You want to give it a try, because after all, anyone can plant onions from ornamental garlic? Why not - sowing as a generative propagation method is more complex, but also successful.
How does the sowing of ornamental garlic work?
Sowing ornamental garlic is best done by sowing the seeds directly outdoors in late summer or sowing them in spring. The cold germinators require temperatures below 10 °C for several weeks. Alternatively, you can make them at home by first keeping them warm and then storing them in the refrigerator.
When is a good time for sowing?
The ornamental garlic seeds should ideally be sown outdoors before the onset of winter. This is how the cold can affect them. If you have forgotten, you can alternatively sow them in spring. The important thing is that it is not too late. Ideally they are sown from March and by the end of April at the latest.
The seeds are cold germinators
It was already mentioned - the seeds need exposure to cold. They don't germinate without cold. They are considered cold germs. Therefore, it won't work if you harvest them and sow them straight away at home in the warm living room. They need temperatures below 10 °C for several weeks.
Sowing outdoors
You should sow the seeds outdoors if possible. This is how it works:
- immediately after the harvest in late summer
- loose up the soil
- mix in some compost
- Sow seeds about 1 cm deep
- 2 seeds per seed hole
- keep moist
- Germination time: until spring
- prick later
Prefer home
Pre-growing at home can also work. However, it is much more time-consuming and complicated because the seeds have to go through different periods in order to germinate. First of all, you should know that you don't have to sow the seeds immediately, you can also store them in a dry and dark place until spring.
Let’s go:
- Wrap seeds in damp paper and place in a sealable container
- put in a warm place
- ventilate daily to avoid mold
- put in the fridge after 4 weeks
- after 8 weeks take the seeds out of the fridge
- sow in seed soil in pots
- keep moist
Seeds from your own breeding or purchased
Ornamental leek seeds are rarely available in stores. The sale of onions is common. But no problem: If you already have an ornamental onion plant, you can harvest its seeds by leaving the inflorescences after they bloom in June.
Tip
If the soil is particularly rich in humus, the ornamental onion often reproduces abundantly through self-sowing.