Home»Bulbs»Alliums
Alliumis a genus of plants that everyone ’s see ; many have mature wild in their backyards , yet few truly apprise the time value of these plant .
The news allium literally mean ail in Latin , and while we now tend to use up only about 12 species , far more have been used in yesterday ’s kitchens .
rent ’s take a moment to look at this genus and some of its wonderful benefit for your garden , disregardless of whether you designate to harvest it for food .
Allium Companion Plants
Alliumsare incredible companion plants that not only bring home the bacon some health benefit when eaten ( if you use an edible coinage ) but also have health benefits for other nearby flora .
Here ’s everything you need to do it about using Allium in familiar planting .
What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is the secret to why some gardens are healthier and bet much more attractive than others .
Also known as complementary horticulture , the finish of this proficiency is three - fold :
In garden options , water and nutrient will work their manner deeper into the soil , so having a tap ascendant , for example , will be able-bodied to claim resources that a plant with shallow roots did n’t get in meter .
This little trick means you could set in the spatial arrangement between plants as long as you know the root astuteness of the works involve .
Tuber and medulla oblongata are genus Allium ’s major root cast , so you will require to mix them with plants with deeper beginning organization .
Also , many plants pull in good insects while repelling cuss , and that benefit can carry over to nearby plant as well .
This have in mind less trust on chemical substance pesticides , while the closer grouping mean less need for weedkiller or weeding .
Related : Do onion ( Alliums ) and Tomatoes Grow Well Together ?
Alliums Aren’t Just Onions and Garlic
Those familiar with the word allium usually only think of those plant life used in cooking .
These include :
But with literally hundreds of species , plus edition and cultivar , there are actually many which answer an almost purely cosmetic part .
These often have a single stem with a orbicular umbel of bright colors that make perfect accents for the garden , such as :
Just be admonish , a few species in this genus can be considered weed , so be sure when choosing an genus Allium for your garden that it ’s doable .
Garden Benefits of Alliums
There ’s no deny that alliums can be highly beneficial to almost any garden .
Even the purely decorative plants have a morsel of that garlic smell if you bruise the leaves , which helps to repel cervid and rabbits .
This smell also helps repel pest worm , such as aphid and mealybugs .
genus Allium also help repel slugs , snail , and many more specialized pests when planted near vegetable .
A Note on Grouping Alliums
While alliums are great at deterring a encompassing range of pesterer , they ’re susceptible to fungous infections and plague by onion flies .
This can make grouping them together hazardous , as the collective smell will draw those onion fly in like moths to a flaming .
Meanwhile , powdery mould or other fungal infections can circulate like wildfire throughout your allium cluster .
Therefore , it ’s good to space your Allium out unless pair them with plant that repel onion flies .
Leeks are the one exclusion to this normal , as onion fly sheet seem to dislike them , so pairing a leek with another genus Allium can actually pretty reduce the risk of onion flies .
Crop Companion Planting
As remark , allium can aid fight off several harvest - specific pesterer , and some of those crop will also help fend off pests that target alliums in income tax return .
Here are some common crops and their relationship with Allium :
Brassicas
Veggies such as Brassica oleracea italica , dinero , cauliflower , and kale benefit greatly from experience alliums planted nearby .
The alliums will repel cabbage looper , cabbage maggots , and cabbage worms , among other pests that target these common crops .
Carrots
genus Allium and carrot have an especially close bond , as alliums will repulse Daucus carota sativa flies , and carrot will drive onion flies .
Celery
cultivated celery aid repel onion fly , helping to keep your Allium dependable and goodish .
Chamomile
Planting Chamaemelum nobilis near edible genus Allium will dish out as a spirit foil for the oils in your Allium .
As a bonus , camomile will make your genus Allium less susceptible to fungous infections .
Cucumbers
genus Allium are susceptible to fungal infections , but the Cucumis sativus in reality help protect genus Allium from this problem .
Marigolds
These wonderful flower free a chemical that actually kills harmful roundworm and repel onion flies while simultaneously attracting pollinators .
Peppers
Peppers are a great familiar for edible genus Allium , as the pepper in reality improves the feeling of alliums .
The raging the pepper , the better your alliums will smack .
Some Other Crop Pairings
pepper , strawberries , and tomato plant are all less probable to suffer from pests or verticillium wilt disease when paired with onions .
Planting leeks near other genus Allium can cut the jeopardy of onion flies , which the Allium porrum is more resistant to .
Lettuce has a compatible root arrangement with alliums , mean you’re able to found them very near together .
Parsley deters both onion flies and maggot when planted near alliums .
Crop Plants Harmed by Alliums
Allium may benefit some plants , but they can stunt the development of other plants or even degrade their flavor .
Avoid establish an allium too close to the following :
Ornamental Companion Planting
There are quite a few wonderful optic combination you may make using genus Allium with ornamental .
The most plebeian color of allium bloom are blue , purple , white , and yellow , and their ball shape add particular charm to several types of grass and spike flowers .
Here are just a few of the many wonderful plants that pair off great with genus Allium :
As with crop , ensure that any plants you pick out to pair up with alliums do n’t compete for root space .
