alliums
 

Hi,
I purchased some alliums this year from Gardeners World Live. One variety
was called "Silver ....... " something, its too dark to go down garden now
to check.
However it has started shooting with leaves jutting about 1.5 inches above
the level of compost in pot.
Query. Will it survive the winter like this, or should it have some
protection.
Many Thanlks In advance
Cineman

alliums
 

cineman wrote:
Hi,
I purchased some alliums this year from Gardeners World Live. One variety
was called "Silver ....... " something, its too dark to go down garden now
to check.
However it has started shooting with leaves jutting about 1.5 inches above
the level of compost in pot.
Query. Will it survive the winter like this, or should it have some
protection.

Never grew alliums in pots - I have lots of different variety (alliums,
astrantia and scabiosas are my only collections), and this year I tried
the 'hair' one which is really weird but not unpleasant. If in pots and
sprouting now means that they are too warm - though the climate is
unusually warm so there's nothing you can do. Also you are seeing only
the leaves - the flower stem takes usually longer to come out so don't
worry too much.

I would, at first sign of serious frost/snow/ice, mulch the top of your
pots so that the water don't freeze on top and either place your pots
straight on soil, firming them down, or raise them from the ground so
that they don't split when frost bites. I use lots of wooden planks and
put all our pots on them or place them in cluster straight in the soil
in the garden over winter.