How to Grow Allium Ivory Queen

Locate an ideal planting spot for the Ivory Queen bulbs in autumn. Choose a bed that basks in at least eight hours of direct sunlight and contains a fertile but well-drained soil. Avoid shady locations and where soil is heavy or tends to remain soggy or readily floods after rain or irrigation.

Dig a planting hole wide enough to house the bulb and deep enough so that the Ivory Queen bulb's tip rests between 2 and 4 inches below the soil surface. Create the planting hole, using a hand trowel or a larger shovel to upturn and work the soil. Incorporate coarse sand, grit or bits of bark before planting to improve drainage, fertility and texture of the garden.

Top-dress the planting area with a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic bark or coarse pebbles if in a rock garden. This mulch prevents weeds and moderates soil temperature, and the organic bark decomposes to release nutrients to the bulb roots.

Water the planting area in spring and summer when leaves and flowers appear. Supplement natural rainfall to keep the garden bed moist but never overly wet. Do not water in winter when the plant rests dormant. Overly wet soil in winter leads to bulb rot.

Apply a well-balanced fertilizer (10-10-10), in liquid or granular form, to the Ivory Queen plants in spring and summer when foliage exists. Follow product label directions for dosage. Do not fertilize the area after the foliage naturally withers away later in summer or fall.