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raccoon

(31,454 posts)
Tue Apr 9, 2019, 12:26 PM Apr 2019

"Snowdrops," snowflakes, leucojum aestivum, whatever you

Call them, mine aren’t blooming

We called them “snowdrops” but the Internet and a local nurseryman says snowflakes is their name.

They grow from bulbs, are little white flowers, with a green dot on the end of the pedals.

Some of them grew at my mothers house, SC Lowcountry, but I am in SC upstate. mine came up but they didn’t bloom. What’s wrong?

5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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"Snowdrops," snowflakes, leucojum aestivum, whatever you (Original Post) raccoon Apr 2019 OP
Honestly Soxfan58 Apr 2019 #1
Because of the word "snowflake?" Lol. Nt raccoon Apr 2019 #4
The winter may have been too warm Lindsay Apr 2019 #2
You might be right. I planted them last fall but maybe not early enough. raccoon Apr 2019 #3
Many bulbs need a long period of sustained cold to bloom. procon Apr 2019 #5

raccoon

(31,454 posts)
3. You might be right. I planted them last fall but maybe not early enough.
Tue Apr 9, 2019, 01:15 PM
Apr 2019

You might be right. I planted them last fall but maybe not early enough.

As I mentioned they were growing at mamas house in the SC Lowcountry. But of course the climate has not gotten any warmer since those days so that shouldn’t make a difference.

procon

(15,805 posts)
5. Many bulbs need a long period of sustained cold to bloom.
Tue Apr 9, 2019, 04:51 PM
Apr 2019

They can tolerate a little freeze, but they need to be chilled for 8-10 weeks, some bulbs need even longer so look up your bulbs online to check. This chilling is necessary to trigger the biochemical process that brings the bulbs to flower in spring.

If your climate isn't right then you can create the perfect environment of around 40 degrees F. in your refrigerator. When the leaves start to yellow, stop watering then you can dig up the bulbs and store them in a dark dry place until its time to start chilling them before planting. Be sure to use a fertilized specifically for bulbs to get the best bloom.

My mom had a beautiful tulip garden and she had many other varieties of bulbs that we faithfully dug out every fall as the California weather never got cold enough fo them to bloom without help. She had an old fridge in the garage just for her bulbs and cuttings.

Good luck next Spring.

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