PlantFiles: Ornamental Onion
Allium thunbergii

Following is a technique for germinating seed of Allium thunbergii that I plan to use:

PROPAGATION: Baggy 70*F (60%G, 6-23days) They are sowed the seed in a baggy at about 70*F, and that 60% of the seed germinated within 6 to 23 days. From his general directions elsewhere on his website, I think I will try sowing 1/4 of my seed (2 weeks before last frost) on a moistened (damp not soaking) coffee filter paper folded over the seed which will then be placed inside a ziplock baggie under growlights for up to 4 weeks. To keep the filter paper from drying out, it may be necessary to occassionally spritz it with just enough spray of water to dampen it. Don't let germinating roots go too long before potting up or they may get too tangled up in the filter paper. The potting medium could consist of a mixture of 3 parts of: 1 part perlite (best) or sand (not too sharp) for drainage; 1 part milled sphagnum moss or peat for their anti-fungal qualities; and 1 part soilless potting medium.

NOTE: In the 2nd edition of Norman C. Deno's book, Seed Germination Theory and Practice, germination techniques that worked for him are given for many Allium species, but not including A. thunbergii. However, it may be worth noting that although Deno found quite a variety of germination requirements among different allium species, those species all had in common: "...Gibberellic acid-3 (GA-3)...did not initiate germination in [any of them]".

A wonderful plant that adds color in the garden way into November.