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Spanish bluebells

B3B3 Posts: 27,503
in Talkback

Thought I was winning, but apparently notimage

My efforts at clearing a patch of ground have brought yet more bluebells to the surface. Do I need to get them out before they flower or can I just make sure they don't seed?

One problem is that I planted some alliums and at this stage it's hard to tell which is which

Any advice would be appreciated

B

In London. Keen but lazy.
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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    The bluebells will spread underground as well as by seed ... I'd pull them up, but not until you know which of them are alliums image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • B3B3 Posts: 27,503

    I'll work on the alliumless patch first . I did wonder if they were up to something under the surface.

    Thanks Dove.

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    They send out horizontal roots which form little bulbs on them - sneaky, I call it image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • B3B3 Posts: 27,503

    Well I had a go,but the bulbs are at least two foot deep in heavy clay and even though it's workable today, it's an impossible task and many are under shrubs so I've sliced the tops off with a hoe and I'll forget about them til next year.

    The heaps of bulbs I disposed of last year must just have been the top layer.

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • A FuchsiaA Fuchsia Posts: 18

    Would the allium leaves have a distinctive smell to help you distinguish them? 

    I have a few patches of Spanish bluebells, but had no idea they spread underground! Maybe they could be dug up and replanted in deep pots in the ground.

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,503

    That would probably work, fuchsia but I don't want to damage the leaves. I will wait a bit until something develops in the middle. For all I know there may be no alliums at all!

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Villaverde123Villaverde123 Posts: 196

    My garden is still being invaded by the wretched bluebells.  I thought I had dug them all out.  Is there an easier way of getting rid of these.  I wondered if chopping the leaves off before they flower would help??   i thought is might weaken the bulbs.

    We have a wood very near by us and the bluebells are fine there - I just don't want them in my borders.  

  • UnknownUnknown

    This is what I've been doing Villaverde ....... I hate the things ...... it's gradually thinning them - there are less than last year and the year before ....... I think.

    It's just that their darned leaves are coming up in the middle of poppy rosettes, stachys and lots of other things so I'm just pulling them as they get to a length to hold image

  • Villaverde123Villaverde123 Posts: 196

    Thanks Jinxy - thought it was only me.  I completely emptied a 10 metre border last autumn to get rid of the buggers and they have still returned.  As you say  - coming up in the middle of plants I replanted. 

    I will take the leaves off and put some heavy duty weed killer on the raw edges.  Lets hope it works.  

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,503

    I've given up trying to get down to the bulb. I can't work out how they get so deep. I wonder if the seeds get down there when I dig over the soil.

     

    In London. Keen but lazy.
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