Allium:  The Big Purple Globes
By Sandie Parrott
Michigan Gardener, July 2005
 

If you want to meet Bob Koenders and his Alliums, stop by the Rochester Farmers Market most Saturday mornings.

Getting Started
“I always knew I wanted to grow flowers,” expressed Koenders, “I grew up on a farm in Fraser and had my own tiny plot of flowers when I was nine years old. My mom, Olga, is eighty years old, a Master Gardener for many years and she still gardens,” stated Koenders.

A degree in Agronomy from MSU in 1979 was an important component to Koenders success with cut flowers. “I was fascinated by the difference in soil between my grandfather’s soil and my dad, Roy’s soil, just ten minutes away, ranging from sandy-loam to clay-loam,” said Koenders, “I had to learn why.”

The very same year, 1979, that he graduated from MSU Koenders bought his 15-acre farm on 32 Mile Road in Armada Township. He used geological land surveys to find a desirable location, and then tested the soil before the sale took place. “The farm is located on an ancient lake bed which is rich in the most important nutrient, calcium,” explained Bob Koenders.

He should know, after personally testing over 200,000 acres in the last 25 years working as a consultant for Brookside Lab of Ohio (now part-time). He was also selected as “Outstanding Young Man of America for 1985” for discovering a suitable “high calcium lime” industrial by-product and making it available to area farmers.

Koenders farm ranges in soil type from loam, sandy-loam to loamy-sand. He encourages homeowners to take advantage of MSU’s inexpensive and convenient soil testing service. “Homeowners can do this by using regular soil testing to monitor the soil fertility status and amend the soil as needed,” Koenders said.

The big three that contribute to gardening success according to Koenders are the type of soil, drainage and irrigation.

The soil may have been wonderful on his new farm, but the drainage wasn’t according to Koenders. “I had to add subsurface drainage tiles to most of the farm, said Koenders, “Before I could plant anything.”

Alliums
In 1990 a Romeo Florist and a good friend, Alex Motoligin, directed him to Al and Jean Haver’s backyard in Romeo where he saw their collection of Giant Allium (Allium giganteum) and ended up purchasing 1,000 bulbs, their entire collection, because they were retiring. This started him on his love affair, or his passion for the big purple globes.

Koenders stated, “My goal is to sell flowers that are somewhat rare as a cut flower, suitable to my soil and climate (they need vernalization or a chilling period like many other bulbs) and with little or no competition from overseas markets.” Koenders continues, “I want to deliver fresh quality flowers to the wholesalers in floral solution within 24 hours of cutting,” stated Koenders. Alliums meet all of his criteria for being a perfect cut flower. He claims many of the cut flowers we buy, especially roses, carnations and mums are shipped from overseas markets including China and South America.

Koenders has experimented with over twenty imported varieties over fifteen years to arrive at the varieties he has found to grow and sell well in the area. One of the varieties, said to grow in Michigan Allium schubertii ended up a complete loss for Koenders. “Many people claim this variety is hardy in Michigan, but I lost 100% of my crop,” said Koenders. The major varieties he grows and sells are Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’, Allium aflatunense, Allium altropurpureum, Allium christophii, Allium ‘Firmament’, Allium giganteum, Allium ‘Gladiator’, Allium ‘Globemaster’, Allium jesdianum, Allium ‘Mars’, Allium ‘Mt. Everest’, Allium elatum and Allium siculum (recently reclassified as Nectaroscordium siculum). See Allium Varieties below for more information on these varieties.

Koenders had friends in the florist industry that directed him to distributors. He described the benefits of buying his alliums…quality cut flowers fresh from the field, no shipping time, unique varieties, available volume and a long lasting cut flower….and they bought. Now they call him, anxious to receive his flowers.

Florists aren’t the only ones who call Koenders about his Alliums. The well-known and respected writer Allan Armitage along with Judy Laushman, Director of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, Inc. since its inception in 1988, wrote the recently revised second edition of Specialty Cut Flowers, by Timber Press. Mr. Armitage contacted Bob Koenders for comments and review of the Allium section before it went to print. Bob Koenders name is referenced throughout the section and he is personally thanked for his contributions.

Growing and Cutting
“I believe in the efficient use of space; my rows are 12”-16” wide and 200’ long with (originally) 40” between the rows. I’ve let them naturalize for 15 years and they continue to produce,” states Koenders. Most texts recommend dividing after 3-5 years or sooner. Koenders explains, “I do this deliberately, to produce a range of bloom sizes and to keep the very large blooms down to manageable size and affordable for the wholesalers, who don’t want to handle 10-inch Alliums.”

Koenders also grows annual rye and winter wheat as a companion crop. He lets it die down naturally for organic mulch. No pesticides are used, unless absolutely necessary. He believes completely in Integrated Pest Management. “Alliums are pretty much pest free, the only pest is the onion maggot and I never see it,” said Koenders. “The other problem is bulb rot (Sclerotinia cepivorum) which causes the bulb to die if given too much water,” explained Koenders.

When this was written, Bob Koenders along with Zakk Barozzini were cutting alliums in the rain to keep ahead of the harvest. “The smaller, earlier varieties need to be cut quickly, because once the larger varieties come in, nobody wants the smaller ones,” Koenders stated.

