Decorative aliums

[Primrose]

Last year I planted a dozen of the large decorative "pom pom" aliums and got a spectacular show. This year they are floweirng again but the heads only seem to be about half the size and I wonder if this is normal?. Do these bulbs have a limited flowering life and are they like tulips which, for a good display, need to be planted fresh every year? Can I leave them in the soil indefinitely? Should I have manured around them to get better results. I allowed the leaves to die down naturally but picked the stems and heads when they'd dried for indoor decoration, so don't think this would have weakened the bulbs unduly.

[ken]

I'm not speaking with great knowledge here (do I ever!?!), but it sounds as if it could be a feeding problem. In my experience, allium bulbs are long-lived and generally trouble-free, but, as with other bulbs such as daffodils, they probably appreciate a bit of feed such as bone meal or blood fish and bone after flowering, so they can build up the bulbs again for next year. When you buy from a reputable supplier, they are usually grade 1, and well plumped up. Allthe best, K

[Geoff]

I think, like a lot of bulbs, if you buy first grade they flower and divide the first year and only get back to full size after a couple more years. Have you got more heads?