Why aren't my snowdrops and grape hyacinths happy?

Daffodils, tulips and crocuses seem to do okay in my yard, but the snowdrops and grape hyacinths never bloom very well, just a couple of stalks. Sometimes they only put out foliage! I have the same problem with lily-of-the-valley.

Although most of my yard is shady, I don't think the problem is with the light. The ones that get all the morning sun don't look any better than the heavily shaded ones.

So far my main suspect is crappy soil. I have a clay-heavy soil and I haven't fertilized around the bulbs. Could the proximity of yew bushes affect bulbs?

Thanks for any suggestions,

RW

I have clayey soil too and I have to feed the crocus and grape hyacinths to get good blooms. I put manure and compost on in spring and fall, and bone meal in the fall and after blooming in the spring. I haven't got the crocus to bloom in anything but full sun. I have had zilch luck with snowdrops period. The lily of the valley do ok but not the heavy bloomers that they should be. I compensated for this by putting in a mass of tulips (early, mid-spring and late) because they do really well and return faithfully in waves every year. Hope this helps.

This message was edited Mar 28, 2008 8:45 AM

Snowdrops tend to grow naturally in cold areas so maybe it's just where you live that is the problem. Like all bulbs they can get congested and will just stop flowering. They need cool and rather shady habitats where they get plenty of water during the growing season. They don't do well in dry or shallow soils. Bone meal is fine during dormancy. Hope you succeed with them as they are a joy!