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Spring bulbs growing now
Liz88
Posts: 40
Hi, I'm a totally new gardener.
In early September, I planted my bulbs. One set of Autumn Crocus (speciosus 'conqeror') shot up really fast, and immediately flopped over. Some broke and the others I caught in time to stake.
But now it seems my Snowdrops (they look like snowdrop leaves) have sprouted, and are now about 8cm tall. My husband thinks maybe I didn't plant them deep enough. I can dig one up to check, but meanwhile, is there anything I can do now about the shoots?
Thanks for any advice.
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Posts
Snowdrops are extremely hardy, Dont worry about them, just make sure they arent kept too warm.
Thanks. It's much cooler outside this week!
Be glad your snowdrops have survived being dried out and planted in September. They often don't. That's why they're sold 'in the green' in spring
Also check they are snowdrops. Grape hyacinths are the most likely to be making leaves now
In the sticks near Peterborough
Oh, I planted some grape hyacinths too, at the same time. I deliberately forgot where I had planted the bulbs to get a surprise in spring (other than noting the places I've left to plant tulips later) I'll take a photo of the shoots later.
Yes a photo would confirm
In the sticks near Peterborough
Sorry to have just abandoned this thread. Just after the above, I got news of a family bereavement. I'll get back later this week, but a complication is that I have now 'inherited' care of a garden 60 miles away, totally different from the 'easy' plants I researched and chose for my own 'from scratch' garden.
Sorry again. My Dad (a life long mad keen gardener) died suddenly and unexpectedly on 8th October (just after I posted the above, having consulted him previously about the early flowering bulbs whereupon he said that had never happened to him) having been working in the garden, taking down his Sweet Peas etc the day before (his 92nd birthday), so things have been up and down. I will have to take over that garden too, as Mum has never gardened and has osteoporosis, so it's very daunting but at least I have winter to make plans. He was well up with his garden, only the heathers to trim and some more plug plants and tulip bulbs arrived after his death. I think I need a gardening mentor.
Anyway, back to the bulbs. I now have four types of bulbs which I planted and have started to shoot. Oddly, Dad was planting bulbs in late September when I was (my first time) and none of his bulbs are shooting at all even now.
Photo 1 I think is snowdrops:
Photo 2 I think is anemonies
the other two I have no idea about:
The above has just shot up in the past 3-4 days
The below came up a couple of weeks ago:
It's not so much that I want an ID of the plants, I'll know when they flower (!) - I planted two kinds of snowdrop, two or three types of crocus, iris reticulata, mini narcissus, muscari, two types of anemone, scilla, and two types of allium. I know it sounds insane, but I'm working from scratch.
I really want to know if these plants will go on to thrive and flower in springtime and if there's anything I need to do (I don't have a greenhouse or cold frame here).
I also know not to 'plant for surprises' in future. I've been in my Dad's shed and haves seen his planting plans and notes.
Thanks.
Hi Liz, sorry to hear your dad had died but glad you're taking over the graden
I don't think 1 is a snowdrop, it could be one of the muscaris
2 is an anemone
3 may be Iris reticulata or similar
4 could be an allium from the way its leaves have collapsed
In the sticks near Peterborough
Liz, my sympathy for your loss.
I agree with Nutcutlet as to the probable identity of the pictures. There's nothing you need do to them. They'll be fine.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
OK, thanks - I just wanted to know if there was anything I needed to do to help them on. It was frosty last night, so that will surely nip them,though the frost on the night of 12th/13th October didn't.
Talking about allium, I planted some last year just so that I'd have some flowers this year, and several of them seemed to rot a few inches below the flower, even before the flower was fully out. I did take pics at the time, but I'd need to look for them. The stems went brown about 2-3" below the flower and for about 3-4" down from that. Above and below, the stem looked fine. The stems then collapsed at the rotten bit and the heads fell off. I wasn't able to find out what that was, and Dad had never grown allium and didn't know what had caused it. Unlike most areas of the UK, we only had about 90% of our usual rainfall last winter and spring, though that's from a comparatively high base.