Allium obliquum
| Allium obliquum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Allium obliquum (common name: twistedleaf garlic)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle - if you want to produce clumps more quickly then put three plants in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in spring once they are growing vigorously and are large enough.
Division in spring. Very easy, the plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season and the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation: An easily grown plant[1], it prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil[2]. Succeeds in damp acid soils and in heavy clay[1].
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[2].
This species is closely related to the Welsh onion, A. fistulosum[1].
Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[3][4][5]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[6].
Cultivated for its edible bulb in Siberia, where it is used as a garlic substitute[7][8].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[9].
Range: E. Asia - Siberia[10]
Habitat: Meadows and wooded slopes[10].
Edibility: Bulb - raw or cooked[11][8][12]. A garlic substitute[7][13][14][15]. The bulbs are up to 2cm in diameter[16].
Leaves - raw or cooked[1].
Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads.
Medicinal: Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system[K].
Usage: The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles[4].
Pollinators: Bees, insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[17].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Davies, Dilys. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Batsford, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.