Snowdrops are among the first flowers in the garden and herald spring. They can be cultivated both outdoors and in planters.
The snowdrop (Galanthus) is one of the first heralds of spring in a winter garden. The delicate plants have been known since antiquity and are botanically counted among the amaryllis family. Snowdrops can form lush carpets of flowers and can also be used as cut flowers for a short time.
Special Features
The perennial herbaceous plants got their name from the Greek word for milk flower. That's why snowdrops are commonly called milk flowers.
The common snowdrop usually grows in our gardens. The plants come in almost 20 species. The differences often only become apparent on closer inspection.
Snowdrops are protected. Extensive holdings can often be found not far from former monasteries.
Select a suitable location
Snowdrops are easy to cultivate and make little demands on their location. A partially shaded position under shrubs or deciduous trees is very suitable. Early flowering species prefer full sun.
In combination with crocuses and winterlings, snowdrops are a welcome touch of color in the garden, which still seems dreary. A sheltered location is preferable. After flowering, the bulb flowers retreat into the ground. Tillage should not begin until mid-May when this operation is complete.
Use suitable substrate
Snowdrops prefer to grow in loose, humus-rich soil. If the substrate does not dry out even in summer, the snowdrops multiply and form extensive carpets of flowers. An alkaline to neutral soil is preferred. A good nutrient content must be ensured.
Planting snowdrops
Snowdrops are sold as packaged bulbs. Here quality differences become clear. High-quality onions hardly yield to a finger pressure and feel plump. The hobby gardener will have little joy in soft and thin specimens.
Tip: Snowdrop bulbs are delicate and dry out easily if stored improperly for a long time.
Planting snowdrops can begin in late summer. If the first ground frosts threaten in November, the planting should be finished.
Planting Instructions
1. Select location
2. Prepare soil
3. Dig planting holes
4. Observe planting distance
5. Fill planting holes with substrate
6. Water plant
The soil must be loosened before planting. Barren soil can be upgraded with compost or horn shavings. The planting holes must be dug eight to ten centimeters deep. Up to five bulbs can be placed in a planting hole. A distance of five centimeters must be maintained between the individual bulbs.
Tip: In order for the bulbs to sprout, the tip must point upwards when planting and the root must therefore point downwards.
Cultivate snowdrops in plant pots
If you want to prevent onions that have already dried out from sprout, you can buy plants that have already been grown in pots and either place them in the bed or continue cultivating them in containers.
If snowdrops are to be eye-catchers on the balcony or terrace, the planter should be located in the semi-shade or shade. The tender plants dry up in sunny places.
The plant pot must be of sufficient size. The rule of thumb is four times the height of the flower bulb.
Planting Instructions
1. Select planter
2. Prepare substrate
3. Create drainage
4. Bring in a layer of soil
5. Insert bulbs
6. Fill in the remaining substrate
7. Water the plant
Normal potting soil can be used for planting. Drainage must be installed so that the water can drain off well and the roots do not suffer from waterlogging. For this purpose, the hobby gardener puts shards of pottery or gravel on the bottom of the planter.
The drainage is covered with a layer of soil before the bulbs are planted. The potting soil is filled up at least five centimeters above the snowdrop bulbs and lightly pressed down.
Watering snowdrops correctly
Snowdrops in the bed or on the lawn do not need any extra watering. Onions cultivated in a planter, on the other hand, must be watered because the soil dries out quickly.
In the open field, the plants receive sufficient moisture in late winter and spring. alone inIn full sun and if the drought persists, irrigation may be necessary.
Tip: Snowdrops can be watered with tap water.
In the summer, the plants retreated into the ground and are quickly forgotten. In order for the bulbs to survive in the soil, they must not dry out. If possible, keep the soil moist at all times. A location in the shade of trees or hedges is an advantage.
Fertilize Schnellbellchen correctly
When planting, the soil must be provided with long-term fertilizer in the form of compost or horn shavings. The bulbs can then survive for several years without additional fertilization.
Pot-grown snowdrops are an exception. The supply of nutrients in the planter is too low and is quickly used up. A commercially available liquid fertilizer, administered before or after flowering, provides the plants with sufficient care.
Tip: If the plant is over-fertilized, it will produce more leaves but hardly any flowers.
Care after flowering
After flowering, the snowdrops need rest. The hobby gardener waits until the leaves have completely dried up. The plants need this resting phase in order to flower as usual next year.
Overview of planting and care tips
| Activity | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Find location | • The common snowdrop can tolerate a sunny position. • Varieties that flower later prefer a semi-shade. • Potted plants should be placed in the shade. |
| Prepare the ground | • When planting, the soil should be loose, humus-rich and nutritious. |
| Watering snowdrops | • Outdoors, snowdrops hardly need any water. • Plants in pots need to be watered regularly. |
| Fertilize snowdrops | • The soil is supplied with long-term fertilizer when planting. • No further fertilization is necessary outdoors. • In pots, snowdrops are fertilized during and after flowering. |
Propagating snowdrops
If snowdrops bloom in unusual locations or suddenly form huge carpets of flowers, this is the result of natural reproduction. After the flowering period, the stems bend towards the ground and the ovary burst open. Ants feast on the seed appendage and spread the seeds in the beds and on the lawn. The specialist calls this form of propagationMyrmecochory.
Hobby gardeners also have the option of specifically multiplying snowdrops by sowing or dividing them. Sowing is a lengthy process. It can take several years for the seedlings to flower.
The division of larger clumps of flowers is far easier. Using a spade, the clumps are broken up into fist-sized pieces. These sections are immediately brought to their new location and quickly planted. If the division takes place in summer or autumn, the plants will flower as early as next spring.
Recognize diseases and pests on snowdrops
The short vegetation period of the early bloomers means that the snowdrop is hardly vulnerable to insects. Most garden pests are still hibernating or have not yet hatched.
Occasionally gray mold is observed. A gray veil covers the plants. All parts of the plant can be affected, leading to the death of the snowdrop. In such a case, it is important to check the location.
Against gray haze chemical agents can be used. An analysis of the soil is advisable. The fungus can stay there and spread to other plants.
Are snowdrops poisonous?
Snowdrops are poisonous in all parts of the plant. The most toxic is the onion, which contains a toxic alkaloid with Amaryllidaceae. Galantamine, a substance that is used in small doses in medicine to alleviate Alzheimer's, can be detected in the stems and flowers.
There is no immediate danger to humans. The toxic effect is rather low and snowdrops do not resemble an edible plant. However, there is a danger for cats and dogs.
»Recommended reading: "Poisonous plants for cats"