My Alliums Are Coming Up In October – Why? [4 Reasons]

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Close-up of purple allium buds among tall grasses in a field.

Alliums provide pretty showy blooms every year. They are a part of the same family as the scallion, cultivated onion, garlic, leek, and chives. Just one sniff of a leaf between your fingers will remind you that the pretty allium is a part of the family.

The globe-like flowers of the allium offer an exciting look for your garden. The head of the allium flower is a cluster of small individual florets.

There are many great color options, including purple, pink, yellow, and white. Most alliums are perennial, meaning they will come up for you again every spring. Plant the bulbs in your flower beds or containers, and enjoy seeing them add a pop of color and texture to your garden every spring.

Ordinarily, alliums are expected to bloom in spring and early summer, based on your growing zone. But some show up in October. This can cause a bit of concern for any gardener.

This blog post answers all the questions regarding why your alliums bloom in October. We’ve researched and compiled the top five reasons that might be behind your alliums coming up in October.

Why Alliums Are Coming Up In October

Alliums do not have the power to detect seasons. They start sprouting when exposed to the right conditions (such as sunlight, moisture level, and temperature). However, here are some questions to help you figure out why your alliums are sprouting in October.

1. Is it a fall variety?

Indeed, most varieties of alliums are known to bloom in the spring and early summer months. However, some varieties are fall-bloomers. The allium splendens, as an example, is a fall bloomer that produces a puff of dark, pink flowers in the fall months.

If you don’t know the variety or didn’t plant them yourself, it could just be you’ve got a fall variety planted. Snap a picture and take it to your local garden center to speak to a pro. Or, if you don’t want October blooming alliums, you can dig them up and relocate them.

Fall blooming plants can add a fun pop of color to your garden when everything else is beginning to die back. It is equally simple to remove the bulbs if you don’t want them to be blooming in that particular area of your garden.

2. Are the bulbs planted too deeply?

Alliums are not too picky about how and where they are grown. The bulbs, however, should not be planted too deeply in the soil. Doing so can potentially lead to them skipping over their spring and early summer schedule. They may wait until the hottest parts of the summer are over and come up when temperatures drop in October.

While this isn’t ideal, it shouldn’t be an issue for them next spring. You enjoy a bit of blooming color in October. Transplant the alliums to a better depth once they die back for the winter. Next spring, they should come upon schedule.

You also enjoy seeing your alliums at a time of the year when everything else is preparing for the winter. It’s then a simple fix to dig the bulbs up and relocate them to better planting depth. This also allows you to amend the soil just how they like it.

3. What is the weather condition for your growing zone?

If you’ve been experiencing weather not typical for your growing zone, that might be why your alliums didn’t bloom until much later. The weather that’s entirely too warm, or a rainier than usual season, can impact your entire garden.

Your roses may not bloom under certain weather conditions, and as a result, they may develop rot. The same can hold for your alliums. There’s nothing to do if it’s the weather to blame outside of keeping the soil conditions right.

It’s easy to blame yourself for things that go wrong with your garden and its plants. If the weather is at fault, you have nothing to do. It will be best to regularly take care of your garden to the best of your abilities.

4. Are conditions in the soil off?

Alliums are not very difficult to grow. The only thing is that they do require good soil conditions to thrive. If the soil is too dense, it can take longer for the bulbs to break through. If the soil is too dry, the bulbs may not break through until they get more moisture after summer. Many find that transplanting their alliums into containers allows them to control the growing conditions better.

Fixing the soil is incredibly easy. Alliums require loose well-draining soil. They require steady moisture but hate being soggy. That’s about all they need to thrive.

Vibrant purple allium flowers in full bloom with a soft focus on surrounding blooms.

What to Do If You See Your Alliums Coming Up In October

If your alliums are springing up already, you don’t need to panic; there’s nothing you can do. However, their growth rate will slow when night and temperature fall.

Resist the temptation to mulch the surface with new hay or compost; this will increase the temperature, encouraging more growth.

The best you can do is to leave your alliums alone. They are perennials in nature, so if they are planted in a good environment, they will bloom beautifully and return year after year.

Final Thoughts

Some professional gardeners have suggested that the best time to plant alliums is mid-Autumn. However, you can still plant them as late as December. The only disadvantage is that they will not grow to their full potential.

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