December 2014 snowdrops

[Alan_b]

The major known predator on my garden is the larva of the swift moth; I have never yet found non-shooting bulbs with a narcissus fly larva inside when lifting and dividing in the green.  I also had an outbreak of stagonospora about five years ago which, fortunately, has not recurred after I took measures to prevent it spreading.  Since my swift moth larvae do not have an inexhaustible appetite and, given a sufficient food supply, often move on without consuming the entire bulb there is much to be said for the defensive power of a large clump of snowdrops.  But how does one get from what is often a single bulb as the starting point to a large clump?  The strategy that works for me is not to put all my eggs in one basket and to divide my bulbs to keep in different places as soon as I am able.

My other problem is that I do not have a large garden and so I do not have room to display my snowdrops in the way that Tim can, Paddy also I suspect  (although I have never seen his garden).   

[Mariette]

For safety´s sake I tend to spread precious snowdrops in the garden, too.  But in my experience many selections mutiply much faster if left undisturbed till they have built a decent clump.

[mark smyth]

My bulbs are being divided next year for the first time in maybe 5 years. The only one I can remember diving recently was Wendys Gold and that was because I gave some away

[Maggi Young]

Paddy also I suspect  (although I have never seen his garden).   

Have a rootle around the forum some time, Alan - you'll see some lovely photos from Paddy's garden over the years.
 

[Maggi Young]

For safety´s sake I tend to spread precious snowdrops in the garden, too.  But in my experience many selections mutiply much faster if left undisturbed till they have built a decent clump.

I think you make a very good point there, Mariette. It seems to me, too, that the best increase is found by leaving the plants alone in peace. I often wonder if the difficulty so many report in even keeping some 'drops alive, let alone increase them, is caused by the repeated chipping on the new varieties- hich never get the time or peace to settle down and grow "naturally" and this allows them to fall prey to any passing germ or disease.

[Alan_b]

Have a rootle around the forum some time, Alan - you'll see some lovely photos from Paddy's garden over the years.
 

Oh, I know that Maggi.  The impression I have is of a large garden with many different vistas.

No plant I can think of relishes being disturbed and although snowdrops are remarkably tolerant of being moved 'in-the-green' it cannot do them any good in the short term.  It's more debatable if they mind being disturbed when dormant.  And I would have thought it is clear that in an over-crowded clump with too many bulbs competing for a limited supply of nutrients they will suffer also.  If you see a large naturalised undisturbed population of snowdrops you will see that they are not much given to forming clumps and I think Nature must be trying to tell us something by this.

I've been nurturing a snowdrop called 'Green Light' for 10 years now, growing it both in pots and in various locations in my garden.  Every so often it goes into overdrive and  I have about eight bulbs of quite good size where there was one large bulb the previous year.  I have achieved this more often in pots than in the ground and I cannot see any correlation with disturbance the previous season.

Picture 1 is from 20th February 2009.  The three pots at the front show 'Green Light' a few days after moving from a garden bed to pots (in-the green).  I kept the larger pot on the right and traded the two smaller pots.

Picture 2 is the contents of that pot in March 2010 after I disturbed it to see why it had produced so many leaves.  I put those two bulbs back in the pot.

Picture 3 is what I got out of that pot in May 2011; I count about 22 noses or 16 individual entities.  That was achieved growing in a pot with annual disturbance. 

[Mariette]

A more knowledgeable collector told me years ago, that some snowdrops need regular splitting, whereas others don´t like to be torn apart after just having managed to produce a second or third bulb. The thing is to know, to which group Your cultivar belongs.
Indeed, obviously some clones have to produce their own "milieu" in the soil before they are willing to multiply. Occasionally this may take several years.

[Brian Ellis]

I am of the general opinion that, if your clump of snowdrops is looking stunning, then that year is the year to either dig it up, replenish the soil and split them, or alternatively to carefully abstract a few from the edge of the clump and put elsewhere as insurance.  Of course nowadays people seem more interested in recouping their money!

[Alan_b]

Of course nowadays people seem more interested in recouping their money!

Perhaps that's because they cost a lot of money!  But as long as you bulk-up and swap you can keep costs down.

[johnstephen29]

Hi I've just been in the garden having a look around & noticed this little chap, Galanthus Gracilis already in bud. Really getting a head start.


Galanthus Gracilis by johnstephen29, on Flickr

[johnw]

A more knowledgeable collector told me years ago, that some snowdrops need regular splitting, whereas others don´t like to be torn apart after just having managed to produce a second or third bulb. The thing is to know, to which group Your cultivar belongs.
Indeed, obviously some clones have to produce their own "milieu" in the soil before they are willing to multiply. Occasionally this may take several years.

High time for information like this to be formally recorded but where on earth do we start?

johnw

[Maggi Young]

Something a little different in "December Snowdrops" - these 14ft giants are "flowering now " at the Trentham Estate, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire :



Pity about the van in the photos which spoils the picture a bit.

http://www.uttoxeter-news.co.uk/EDDIE-GLEW-Willow-weaver-designs-creates/story-25468414-detail/story.html

[annew]

I like those!

[Hagen Engelmann]

Do they have electric???

[Maggi Young]

No I don't think they light up, Hagen.