snowdrops as leaves

[robsorchids]

what does it mean if you have a bulb that normally comes up and flowers each season but then decides the next year to just produce a load of leaves? and not in a normal fashion either?
i have noticed a few of mine are doing this, primrose warburg and hippolyta are doing this
the leaves are coming up in a random arrangement, and are more than 2, they are not parallel either, as when you see a normal shoot with scape emerge
the bulbs feel firm and complete.
could it be they dont have enough of a root run? some of my troughs aren't that deep, but are wide. as in a way this sounds a little similar to blind daffs not being planted deep enough, then again they have been planted to at the correct depth, 2-3 times there own depth
rob

[Martin Baxendale]

Can you post some photos?

[mark smyth]

I wouldnt poke around bulbs just now because you dont want to damage the roots. These will not regrow until July 2009.

While waiting for the photos I'll comment. It could very well be a result of being lifted during the growing season. This is something we have to put up with. The perfect way to move bulbs is when dormant. When I buy bulbs at snowdrop events I pot them as soon I get home and keep them out of the wind and full sun. Dehydrated leaves wont function very well and this will lead to lack of a flower stem the following year.

[mark smyth]

Rob your soil looks very wet. What is your mix? Air must be in the soil for roots to be healthy

[Martin Baxendale]

Looks like it is splitting and forming offsets. I've found that snowdrops in containers are more prone to splitting into smaller bulbs (like crocus and narcissus) than in the open ground. I've also found that recently chipped bulbs (like those from the catalogues) can also be quite prone to splitting into a number of smaller bulbs, perhaps due to the chipping process, especially if put into shallow pots.