Pesky bluebells

I had a cluster of Canterbury Bell a couple of years , never planted them ,it was either birds dropping seeds or the wind,I've to keep pulling out roots , but I like them they're lovely purple and pinkish so I'm keeping them,but I won't let them take over.

The reason most weedkillers fail with bluebells (and ivy) is the shininess of the leaves. Adding some washing up liquid will help it adhere (obviously you’ll have to use your own spray bottle) - and also slightly damaging the leaves.

keepingquiet

Are you sure they aren't muscari or grape hyacinths?

These can be invasive and are often confused with native bluebells, which are much more fragile.

I really see how those can be confused with bluebells - they look so very different! Though admittedly my dh might very well not know - he can barely tell a pansy from a buttercup. He once told me that dd and family had been to see the orchids at Kew - dd had sent a pic.

Since it was some time before Kew’s usual indoor orchid display, I was bemused - until I saw the pic! It was of the crocus carpet!! 😂
He honestly didn’t know one from the other.

Spent yesterday afternoon working on them . I wasn’t too successful with the bulbs because many are in difficult places but they pulled off the stems and leaves.
They are definitely Spanish bluebells and as someone else said they come up through other plants and even though gravel.
I will look for that weed killer.

We recently purchased a bungalow with a very large garden, around the trees are a mass of bluebells, I am delighted they are so beautiful and delicate, a3 Sundays ago a lady came to my door and asked could her granddaughter have her holy communion pictures taken in among the bluebells? Of course I said yes, there is a very large sitting stone there too,
It was lovely to see the young girl in her white dress sitting among the flowers, they then came and asked could my frenchie be in a couple of pictures with her so yes of course I said.

If you wish to get rid of them I am pretty sure glyphosate will do the job but you might need more than one application. Timing is important as absorbed through the leaves I am battling a patch of the wild crocosmia they are thugs too

It not that they aren’t pretty, it’s that they are a menace when they pop up in the middle of other plants, on the lawn, and spread like wildfire.

I absolutely adore bluebells

I can’t imagine wanting to get rid of them. And I certainly wouldn’t use any spray. Insects are enough crisis as it is. if they go, they will take us with them. People need to wake up to gardening in a way that does not poison nature.

I once made the big mistake of planting those little tiny Alium bulbs in two spots in my garden. They multiplied by bulb and seed, and soon swamped everything in those areas of the beds.

The only way I got rid of them was to a) dig them up as soon as the leaves appeared (they are much harder to get up with bulb/s intact once they flower) and b) if the bulb didn't come up first time, to pull off all the leaves anyway.

It's taken at least 10 years to get rid of all but a few, but as soon as I see one, I pull off the leaves and there are less and less each year.

Maybe this would work with your bluebells? keepingquiet, I had to do the same as above with the muscari - hundreds of the little blighters! Not seen any of those for a good few years now!

Are you sure they aren't muscari or grape hyacinths?

These can be invasive and are often confused with native bluebells, which are much more fragile.

This year my lily of the valley came into bud before the bluebells.
This year I have loads of oak shoots. Some come easily some refuse. Never had so many I guess it's because last year was a 'mast year.

I stand corrected😊!

I remember hearing on Gardeners Question Time that the only way to get rid of them is to repeatedly mow or strim every inch of growth so that there is nothing to feed the bulbs, which will then wither and die. Never tried it but it makes sense.

No, Greyduster some are white - or even pink.
Not so many but they definitely exist.

We had them in the woodland next to our garden as a child. Mostly the well known violet colour but a few precious white, indigo, pinks... 😍

This is the RHS info about them:

"English bluebells – our native bluebell grows to about 40cm (16in) in height and bears deep violet-blue flowers (very occasionally pink or white) with petals curled back at the mouth of the bell. The flowers are on one side of the arching stems and have a delicate, sweet scent. The narrow, strap-shaped green leaves are about 1.5cm (½in) wide"

Are they not protected, depending what type they are?

I have bluebells and white bells in my garden and they were here when I came in 1993. I am still trying to get rid and dig out for the last 33 years, it is so difficult. I now have wild Violets too and they are in my strawberry patch, in the borders, in the lawn and they will take over if I am not careful, just feel exhausted with it all. There is no easy answer but when you dig them up, you have to get the bulb otherwise they will continue to grow, good luck.

For next year, try to learn the difference between English and Spanish (hybrid) bluebells, rule of thumb is that the English ones have blue pollen and look like long pixie hats with curled edges, Spanish have white pollen and wide leaves and the flowers are not so long and tubular. As soon as the wide leaves appear, pull them out with the bulb and dispose. I do believe the English ones are a protected species and should be valued at all costs as they are hard to grow. If you still have wide leaves visible in your garden, then pull these out. English bluebells have thin to moderately thin leaves.

BlueBelle

I love my garden full of bluebells they don’t flower that long and then the lily of the valley take over the garden I love my garden doing just what it likes, this year I ve got loads of Valarian that I ve never planted!!

I love them too. Going for walks around here is lovely right now with carpets of bluebells in some of the woods.

I have the same problem too. I have dug out a few of the bulbs, but it is really hard work!

I pull of the stems as soon as the flowers fade, before they seed - but I think bluebells spread from the bulbs as well, so taking off the seedheads will help but is only half the battle.

I’ve tried pathclear but it doesn’t help. Wondered about round up?
I don’t even mind if some other plants suffer. I just want rid.

They are in our garden, too. Every year more appear. I quite like them but they don’t flower for long and then there are all these droopy leaves everywhere. The worst ones I get are montbretias, they take over and drive me nuts.

EllieAnne

I’m not sure what kind they are. They are quite big and some are white.

This explains the difference:
www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/spanish-or-native-bluebell

Introduced in the 17th century Spanish bluebells are thugs and have taken over gardens normally populated by the prettier more delicate English ones
I have them .
Today I was treating my dandelions with washing liquid and salt and wondered about trying it on the Spanish bluebells .
I try to dig them up and if I fail I cut them down to discourage seeding and photosynthesis.
I've had one hell of a battle with wild garlic but I think that I've won .

I’m wondering if tree stump killer would work ?