Hello I am new to gardening forums. I would like to know if I can cut off all the dead stems and foliage from my blue bells as I am keen to plant some more flowers in my borders and the dead flowers look awful and are in the way! Can anyone advise me
Many thanks

"DominiqueB" wrote in message
news

Hello I am new to gardening forums. I would like to know if I can cut
off all the dead stems and foliage from my blue bells as I am keen to
plant some more flowers in my borders and the dead flowers look awful
and are in the way! Can anyone advise me
Many thanks

Bulb and tuber type plants rely on the foliage to get the bulb back in shape
for next years flowers. Flowering takes a lot of energy out of a plant. So
it is best to let them die back naturally, you can always tie the leaves
neatly.
However.
a/ I suspect when the leaves get pretty manky say by end of June they won't
be doing anything useful.
b/ Bluebells are pretty weed like and stand alot of abuse. I personally
chop them back in my more pristine areas as soon as they have finished
flowering. I don't expect that helps them divide and spread, but it
certainly doesn't lessen there blooms.

So if you want them to spread quickly let the foliage die back naturally,
otherwise chop them back. Other bulbs aren't likely to be so tolerant.

Sacha will probably warn not to listen to me so take your choice.

--
Mike W

"VisionSet" wrote in message
...

"DominiqueB" wrote in message
news

Hello I am new to gardening forums. I would like to know if I can cut
off all the dead stems and foliage from my blue bells as I am keen to
plant some more flowers in my borders and the dead flowers look awful
and are in the way! Can anyone advise me
Many thanks

Bulb and tuber type plants rely on the foliage to get the bulb back in
shape
for next years flowers. Flowering takes a lot of energy out of a plant.
So
it is best to let them die back naturally, you can always tie the leaves
neatly.
However.
a/ I suspect when the leaves get pretty manky say by end of June they
won't
be doing anything useful.
b/ Bluebells are pretty weed like and stand alot of abuse. I personally
chop them back in my more pristine areas as soon as they have finished
flowering. I don't expect that helps them divide and spread, but it
certainly doesn't lessen there blooms.

So if you want them to spread quickly let the foliage die back naturally,
otherwise chop them back. Other bulbs aren't likely to be so tolerant.

Sacha will probably warn not to listen to me so take your choice.

--
Mike W


I can't see why anyone would disagree with that excellent advice. Your
procedure is exactly what I do and I get the same results

Nip or cut off the flower heads to stop the plants putting energy into producing seeds (this is called deadheading). The foliage will still be helping the bulbs underground store up energy for next year and if you remove the leaves you may not get flowers next spring. It's best to leave it to die down naturally if you can wait. The foliage will shrivel away over the next few weeks.

You can plant around the bulbs without doing them any harm though. Then, next year your bluebells will come back up then die back as the next 'layer' of plants come through.

Hope this helps, Bob

Many thanks Mike and Bob. I shall deadhead the flowers and tie the foliage up until they are well and truly dead.
Dominique

VisionSet wrote:
"DominiqueB" wrote
Hello I am new to gardening forums. I would like to know if I can cut
off all the dead stems and foliage from my blue bells as I am keen to
plant some more flowers in my borders and the dead flowers look awful
and are in the way! Can anyone advise me

So if you want them to spread quickly let the foliage die back naturally,
otherwise chop them back. Other bulbs aren't likely to be so tolerant.

I have a lot of bluebells in the wrong place. When can I dig them up
and move them?

"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
...
VisionSet wrote:
"DominiqueB" wrote
Hello I am new to gardening forums. I would like to know if I can cut
off all the dead stems and foliage from my blue bells as I am keen to
plant some more flowers in my borders and the dead flowers look awful
and are in the way! Can anyone advise me

So if you want them to spread quickly let the foliage die back
naturally,
otherwise chop them back. Other bulbs aren't likely to be so tolerant.

I have a lot of bluebells in the wrong place. When can I dig them up
and move them?

I did just that, made a nice bluebell wood instead of in my alpine bed.
I moved them in August I think. I'd wait till then, should be okay in July
though. Easy to miss bulbs and they'll iritatingly be back though, ie 5mm
across or less. Fetch those out when they sprout next year.
--
Mike W

If it's any help we have moved them as we found them at any time of the year
and find them almost indistructable. After flowering we just pull up the
leaves and next year here they are again. Wonderful bulbs. Spring hasn;t
arrived until they flower.
Best wishes to all,
Jeffery.

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