Snowdrop propagation is a useful skill to learn, as rare snowdrops can change hands for hundreds of pounds. Snowdrops can of course be propagated by dividing them \u2018in the green\u2019 (just after flowering) or from bulb offsets. But for propagation on a bigger scale, here is Margaret\u2019s step-by-step advice on propagating snowdrops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Snowdrop propagation secrets<\/h3>\n
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Margaret\u2019s first priority on acquiring a new snowdrop is for it to reach blooming size. In its first dormant season after flowering, she cleans the bulbs carefully with methylated spirits, then \u2018chips\u2019 them by first cutting the top off, then making a number of axial incisions from the bottom to the top, to produce eight or more propagules (viable pieces of bulb), each with a portion of the root plate intact. Margaret normally stops once she has eight pieces of bulb.<\/p>\n
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It would be feasible to divide these further to an almost indefinite extent, by making further axial \u2018chipping\u2019 incisions, or by \u2018twinscaling\u2019. This involves making further longitudinal divisions, but with the knife running perpendicular from the previous \u2018chipping\u2019 cuts to separate the bulb \u2018leaves\u2019 from one another, again ensuring that there is some root plate attached to each piece. However, as Margaret points out, the smaller the propagule, the longer it will take to flower again.<\/p>\n
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The \u2018chips\u2019 are then soaked in a fungicide solution for 20 minutes and placed in a sealed container with a layer of vermiculite above and below. The boxes are placed straight into a large propagator in darkness and held at 21\u00b0C for 12-14 weeks, during which time they will all be checked every few days \u2013 pieces that show any sign of infection will be immediately discarded before the rot can spread.<\/p>\n
Potting up snowdrops<\/h3>\n
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After this they are ready for their first potting up, into 9cm square pots. These young bulbs are kept frost free for their first winter. Ultimately, flowering-sized bulbs ready to take their rightful place in the collection are housed in aquatic baskets plunged into sharp sand in cold frames \u2013 this allows the snowdrops\u2019 annual root system to roam freely beyond the confines of the pot, while keeping all the cultivars safely segregated (bulbs tend to roam in the open ground). The \u2018reservoir\u2019 effect of plunging the pots, combined with Cumbria\u2019s high rainfall, mean that the snowdrops never have to be irrigated.<\/p>\n
Growing on snowdrops<\/h3>\n
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The MacLennans used to grow their snowdrops in a John Innes mixture leavened with grit, leaf mould and perlite, but after a successful trial they are now making a transition to bulb compost manufactured by Dalefoot Composts<\/a> \u2013 an organic and peat-free compost produced sustainably in the Lake District that contains locally sourced sheep\u2019s wool and bracken. As well as being fertile enough to sustain a pot of snowdrops without feeding for a couple of seasons, the compost is also light \u2013 a crucial consideration when maintaining a collection on such a considerable scale. The bases of the bulbs are placed on a layer of sharp sand within the compost and re-potted at a maximum interval of three years. All the propagation and re-potting must take place during the snowdrops\u2019 dormancy, between May and September.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
How to propagate snowdrops: step by step guide<\/h2>\n
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$\""Margaret\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Step 1:<\/strong> After removing the top quarter of the bulb (cutting parallel to the root-plate), make the first longitudinal cut to divide the bulb into two equal pieces.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$\""Margaret\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Step 2:<\/strong> Bulbs can be divided into four, eight, 16 or 32 equal pieces (\u2018chips\u2019) of bulb, ensuring each has a portion of the root-plate attached. Margaret seldom divides a bulb into more than eight chips as smaller divisions take longer to reach flowering size.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$\""Margaret\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
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Step 3:<\/strong> For twinscaling, further longitudinal incisions may be made to divide the chips into separate bulb \u2018leaves\u2019 or \u2018scales\u2019, with the blade perpendicular to the axis of the \u2018chip\u2019 of bulb.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
$\""Margaret\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
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Step 4:<\/strong> Soak the propagules in a fungicide solution for 20 minutes and place in a sealable container on a bed of vermiculite. Add a covering layer of vermiculite then seal the box and keep it somewhere dark at 21\u00b0C. Check every few days for rot, but after 12-14 weeks they should be ready to pot up.<\/p>\n
Margaret and David MacLennan\u2019s favourite snowdrops<\/h2>\n
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