Kitchen Garden Forum

I've got some snowdrops planted under some thick shrubs, the canopy of which has spread and noticed this year that the snowdrops haven't flowered, I'm wondering whether they've gone blind or whether they will flower next year if I dig them up now and plant them where they have access to more light. Any thoughts?

I would be inclined to move them. the best time to move snowdrops is "in the green " so as soon as conditions allow. the thick canopy could have prevented the leaves making enough stored food for them to build up the bulbs & initiate a flower bud. only this time next year will you know if you have solved the problem - good luck.

If the shrubs are deciduous shouldn't be an issue. Give them a bit of fish, blood and bone and a mulch of leafmould. If they are evergreen shrubs move them soon to somewhere more like a deciduous woodland if you have it.

Hi Primrose,
This year I have the most wonderful show of Snowdrops and most of them are growing in profusion in the hedges and adjoining lawn areas
but those that are the best are actually in the hedge boundary.
The hedges are quite a collection of different shrubs but they are all deciduous with a few Holly trees and strangely they do not grow under the Holly so this kind of bares out what Geoff has said.
This time last year the Snowdrops were actually flowering at ground level because of the cold weather and didn't actually lift up for most of their lives but lifted as they went to seed.
JB.

If they have been in the ground for many years, I wonder if they have become too crowded. I would certainly lift them now, replant them further apart, give them a feed and hope for the best, Primrose!