Allium Atropurpureum dying

[Marb67]

I really can;'t understand why these recently purchased plants potted on together are showing signs of wilting, pale and dying leaves before they even flower. It doesn't make sense as they are in fine compost with perlite.

[Nicos]

So…what is your watering/ feeding regime?

[Jungle Jane]

They don’t look like they have much root space at the edge of the pot & too close to each other. Spacing for large bulbs 20cm apart,they can grow to 60cm tall,25cm spread,their roots need more space to carry them.

[Marb67]

So…what is your watering/ feeding regime?

Vitax Q4 and keep watered as normal.

[Marb67]

They don’t look like they have much root space at the edge of the pot & too close to each other. Spacing for large bulbs 20cm apart,they can grow to 60cm tall,25cm spread,their roots need more space to carry them.

OK, thanks. In that case I'll plant them out. They are only small plants so the roots are not that big at the moment.

[Marb67]

Well, after planting out in soil they are not getting any better 😞

[Jungle Jane]

Its only been seven days give them longer, they usually want to flower & the flower spikes grow quite fast once they've decided to show, good luck to them

[Marb67]

Its only been seven days give them longer, they usually want to flower & the flower spikes grow quite fast once they've decided to show, good luck to them

OK, thanks

[Marb67]

Well, as snails had eaten one of the plants I dug them up to grow on more before I plant out again. One of them has dying, slushy foliage despite NOT overwatering

[Marb67]

Aaand again failure. Dying and dead foliage and yet there is a bulb. It's just a disaster! Even the larger Aliums grown in the soil haven't flowered or been eaten.

[Nicos]

I know you use top quality compost Marb, but maybe try experimenting with something not containing peat or moss.
Try a comparison .
Perhaps try a different feed too.
Whatever you are doing isn’t agreeing with many of your plants…so continue with what you usually do with the ones which are thriving, and try experimenting with others you struggle with?
Your thriving ones really appreciate your present method…but you must be so frustrated with the waste of money with so many dying.

Tis just a thought.

[Marb67]

A lot of the plants that die are planted in the soil or kept in the same pot they were purchased. I have seen a few garden nurseries selling this premium compost and nothing else. Peat free is never as good as many experts will tell you, the late Joe maiden being one of them. It's all about the climate con. Nothing beats real peat. I don't think it's a compost issue, it's something else

[Nicos]

Well, if you’re not prepared to experiment, then you’ll never know. But you do somehow need to work out what the issue is marb, and you need to be flexible with your research if you want to avoid repeated failures and wasting money.
Sorry.
Climate con?

[Star goose]

Hi Marb,

When you purchased the plants they should have had developing flower tops or a sign of it. For some reason, yours didn't have any of that? Well, plants have their own mind, sometimes...

They grow leaves before they flower. Then the leaves begin dying, leaving decorative seed heads. Yours just decided to skip a year and decided to go dormant for summer.

So, in short, I reckon your plants will bloom next Spring as you might have guessed.

[Marb67]

Hi Marb,

When you purchased the plants they should have had developing flower tops or a sign of it. For some reason, yours didn't have any of that? Well, plants have their own mind, sometimes...

They grow leaves before they flower. Then the leaves begin dying, leaving decorative seed heads. Yours just decided to skip a year and decided to go dormant for summer.

So, in short, I reckon your plants will bloom next Spring as you might have guessed.

Oh that's good news, that gives me hope Thanks as I didn't realise that. At least the bulbs are still intact.