Bob Koenders is out there everyday from the middle of May to July 1st cutting Alliums for the market. He wants to make sure his hard-working helpers, Zakk, Kathy, Karen and Cindy and of course his wife Judy, get mentioned for all their hard work.

They cut about 2,000 flowers today, which is an average hard working day when the flowers are opening. The cutters used are just plain box cutters and with a quick flick of the wrist, while straddling the row he quickly has a hand full of flowers. Alliums are cut when partially open (for longevity in the vase), put in a bucket with Floralife preservative and a little bit of bleach, and then stored briefly in cool (35-38 degrees) storage until shipment to the distributor. They are transported to the distributor in an insulated truck and are placed directly in the wholesalers cooler.

With Koenders kind handling, and consumer care not to place them in hot sun, change the water regularly, re-cut the stems and use a preservative like Floralife or Crystal Clear, they can expect to have spectacular blooms in their vase for at least a week…sometimes two!

Allium Varieties

• Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’ – Dark Purple, excellent for naturalizing, blooms early, 3-4” globe, 2-3’ tall and dries well. Allium ‘Purple Surprise’ – “I was surprised by how much it cost and how close it was to ‘Purple Sensation’, not worth the money,” according to Bob Koenders.
• Allium aflatunense – Same as Purple sensation but a more lavender color.
• Allium christophii – (Star of Persia) Light purple metallic, late bloomer, largest flower 8-12 inch diameter, airy florets, dries well, small to medium height 15-24” tall and reseeds (5-6 years to bloom).
• Allium elatum – Bob’s favorite Allium, 3-5’ globes, 2 ½ to 3 ½’ tall, glossy foliage naturalizes well, early bloomer, rare, strong upright stems that don’t tangle (important for cutting).
• Allium ‘Firmament’ – New to the market, dark purple color, very similar to ‘Purple Sensation’.
• Allium giganteum (Giant Allium) – Purple color, blooms late, tallest at 3-5’, globe 4-8” diameter, sometimes difficult, needs excellent drainage.
• Allium ‘Gladiator’ – Newer hybrid, lilac-purple, mid-season bloomer, 3-4’ tall, bloom 4-8” diameter and often sold by mistake as Allium giganteum.
• Allium ‘Globemaster’ – Planted on Woodward median in Birmingham, purple, mid – late bloomer and blooms for over 2 ½ weeks, multiplies slowly, 2-3’ tall with a tight globe of 6-10” and over 1,000 florets.
• Allium jesdianum – rosy-purple, earliest bloomer, rare in this country, 2-3’ tall, airy bloom 3-4” with white stamens and similar to ‘Purple Sensation’.
• Allium ‘Mars’ – Dark purple, 4-6” globes, 3-4’ tall, mid-late bloomer and similar to Allium giganteun.
• Allium ‘Mt. Everest’ – Bob Koenders’ favorite white, 4-6” globe, 2 ½ - 3 ½ ' tall, reliable bloomer in mid-late season, naturalizes well, multiplies readily and dries well.
• Allium sphaerocephalon – (Drumstick Allium) – Can be invasive, burgundy, strong thin stem, small globe and not recommended by Koenders (at least for cutting gardens).
• Allium atropurpureum – Best Fragrance, some say like a sweet wine, Zakk’s favorite, dark (almost black) purple, globe 2 ½ - 3 1/2'” 2 ½’ tall, late bloomer, strong thin stems.
• Allium siculum (reclassified as Nectaroscordium siculum) (Koenders unofficially calls them Hanging Bells) – Not a globe shape, looks like an umbrella, bell shaped florets hang down in colors of mauve, purple, green and white in one floret, strongest onion smell (good to deter critters), 2 ½ - 3’ tall, 3-4” pretty flower.
  
  For further reading, Bob Koenders, recommends, Alliums – The Ornamental Onions, by Dilys Davies, Timber Press, 1993

Allium Culture
General

• Sun – Full Sun all day
• Moisture – Drought resistant, water only when very dry, no water when dormant
• Fertilizer – General, at planting, later based on soil test.
• Fragrance – None or slight, except Allium atropuppureum (sweet wine scent) and Allium sphaerocephalon (strong onion scent)
• Cutting – When partially open, cut at an angle, place in water with preservative or ½ teaspoon household bleach per quart of water, immediately. Koenders only cuts stems that are straight and tall (minimum 15-18”) with a nice flower head.
• Drying - Dry flower on plant, do not hang upside down
• Planting – Only while dormant…cover with 4” of good soil. Will not grow in clay
• Soil - Well drained loam, sandy-loam or loamy-sand
• Pests - Onion Maggot (should not see).
• Animals - Animals do not usually bother Allium because of their scent (to animals). The stronger scented varieties are better for warding off animals to the whole garden.
• Bloom Time - May 15 to July 1, varieties vary, see below,
  Bloom Size - Diameters from 1 inch to 12 inches depending on variety and cultural factors
• Foliage - Always dies down after bloom, plant companion plants that will cover yellowing and dying foliage