How to grow Snowdrops
Snowdrops are an essential part of the Winter garden, one of the earliest flowers to bloom in late Winter and giving cheer on even the darkest days. No garden should be without them: they are perfect companions for hellebores, cyclamen, winter flowering shrubs or heathers.
Planting and cultivation in the garden:
Our snowdrops are sold potted ‘in the green’ as this is the perfect way of establishing them in the garden. They thrive best when planted in drifts in the light shade of deciduous trees or naturalised in grass, avoiding the dense shade of conifers or large evergreen shrubs and trees.
They are happiest with a cool, moist soil which doesn’t dry out too much in Summer; they will struggle in hot, sun-baked settings.
Prepare your site by digging it over and adding some organic material, such as leaf mould or well-made garden compost, together with a dusting of bonemeal. If the soil is heavy, add some grit at the time of planting to help with drainage. After planting the bulbs, give them a good watering to settle them in.
Over a period of time, Snowdrops naturalise to create a wonderful show. However, clumps that become overcrowded over a period of time can affect flowering. They can be divided to thin them out, when dormant, every five years; excess bulbs could always be used in other parts of the garden.
Cultivation in pots:
Many galanthophiles grow snowdrops in small pots, especially the rare named varieties, growing and displaying them in a cold greenhouse in Winter, where their beauty can be seen at close quarters and usually flowering earlier than when grown in the ground. They will succeed when grown in this way as long as they are properly cared for.
Snowdrops grown in pots need annual re-potting as they will exhaust the compost in a single growing season. We advise using a good-quality John Innes type compost. They will also require regular division when the pot becomes very congested.
They also need care and watering throughout the year. If they are allowed to get dry and badly wilted, they are likely to go dormant prematurely. The resulting bulbs will be small and soft, taking one or more growing seasons to recover.
Potted snowdrops also need adequate protection from frost so grow in a cold but frost-free greenhouse. The bulbs and roots must never be allowed to freeze solid; although the plants will seem to recover when the temperature rises, they will eventually wilt, and the bulbs and roots will rot. The pots can be moved underneath the staging or to a shaded cold frame after all risk of frost has gone, but the watering regime must be maintained.
Finally, one word of warning: don’t be tempted to bring your potted snowdrops into the house, as they will suffer in the warm environment.