How to Plant English Bluebell Bulbs

Choosing the Bulbs

Check for flowers that hang to 1 side if you’re buying from a nursery. If you’re purchasing your English bluebell bulbs from a garden store, nursery, or directly from a grower, check the mature plant to make sure they’re English bluebells and not Spanish bluebells. Look for a stem that curves at the top and flowers that hang together on 1 side to identify English bluebells. Spanish bluebells are invasive and will choke out other flower populations in your yard or garden. You can identify Spanish bluebells by their straight stems and flowers clustered around the top that don’t droop.

Use a reputable supplier if you’re ordering your bulbs. If you’re ordering your bulbs from a supplier through the internet or by phone, make sure they’re trustworthy and legitimate so you can be sure they’re selling you English bluebell bulbs and not Spanish bluebells or another type of flower bulb. Check online reviews and look for nurseries or suppliers that offer refunds and guarantee their products.Planting Tip: If your local nursery doesn’t carry English bluebells, ask them for a supplier that they recommend.

Inspect the bulbs for cracks, bruising, or damage. Take a look at the bulbs to see if they have any damage. Gently squeeze them to feel if they’re rotten or spongy, which could be a sign of disease. Choose healthy-looking bulbs that are firm and solid. If you’re ordering your bulbs and they arrive damaged, contact the supplier about replacing them or refunding your money.

Select bulbs “in the green” if you’re planting in the spring or summer. Green bulbs, also referred to as bulbs “in the green” mean that they’ve started to grow green shoots and possibly leaves. Green bulbs grow faster than dry bulbs but are much more sensitive to temperature changes and weather conditions, so choose them if you’re planting in the spring or early summer. Bulbs in the green need to be planted quickly or they’ll die, so choose them only if you plan to plant them as soon as you get them.

Go with dry bulbs if you’re planting in the fall or winter. Dry bulbs are bulbs that are dormant and haven’t yet sprouted green shoots or leaves. They’re usually cheaper to buy and easier to transport, but they take several weeks or even months to sprout. Choose dry bulbs if you plan to plant your English bluebells in cooler months so they can sprout in the spring. Planting dry bulbs in the spring or summer could potentially cause them to rot if the increased temperature and moisture cracks open the bulb prematurely.

Selecting a Location

Choose a location beneath trees that gets 10 hours of shade a day. English bluebells thrive in partial or full shade, so look for areas in your yard or garden that are in the shade for at least 10 hours during the day. Look for areas beneath trees so they’re not exposed to direct sunlight, which can kill the delicate leaves of the bluebells. A small clearing in a wooded area is an ideal location to plant your bulbs. You can use a shaded area on the side of a structure such as your house or a shed to shield the bulbs from direct sunlight as well.

Check the soil to make sure it has good drainage. Dig a hole about 12 inches (30 cm) deep and 12 inches (30 cm) wide in the area you’re considering for your bluebell bulbs. Use a hose or bucket to fill the hole with water and let it sit overnight. The next day, refill the hole with water, then measure the water level with a ruler. Measure the water level every hour until the hole is empty. If the soil drains about 1–3 inches (2.5–7.6 cm) every hour, then it drains well. You can also look to see if water pools or collects in the area when it rains or if the ground sinks into a depression, which would indicate that the soil has poor drainage. Look for slightly elevated areas that allow water to runoff so your bulbs won’t rot in standing water whenever it rains. If the soil in an area is damp, but the surrounding soil is dry, it’s a sign of poor drainage.Tip: If your soil has poor drainage, try fixing it before you plant your English bluebell bulbs so they can thrive and aren’t at risk of dry rotting whenever it rains.

Look for an area where grass or shrubs are growing. Check for sure signs that plants thrive in the shaded locations so your English bluebell bulbs have a better chance of establishing root systems and growing into mature flowers. Look for grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation in the shaded areas you’re considering. Patches of dirt or dead grass indicate that the soil isn’t hospitable to plants and the area receives too much or too little light.

Add a 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) layer of garden compost on top of the soil. Once you’ve chosen a suitable location, cover the top of it with a layer of compost to help the bluebells grow and thrive in a nutrient-rich environment. Apply the compost and use a shovel to smooth it out into an even layer. You can also use manure or leaf mold to enrich the soil.

Putting the Bulbs in the Ground

Scatter the bulbs on the ground for a natural look. English bluebells grow wild in many areas and they look best when they grow naturally in random clumps. They also naturally spread out over an area, so you can easily get them started by taking a handful of bulbs and tossing them on the ground and planting them where they land to create a random pattern.

Space the bulbs out 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) if you don’t want to scatter them. To create a more manicured look and to control the growth of your bluebells, you can plant them in the ground yourself. Leave enough space between each plant so they have room to grow and will fill in the gaps.

Insert dry bulbs 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm) deep in the soil. Dry bulbs need to be pressed further into the soil than green bulbs so they can slowly rehydrate and their shoots can break out of the shell of the bulb. Once you’ve scattered the bulbs on the ground, make a small hole with your finger beneath the bulbs, and insert them into it. Cover them with a layer of topsoil and gently pat the surface.

Bury green bulbs so the white foliage is beneath the soil. Green bulbs need to be replanted to the same depth that they were before they were removed from the soil to be sold. Look for the junction where the green shoots and leaves of the bulb turn white. Bury the white part of the bulb into the soil so only the green section is exposed.Tip: Make sure the shoots are pointing straight up out of the ground.

Water the bulbs immediately after you plant them so the ground is saturated. Use a garden hose or a watering can to fully saturate the soil when you’re finished planting the English bluebell bulbs so they can settle into their new home and they have adequate water. Don’t water so much that a pool of standing water forms, but make sure the first 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm) of soil is damp.

Sprinkle a balanced organic fertilizer over new growth in the spring. English bluebells are hearty wildflowers, but adding a small amount of fertilizer to the top of the soil will help them thrive and produce healthier flowers. Wait until the spring to add fertilizer, when the new shoots and leaves are just starting to grow. Use an organic fertilizer that is a balance of nutrients so the bluebells have everything they need. Avoid strong chemical fertilizers, which can burn or kill the bluebells.