How do I Plant Allium Bulbs?

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 10

Planting Time: Fall

Bloom Time: Late Spring, Early Summer

Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Shade

Spacing: 4” to 6” apart (3 bulbs per sq ft)

Depth: Plant 4” to 8” deep

Mature Height: 32” to 36” tall

Benefits: Easy To Grow, Deer Resistant and Squirrel Resistant

*Note: it’s important to store the bulbs correctly: unpack them right away and put them in a dry place with plenty of air circulation, where the temperature is between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Allium Bulb Planting Instructions:

1. Wait until the soil is 60 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. 
2. Select a well-drained soil location that receives full sun to partial shade.
3. In heavy, clay and poorly drained soils amend the soil prior to planting. Amend your existing soil by incorporating a combination of topsoil, compost, manure, and leaf mold.
4. Plant the allium bulbs about 4-8” deep and 4-6” apart, placing them in the ground with their pointy ends up. 
5. Cover with soil and water well once and wait for spring. 
6. After the alliums have bloomed don’t cut off the foliage. Leave it until it’s completely withered and yellow, then remove.

Container Planting Instructions:

1. Wait until it’s cold outside, with a soil temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. 
2. Pick a spot in your garden that gets full sun. 
3. Find a well-draining container and fill it with loose soil, making sure water won’t gather and stay at the bottom. 
4. Plant the allium bulbs about 4-8” deep and 6-8” apart, placing them in the soil with their pointy ends up. 
5. Since containers often have limited space, you can also experiment with placing the bulbs closer together, but make sure they never touch. 
6. Water well once and wait for spring, or, when you live in hardiness zone 3-7, water well and bring the containers indoors, letting them spend the winter in a cool spot like an unheated garage or basement.

Ongoing Allium Care:

Allium post bloom care is very easy. Simply keep the plants moderately watered until they fade to yellow and begin to shrivel. At this point, you can cut the plants down to the ground, leaving them where they are or dividing them. Allium bulbs should be divided every three or four years. To do this, simply dig around the plant with a trowel and lift the bulbs out. There should be a collection of bulbs, which you can separate gently with your hands. Replant a few in the same spot and plant the others right away in new locations. Caring for allium bulbs that you don’t want to divide is even easier. Simply cut back the foliage when it fades, In the fall, cover the soil with 2 to 3 inches of mulch. Remove the mulch in the spring to make way for new growth.