Not a lot of people tend to deadhead their Alliums, and the reason for this is rather simple, even the seed heads of the Alliums are beautiful. When most of the garden has stopped flowering, and most of the flowers are spent, the few Allium seed heads will be the centerpiece of the garden. They look especially beautiful in the winter, when some snow covers them up they look like massive snow globes.
Deadheading alliums is not necessary for the plants’ health or productivity. There are no significant benefits to the plant by removing the spent flowers. The decision to deadhead alliums is purely based on personal preference. If you prefer a tidier appearance or want to prevent self-seeding, you can remove the faded flowers. However, leaving them on the plant can add visual interest and contribute to the natural life cycle of the alliums.
If you love Alliums then my personal recommendation is to plant some Sunshine Alliums as they do brighten up the garden with their colors Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
No matter if you want to deadhead or not your Alliums, the process is relatively simple. If you choose not to deadhead then simply let the flowers turn into seed heads, either leave the seedheads to spread their seeds or collect them. This is an excellent way of letting your Alliums spread around your garden, although do keep in mind that some Alliums are sterile like the Globemaster for example.
On the other hand, if you want to deadhead your Alliums simply cut the spent flowers off before they start producing seeds. This way the plant will focus all of its energy on the bulb and not on producing seeds. If you want to know the main difference between Allium seeds and bulbs then check out my recent article Allium Seeds VS Bulbs ( Pros & Cons ).
Should I Deadhead Alliums?
Deadheading alliums, or removing the spent flowers, is a matter of personal preference. Alliums have attractive seed heads that can add visual interest to the garden, and some gardeners enjoy leaving them in place for their ornamental value. However, if you prefer a neater appearance or want to redirect the plant’s energy toward bulb development instead of seed production, deadheading can be beneficial. To deadhead alliums, simply remove the faded flower heads by cutting them back to the base of the stem.
This can be done once the flowers have fully bloomed and started to wither. By removing the spent flowers, you can encourage the plant to focus its energy on bulb growth and potentially extend the life of the plant.
You Should Deadhead Your Alliums In The First Year
If you want to deadhead your Alliums, then you should do it in the first year of planting, as the benefits of doing so will be massive in the second year. Some people do not even wait for the flower buds to open and they simply chop them off, and there is a good reason for this. Allium bulbs will flower in the first year, although you will notice that some of the flower heads are not as large as they should be.
If you deadhead the Alliums in the first year, or even better, cut off the flower buds before opening then you are forcing the plant to use all of its energy to grow the bulb. The bigger the Allium bulb is the bigger its flower will be, so you should get bigger flowers next year. If you still want the Allium flowers in the first year, but you also want to have bigger flowers in the second year, then cut off the spent flowers, this way you do not allow them to create seed heads. If you want to grow Alliums from seed then check out my recent article How To Grow Alliums From Seed ( In 7 Easy Steps ).
Deadheading Alliums Will Not Force Them To Grow New Flowers
Alliums are single stemmed flowers, which means that only one flower will grow per stem. In addition to this, it also means that every bulb will only create one stem with a flower. The main reason people deadhead their plants is that this process forces the plants to grow new flowers, but this is not the case when it comes to Alliums. Most people who actually deadhead their Alliums do it for aesthetic purposes, or they want to promote bulb growth.
Deadhead Alliums If You Do Not Want Them To Self Seed
Alliums are extremely good self seeders as long as the variety is not sterile. If you let the Allium flowers turn into seed heads then these seeds will spread around your garden randomly, with the help of the wind and birds. People who have very formal Allium flower borders either deadhead them to stop them from spreading into random parts of the garden or they allow them to produce seed heads at which point they collect the seeds.
Allium seeds take around 3 years to turn into flowering plants, so if you let them self seed randomly you will not see their flowers for quite a while. Some Allium varieties tend to be more aggressive self seeders than others, and if you already have a lot of them, then you should probably deadhead them.
Allium Bulbs Will Multiply Even If You Deadhead Them
The best part about growing Alliums is that they can multiply in different ways, with their seeds, and with their bulbs. Generally speaking, Allium bulbs will multiply in the second year, and you should see new Allium shoots next to the main bulbs. Although these new bulbs will not be able to flower for some time, but they will flower a lot faster than Alliums from seed. The best thing that you can do for Allium bulbs to multiply is to deadhead their spent flowers, especially in the first year of planting. If you want to know when to divide Allium bulbs then check out my recent article When And How To Divide Alliums? ( Easy Guide ).
Deadhead Alliums If You Want To Replant Them
If you want to replant your Alliums when they are dormant then it is a good idea to deadhead them. This way the bulbs will have enough nutrients stored to survive the winter even in a new location. Ideally, you should snip off the flower buds before they open, this way very little energy would have been wasted on the flowers. Try not to replant the Alliums when they are in full bloom, as the transplant shock and the high cost of producing the flowers might kill off the bulb.
Key Takeaways
- You should deadhead your Alliums if you want the bulbs to get larger, the larger the bulbs are the bigger flowers they can grow. If you do not want your Alliums to self seed then you should definitely deadhead them, although the Allium bulbs will still multiply. Deadheading Alliums will not force them to grow new flowers in the current year, instead, the plants will focus on storing as many nutrients in the bulbs as possible.
- Alliums will still multiply with their bulbs even if you deadhead them.
- Deadheading is not necessary for Alliums.
