I am growing some alliums for the first time.

A couple of them (I do not know what their name is) are about 20inches tall
with green leaves which are about one and a half inches at their widest.

The tops of some of the leaves are turning yellowy/brown.

Are they short of some nutrient - or is it likely a disease?

http://www.uploadphotograph.com/?v=photoqcq.jpg

"Judith in England" wrote in message
...


I am growing some alliums for the first time.

A couple of them (I do not know what their name is) are about 20inches
tall
with green leaves which are about one and a half inches at their widest.

The tops of some of the leaves are turning yellowy/brown.

Are they short of some nutrient - or is it likely a disease?

http://www.uploadphotograph.com/?v=photoqcq.jpg


Some Alliums (more than a few!) do this before flowering, i.e. leaves first
then flowers.

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

On 04/04/2014 22:59, Charlie Pridham wrote:

"Judith in England" wrote in message
...


I am growing some alliums for the first time.

A couple of them (I do not know what their name is) are about 20inches
tall
with green leaves which are about one and a half inches at their widest.

The tops of some of the leaves are turning yellowy/brown.

Are they short of some nutrient - or is it likely a disease?

http://www.uploadphotograph.com/?v=photoqcq.jpg


Some Alliums (more than a few!) do this before flowering, i.e. leaves
first then flowers.




Yup. This is normal for lots of Alliums. They lose, or mostly lose,
(sort of collapse) their leaves before flowering. Don't cut them off as
they are helping to feed the bulb as they die back. You can cut them out
once yellowed and no more use to the bulb. A foliar feed wouldn't do any
harm whilst they're still green.

At the end of flowering, I normally leave the seed heads on as they're
quite attractive. However, this year, I'm going to cut off most of them
as a trial, as the bulbs are more likely to be truly perennial if
they're not wasting energy making seed. I find most of my Alliums do
come back, but the flower heads may be a little smaller, so this is what
I am hoping to improve.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On Sat, 05 Apr 2014 12:28:57 +0100, Spider wrote:

On 04/04/2014 22:59, Charlie Pridham wrote:


snip


Yup. This is normal for lots of Alliums. They lose, or mostly lose,
(sort of collapse) their leaves before flowering. Don't cut them off as
they are helping to feed the bulb as they die back. You can cut them out
once yellowed and no more use to the bulb. A foliar feed wouldn't do any
harm whilst they're still green.



Many thanks to you and Charlie.