On Dec 31, 5:52*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 2010-12-31 12:36:23 +0000, Janet Tweedy said:





Can't keep up with horticultural advancement. According to the garden
this month you shouldn't dig up snowdrops in the green. It's not good
for the roots they say. instead you should transplant them just as the
leaves die or even when the leaves are gone.
Cor blimey! So we've all been doing it wrong for all these years!!
Still i think the main reason might be because you should never ever
bother with a snowdrop bulb that has dried out, it just won't take and
I guess digging them up as they are growing is the best way of making
sure they aren't dried out!

My autumn flowering snowdrops have been in flower for ages now, since
November and they have flowered throughout the snow and have appeared
again s if nothing has happened still flowering away.

Funny thing with these types though, they don't seem to flower the
first year they are planted but suddenly come up 2 years later - 6 of
us shared some three years back and all of us had the same result!

Happy new year anyway to everyone on the UK rec. gardening newsgroup!

Janet

I think your theory about digging them before the bulbs have dried out
is the key to the whole issue. *This sounds like a bit of
hair-splitting from that pov. * Planting them 'in the green' not only
helps people to visualise where their snowdrops will flower next year,
it ensures absolutely fresh bulbs. *Those poor little desiccated things
in packets seem to fail more often than they succeed. *Tomorrow I must
go out and see if any of ours are giving that crisp underfoot feel to
the grass. *We don't have any of the early ones you have so have to
wait a bit longer for those welcome signs of spring coming.
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I never quite bought the planting green advice. I've always done it at
the last moment while you can still see where they are. It's getting
them up moist and back in the ground still moist that's important as
you've already said.

Rod