Growing ramps

[tearingmonkey]

A note on for gardeners: Last spring I bought ramps with the roots. I trimmed about 1/4" of the white base off along with the roots then planted them in my garden (ate the rest of course). They all but disappeared last summer but they have popped through the soil and are now about 3 inches tall. Hopefully they multiply. Spring is the best.
Plant them in a place that is much like a forest floor. Sun in the spring, light shade in the summer and rich soil.

[dmd_kc]

Do ramps become invasive? I've had such bad experience with alliums, and don't want to cause a problem, but I have a wooded lot adjacent to me that would be perfect for these.

[Nyleve]

It depends on what you consider invasive. In Ontario, they are a native plant and tend to grow in close association with trilliums and trout lilies (can't remember the proper name right now), under hardwood tress - mostly maple, oak, beech,etc. Not sure what is invasive about that since they'll not likely go out of their comfort zone - such as creeping into your flower beds or anything. They will stay in the forest where they belong. And if, by miracle, a couple of adventurous ramps end up in your petunias, just dig them out and eat them! Problem solved.

[Nyleve]

I did the same a couple of years ago. We have some woods, so I planted a few patches in a similar type of woods as where I got them. They've come up every year and seem to be spreading....very very slowly. What was one ramp is now two. That kind of thing. What I planted a couple of years ago will not be a pickable patch in my lifetime. Oh well, gardening is about hope, isn't it?

[celeryroot]

I have woods also . I have something coming up and I pulled and a fat onion was there . Do ramps get large if allowed to stay in ground to long? Also, I have something all over a certain area, it comes up for 2-3 months every year and has small white flowers. I cut some back last year and it has a very strong onion taste and smell.. I didnt think to pull but I am about to today. Only thing I could find was something called onion grass BUT all articles say it has pink flowers , mine has white. Any one know, I live in Northern Calif and it is in a partially shaded clump of redwoods , oak , maple etc. Is it edible, must admit I washed some last year and lightly fried in oil and Im still here.

[Nyleve]

I wish I could tell you. My only suggestion is to google around for some pictures and a good, detailed description of the plant. The wild leeks/ramps that grow around here have leaves almost like tulips, but smaller, and they taste and smell strongly of onion. The bulbs are small - almost never more than 1/4 inch in diameter.

I'm a keen forager but I do have to caution anyone who goes out to pick wild edible to be very very cautious before eating your finds. You can die from stuff that's out there. I'm not saying you WILL, but you really can. So make sure before you munch.

[celeryroot]

Thanks for reply. I did google around and the white flowers is what puzzles me. I pulled one up this morning and it is exactly as you describe, small white bulb about 1/4 inch. I think ill sen to the state extension to identify before I indulge. But I do have enough to supply a restaurant for months. They are all over my little forest an my neighbors property.

[Nyleve]

Check this out - good pictures of both the naked ramp and a patch growing in the woods:
http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=ht...