In the Green

Hi Guys

I took advantage of the T&M snowdrops in the green offer and would love to naturalize them through my lawn, having looked online how to go about this the only way i can find is planting bulbs and overlaying the turf, obviously i can't do this when they are in the green, do i have to remove a piece of turf and plant them individually? Any help would be gratefully appreciated..

Davie-S

I think I would cut irregular shapes from the turf, pop the snowdrops in and re-seed with a mix of grass seed, compost & sand mixed.  It depends how proud you are of your lawn, and if you are prepared to have a few holes in it for a while.  Ether that or use a weeding knife to remove a small plug of soil & turf, and drop the bulb in.  That does seem a lot of hard work though.

Apparently, if snowdrops are planted in the lawn, the area where they are planted cannot be mown til around mid-June, to allow them to die back, and mowing has to stop in early September because they will have started to grow, so this has to be considered. They must be planted at the same level as they are in the pot, with the leaf at soil level just where it starts to go yellow. This seems to mean that you will have to strip back a bit of turf before planting and bring the soil level with the grass with a bit of extra topsoil if necessary.They should be planted just after flowering so that they find it easier to avoid drying out.

Plant them no more than 3 at a time, make a slit in the grass, ease it open, drop them in and tread it back. I don't know where you live Gardening Grandma but mine have gone brown long before June and don't appear til well into winter. But I would plant in grass but not in a 'proper lawn'. that you'd need to start mowing early.

Snowdrops will have disappeared well before mid-June as will most foliage of spring bulbs-don't where you are getting this information from but it is clearly wrong and confusing

You can safely mow when they have died back-which will be in around 6 weeks or so-and they wont be poking through in September

Try Growsonyou.com, Geoff.

Gardening Grandma wrote (see)

Try Growsonyou.com, Geoff.

Why?-my information is correct

Thanks guys, the slit in the grass thing makes things a lot easier, i was thinking of taking plugs from grass back-fill with sand and a little compost pop the snowdrop in and bobs your uncle, it's not one of those immaculate well manicured lawns not with three kids and a dog running around, i've taken into account when i can and can't mow the lawn, as i live in central Scotland it should not be an issue...

Thanks again guys

Davie-S

You just might see a different opinion there - if you are prepared to consider one. Snnowdrop bulbs are not dormant until June and start into growth in the autumn, early or late September depending on the area. Galanthus.co.uk also confirms this. I am sure that opinions vay about when mowing should take place, and little information is available on this. Do you have snowdrops in your lawn? - if so, your experience is of value, since information is hard to come by.

Snowdrop bulbs may not be dormant til June but the leaves are brown and can go. They start stirring in early autumn but don't show above ground so early

Grandma, a wise gardener once told me there is no right or wrong way to garden, only what works for you..

Davie-S

GG -  l think  you will have to concede on this one-what you  stating is clearly wrong.

There goes my diplomacy.. That's why we have forums and discussions guys

Davie-S

Geoff, I don't mind conceding on this one bit. I have no personal experience on this and, because there was no reply to this posting at the time, simply did  bit of research on the net. It was just my attempt to be helpful. The tone of your response got under nu skin, especially in the light of recent experience. I like reading the blog of Penelope Wilcox (author of 'The Hawk and the Dove' novels) and she says that it pays to remember that people are always doing the best they can with the information they have at present, even if they are driving you mad! Or words to that effect. I have taken it to heart.

Think perhaps I should say that that was not a dig at anyone.  I think there must be one or two people whom I am driving mad! Can;t imagine why, of course, since I'm so lovely!! You too, naturally.

I dont have snowdrops as yet but will put some in this year. There is a small housing complex down the road from me who have loads of snowdrops growing under a stunning magnolia tree. They are all sround the base of the tree and in april the maintenance guys start to mow the lawn regularly and the snowdrops come back each year (not experience just observation). I will put mine under a Salix caprea tree along with some ferns.

Look around at the prices Dave, some can be very expensive, if you dont want named varietys you can pick them up cheaper. Also, if you put 100 in, it fills a very little space!.

The point surely is that advice should be based on expereince or observation-if we trawl the net everytime a question comes up might just as well refer everybody to google and pack up and go home

There is fair enough if something has been sat around for a couple of days-but not two hours-then I would post a link to see if it helps

This is a forum-people will have fall outs-such is the nature of the beast-if we are going to dance around in deference to each other then it is going to be very boring place.

The hardest thing seems to be" oops sorry I got that wrong"