English Bluebells
Graham Langford
Posts: 93
in Talkback
I've just bought 10 English Bluebells and i plan to plant them about 14 feet from some Spanish ones.Will this have any effect on the English ones.
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Graham Langford
Posts: 93
Graham Langford
Posts: 93
Posts
It won't affect bulbs but they will cross pollinate and the offspring will be a mix
In the sticks near Peterborough
I would remove the Spanish ones or not plant the English ones. Spanish bluebells are a real threat to our native species. A lot of conservation organisations spend a lot of time removing spanish bulbs from their sites to try and preserve our bluebells, but of course its your land so you are entitled to do as you wish. In the long term it could prove to be a bit of a grey vs red squirrel situation.
I've bought english bluebell seed apparently these will take 3 years to flower, but in the meantime I'm going to remove all my inherited spanish ones
I've only just bought the bulbs and i have heard about this naturaising[or whatever] so i thought i'd come on here and askI may plant half of them in the front garden,there's no Spanish ones around there and leave the others until i've dug the Spanish ones up in May,when they appear.Then plant the rest of the English ones next year,Does that sound OK?Also,Do they increase year on year like snowdrops do? .
Yes they do increase, but the speed depends on the conditiions, mine aren't in an ideal spot so its slowly, slowly. I had Spanish Bluebells in my garden when I moved in. As soon as they start to sprout I pull them up and have nearly got rid of all of them now.
Right,Thanks Yviestevie,That's what i'll do,and thanks to everyone else for your comments.
as i mentioned, i have seed , anyone any idea what best to do with them? ie should i plant in pots and only plant out when they are established?
If you don't plant the bulbs this autumn they'll rot and die - you cannot keep bulbs in suspended animation like seeds.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Just thinking as well as being unsure what to do with seed, should I even plant seed before I pull up all Spanish ones?
I think the only problems will occur if you let them flower, just make sure you pull all the spanish ones up before the English ones flower, I think they come up at the same time. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will tell me.