Do bluebells do well in pots?
Over time, you might find your English bluebells spread naturally throughout your beds and borders. You can also grow bluebells in pots and containers. Choose somewhere partly shady to place your pot. Divide and replant the clumps after flowering and before the leaves die back. Bear in mind that it’s illegal to dig up clumps of bluebells in the wild, and this method applies to bluebells growing in gardens only. You can also save seed from bluebells and sow them immediately in pots of compost.Bluebells are perennials which means they flower annually. They spend the spring soaking up energy from the sunshine and store the energy in their bulb over winter, waiting to bloom again. Please stick to the paths to help our precious bluebells thrive.Bluebells can also be planted in containers in good-quality, well-drained soil in a shady position. Ensure there are adequate draining holes in the pot and plant as per the instructions for green and dry bulbs.Pick bluebells from your garden and use indoors for a long-lasting cut flower display. Picking and deadheading some of the flowers from your garden will prevent self-seeding and help control their spread.Bluebell colonies take a long time to establish – around five to seven years from seed to flower. Bluebells can take years to recover after footfall damage. If a bluebell’s leaves are crushed, they die back from lack of food because they can no longer photosynthesise.
When to plant Spanish Bluebells?
In the North this will be in September or October, in the South in October or November. Pick a spot in your garden that has well-draining soil and gets full sun or partial shade. Plant the Spanish bluebell bulbs about 3-4” deep and 4-6” apart, placing them in the ground with their pointy ends up. The Spanish bluebell is more vigorous than our native bluebell, so can outcompete it for resources like light and space. It can hybridise with our native, too, producing fertile plants that show a whole range of mixed features from both species.Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade, Spanish Bluebells prefer sandy well-drained soils. Avoid unamended clay soils. Tolerates shady conditions. Perhaps best in sun-dappled part shade.No – you don’t need to get rid of bluebells as they can be useful garden plants and benefit biodiversity.Spanish bluebell is hardy, robust and easy to grow, but it can be invasive, spreading both by seed and by bulb, and is difficult to get rid of.
How tall do Spanish Bluebells grow?
The flower stem can be up to 18 inches tall, which makes the flowers—12 to 20 hanging, bell-shaped, lavender-blue flowers about 3/4 inch long—stand out quite prominently over the foliage. Spanish bluebell is planted in the fall and typically blooms April to early May. Bluebells spend most of the year underground in a dormant state only emerging to leaf and flower in the spring, growing from bulbs. They mainly spread by seed very rapidly, but their bulbs can split to form clones.Spanish bluebells have: pale blue (often white or pink), conical-bell flowers, with spreading and open tips.Spanish Bluebell is a bulbous perennial herb that grows up to 1 1⁄2 foot tall and has showy, bell-shaped, lavender-blue flowers. Flowers bloom in late spring and each bulb produces multiple flower scapes and the corolla is not fused.In the North this will be in September or October, in the South in October or November. Pick a spot in your garden that has well-draining soil and gets full sun or partial shade. Plant the Spanish bluebell bulbs about 3-4” deep and 4-6” apart, placing them in the ground with their pointy ends up.How to grow bluebells in your garden. It’s quicker to start with bulbs since seeds can take 4-5 years to reach flowering size. You can buy bulbs either in spring ‘in the green’ (during active growth) when it is believed they are more likely to establish successfully, or as dry bulbs at other times of the year.
How to plant Spanish Bluebells in pots?
For container planting, start with good quality, well-draining potting soil and tall or shallow containers with adequate drainage holes. Dig holes and plant the bulbs 2–3 apart and 4 deep with the pointy ends facing up. Water thoroughly, soaking the soil to settle it around the bulbs. After flowering has finished for the season leave the foliage in place; don’t cut it off. If they are naturalised in grass, avoid mowing until the leaves have fully died back. The leaves will gather sunlight, create food through photosynthesis and strengthen the bulbs for the future.In addition to planting in the garden, planting bulbs in containers means that in spring, you can dress up your front entrance, deck, or patio with early spring color just when you need it most. The best way to plant like a professional is to use the Lasagna Planting method of layering bulbs.After flowering, move the container to a less prominent position until the following spring, or replant the bulbs into your borders – see our advice pages on planting bulbs and naturalising bulbs, and a step-by-step guide to planting bulbs in grass.
Where is the best place to plant bluebells?
If we take a cue from their natural habitat it will be no surprise to learn that bluebells thrive in partial shade, under deciduous trees or shrubs and need moist but well-drained soil. I personally think they are at their most stunning when planted under silver birch trees, creating a ‘woodland in miniature’. Over the space of a few weeks in spring, from mid-April onwards, bluebells set our woodlands ablaze with their bright blue flowers. The UK is home to more than half the world’s population of bluebells, making it our unofficial national flower. Their presence is a sure sign you are in a very old woodland.Divide and replant the clumps after flowering and before the leaves die back. Bear in mind that it’s illegal to dig up clumps of bluebells in the wild, and this method applies to bluebells growing in gardens only. You can also save seed from bluebells and sow them immediately in pots of compost.Bluebells are woodland plants, so they grow best in partial shade with moist but well-drained soil. Adding leaf mould, manure or garden compost to the soil will ensure they have plenty of nutrients. Try planting them in clumps under deciduous trees or shrubs to create a mini-woodland effect.Bluebells can be planted from March to June or in autumn from September to November for overwintering. Dig a hole that’s wide enough to fit the bulb comfortably, and at least 2-3 times their depth. If planting in groups, dig a trench instead of individual holes at the same depth.Bluebell needs 0. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
What month is best to plant bluebells?
Bluebells can be planted from March to June or in autumn from September to November for overwintering. Dig a hole that’s wide enough to fit the bulb comfortably, and at least 2-3 times their depth. Bluebells spread very quickly as they seed when grow in clumps. You can encourage the spreading of bluebells by dividing up the bulbs after flowering and replanting. Insects such as ants can help the flower to spread.The Woodland Trust adds that, after your bluebells have finished leafing and flowering each year, you should avoid cutting the foliage off. The leaves use sunlight to make food which strengthens the plant for the following year, they explain.Sowing bluebell seed is much easier than planting bulbs—seed can be scattered at a rate of 160-500/m2 in autumn. Depending on your situation and levels of shade, weed control may be necessary.Spanish bluebells – flowers are a lighter blue and are larger than those of English bluebells. They are unscented and are positioned all the way around upright stems. Pink or white flowers sometimes occur, and as with English bluebells, these have been selected and bred to produce pink or white-flowered cultivars.Also bear in mind that Spanish bluebells are extremely invasive and may outgrow their welcome. Plant dormant bulbs in autumn in partial shade where their invasive tendencies won’t harm nearby plants. Deadhead after flowering to avoid seeding.