full year to germinate. When starting Allium species off from seed indoors, the seeds should be imbided in the fridge for four weeks in the dark, then removed to the light and kept at 14 to 16 degrees celsius in flats for a year. They should be transplanted out individually in pots in the autumn.

Caring for garlic and wild onions in the garden

Garlic, Wild onions and their relatives are easy to look after, they should be fertilised each spring, and dead flowers removed to prevent them becoming a pest.

Garden Plants and Flowers G / Flowers L / Flowers W