While the flowers of the ornamental onion are in all their glory, many a gardener watches with concern as the tips of the leaves turn brown and become dry. If this phenomenon occurs even in early spring, one may even fear that purple flower balls will not be expected in summer. Here you can read how you should deal with brown tips on ornamental onions.
Why does my onion have brown tips?
Brown tips on ornamental garlic are generally harmless and part of the natural vegetation process. The plant draws nutrients from the leaves back into the bulb. Causes can be variety, location or weather. Additional irrigation is not necessary as it can promote waterlogging.
Why does my ornamental onion get brown tips?
Brown tips on the leaves of the ornamental onion are in most cases absolutelyharmless If the leaves first turn yellow and later brown, this reflects the natural vegetation process of the allium. The plant draws the nutrients from the leaves back into the bulb so that they are not lost and are available again in the next season.
When does ornamental onion get brown tips?
When the leaves of the Allium turn brown depends on the one hand on thevarietyand on the other hand on thelocationand theWeather from. In some varieties the discoloration begins before the flowers form, in others it only begins when the flowers slowly begin to wilt. Strong sunlight can intensify the effect.
How can I avoid brown tips on ornamental onions?
Thenatural browning process of the ornamental onion leaves cannot be avoided. You should therefore not fight them or even cut them off, but rather accept them as the natural cycle of the ornamental onion. If you suspect drought, please do not start watering the ornamental onion more heavily as a countermeasure. Allium only requires very moderate amounts of water and usually does not need to be watered at all. On the other hand, giving too much water increases the risk of waterlogging, which should be avoided at all costs.
Tip
Other possible causes of brown tips on ornamental onions
Whether there is a disease or an infestation can be recognized less by the leaves and more by the flowers. If the flowers are smaller than usual or do not bloom at all, the brown leaf tips could be a side effect of a nutrient deficiency, pest infestation or waterlogging.
