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Bulbs/Allium Bulbs

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Question
Hello there.
I have two varieties of allium in my garden-all blooming right now.
I would like to move them to a new location and am not sure when to do it. Should I do it in fall like I originally did, or can I do it once the blooms are faded?
Any info is appreciated.
I'm in the Northwest,  also zone 7, btw.
Cheers,
Tony

Answer
Two varieties of Alliums are blooming right now... hmmm... I want to guess you have Allium moly and Allium azereum, which are peaking in my yard.

Perennials are divided or transplanted best just after flowering or during the transition to dormancy.  

Alliums, however, are a slightly different ball game.  Some Alliums bloom months ahead of their foliage -- then disappear from view, leaving no trace until the leaves break ground.  Others appear simultaneously with foliage.  And unlike perennials, these are bulbs.  Big, healthy Bulbs.

Ideally, you would wait until these bulbs are headed toward dormancy.  Root systems during active growth, which is what we have now, will suffer on these if you uproot them midsummer. I don't advise it.

Much better to adjust these when they have reached the bone dry bulb stage.

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Expertise

Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.

Experience

Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.

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