Alliums - stalks stripped & head nipped off
Cheshire,
United Kingdom 
This morning I discovered two allium stalks with their outer dark green covering peeled off, revealing light green beneath. One of the just opening flowerheads had been snipped off, as if by scissors, about an inch below the flower itself and was lying on the soil beside it. Any ideas please? The leaves have been badly munched by snails/slugs already despite applying deterrents. I live in Cheshire and it is and has been very wet over the last few weeks. This is my first attempt at gowing alliums and this is so disappointing after an excellent start.
21 May, 2009
Answers
I chased a wood pigeon off my alliums (purple Sensation). The flower head was just starting to open and was about twice the size of a broad bean (I can't think what else to compare the size with). The bird actually had it in its beak and was pecking/pulling at it, so I shooed it off not a second too late. I catch a lot of the various culprits in my garden by vigils.
21 May, 2009
Slugs /snails have munched diagonally through my allium stalks before - thereby chopping off the flower heads. Bad luck, but the bulbs will still be there for next year.
21 May, 2009
Previous question
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I had trouble with a squirrel doing something similar to several plants last year. Infuriating that he obviously didn't like the taste of the plants he'd taken heads off, cos he just left them on the ground nearby. I've got a balcony so was able to block his access, so maybe it's a squirrel in your case. Sometimes birds do it too. Weird that whatever it is has chosen alliums; they're usually put off by the distinctly oniony smell/taste.
21 May, 2009