In recent years, decorative gardens have become very fashionable. And if, when creating them, we do not forget about the perennial decorative bow, then success will be ensured, because bows are one of the most attractive plants in summer flower beds.
Moreover, the representatives of the onion family in the flower beds are now given the most honorable place. Decorative bows have earned the love of flower growers due to their attractive leaves and inflorescences. They are often used in a group with other ornamental plants. But it is much more interesting only on the basis of a wide variety of decorative bows, which differ in color, texture and height, to create unusual patterns on the flower bed from the flowers of different bows.
Their colorful flowers look great in shady corners and on alpine slides. The most common colors of decorative bows are purple, lilac, lilac, pink. But there are species with yellow flowers. One of these "miracle bows" is the moth onion.
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Moth onion (Allium moly) Also known as Golden Garlic, it is a perennial plant in the onion family. It grows throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In Europe and Russia it is used as an ornamental plant. In the wild, it is found in shady forests and in humid places and limestones from the plains to the mid-mountain belt of the Mediterranean region of Europe. The specific name "moth" comes from the Greek name for an unidentified local herb that is not at all related to onions.
It is a beautiful and easy-to-grow ornamental onion. It has long, flat, spear-shaped, gray leaves 4–5 cm wide, folded along the central vein and bent. The flowers are stellate, rather large (about 1 cm), yellow, petals outside with a green stripe along the central vein, on pedicels up to 2 cm long. They are collected in a loose hemispherical umbrella-inflorescence with a diameter of 4-6 cm, which is located on a low stem (25-30 cm).
The flowers go well with flat, bluish-green leaves, which retain their decorative effect for a long time. Flowering of this onion begins in mid-June and lasts for 15-25 days.
Reproduction
Onion moths are planted and propagated with baby bulbs and much less often with adult bulbs. A freely growing plant at the age of several years begins to give a large number of children, so if there are already adult bushes in the flower beds, then everything becomes easier.
Seed propagation of moth onions is hampered by the fact that the seedlings are small and weak, and the resulting plants often bloom only after 2-3 years, when the bulb has grown sufficient mass.
Planting and division should be carried out in spring and autumn (end of August) at the stage of dried leaves, in cool weather and no later than September 10 - so that the onion has time to take root.
Growing
The planting site must be chosen taking into account the fact that this onion absolutely does not tolerate stagnant water (this must be taken into account especially by the owners of loamy soils) and loves fertile, well-drained, moderately dry to moderately moist soils in a sunny area.
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In poor soil, you can add a little well-rotted manure before planting. But it should be remembered that an excess of organic matter will not benefit all bulbous ones. They absolutely do not tolerate feeding with fresh manure or chicken droppings.
Moth onions can be planted both in a sunny place and in partial shade, for example, under trees that transmit light. The planting pattern is 10x10 cm, but if the bulbs are large, then the distances are accordingly increased to 15x15 cm.
Care consists in light watering, because this mountain plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture, but it also reacts poorly to drying the soil, so this cannot be allowed.
Plants are replanted every 4–5 years (although you can replant annually) to eliminate the resulting thickening. Transplanted at the stage of dried leaves, planting depth at the same time - 3 bulb heights.After flowering, the inflorescences are usually removed.
The moth onion is an unpretentious plant that thrives in full sun and partial shade. It is suitable for both curbs and alpine slides. By the way, for moth onions, you can leave niches in the retaining wall, all low perennial bows will feel good in them: both Ostrovsky's bow, and chives, and others.
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It grows well, but, like other types of onions, has one drawback: its leaves begin to turn yellow already during the flowering period.
And the last thing. The moth onion is effective enough to create its own composition. The main thing to remember is that onions look good in mass planting, then they will not get lost in the garden. The onions are planted in groups of 25-30. Moreover, they can be combined with other decorative bows, then you get a very elegant flower bed.
"Ural gardener", No. 38, 2015
