Bulb
How to grow snowdrops
Galanthus nivalis
Snowdrops establish best planted 'in the green', as leafy plants just after flowering in February or March, rather than as dry bulbs in autumn. Set them 10 cm deep and 7 to 10 cm apart in light shade under deciduous trees or shrubs, in soil with plenty of leaf mould. The one thing they will not forgive is drying out: bulbs that sat dry on a shop shelf often fail, and clumps in soil that bakes in summer dwindle to leaves.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
- Position
- Light shade
- Soil
- Moisture-retentive, humus-rich
- Ideal pH
- 6.0 to 7.0
- Water
- Low to moderate; never dry in summer
- Feeding
- Light feeder
Sowing and planting snowdrops
WhenPlant 'in the green' Feb to Mar or dry bulbs Sep to Oct; flowers Jan to Feb
Starting off
Plant 'in the green' Feb to Mar at 10 cm deep, immediately after lifting, as dry bulbs planted Sep to Oct often fail; keep moist. Divide clumps every 3 to 4 years just after flowering in Mar, splitting into groups of 5 bulbs. Fresh seed sown in May takes 3 to 5 years to flower.
Spacing and planting
Plant 7 to 10 cm apart in drifts of 25 or more; set bulbs 10 cm deep, pointed end up. Fine in a 20 cm pan for a season, then plant out.
Varieties worth growing
- Galanthus nivalis
- The common snowdrop: 10 to 15 cm, cheap in quantity and the one to naturalise in grass and under trees.
- G. nivalis f. pleniflorus 'Flore Pleno'
- The double form, with a ruffled green and white centre. It sets no seed, so it spreads only by division, but clumps bulk up quickly.
- G. elwesii
- The giant snowdrop: broad grey leaves, large flowers on 20 cm stems, often open in January, and more tolerant of sun and drier soil.
- G. 'S. Arnott'
- Tall, vigorous and honey-scented, with large rounded flowers; the best first step beyond the common snowdrop.
- G. woronowii
- Glossy bright green leaves instead of grey, and small neat flowers a little later than G. nivalis.
Snowdrops month by month
Timings are for central England. Allow two weeks later in the north and on cold, heavy soil.
- January
First flowers, G. elwesii earliest. Clear fallen twigs and heavy mats of leaves off the clumps.
- February
Main flowering. Buy and plant snowdrops in the green as soon as they arrive.
- March
Lift, divide and replant congested clumps as the flowers fade. Water them in.
- April
Leave the foliage alone. Water new plantings if the month is dry.
- May
Leaves yellow and vanish. Mark where the clumps are. Sow fresh seed if you want to.
- June
Water clumps under hedges and trees in a drought.
- July
Nothing to do.
- August
Nothing to do. Order dry bulbs only from a supplier who lifts them fresh.
- September
Plant dry bulbs the day they arrive.
- October
Finish planting dry bulbs early in the month. Mulch with leaf mould.
- November
Spread leaf mould 2 to 3 cm deep if not done in October.
- December
Shoot tips appear. Keep the ground over them clear.
Feeding snowdrops
Snowdrops in decent soil need no fertiliser. A yearly leaf-mould mulch is their feed; seaweed is a help only on very poor sand or in pots.
Minimal, a woodland plant happy in leaf mould.
Feeding plan
October or November, every year
Leaf mould
A 2 to 3 cm layer over the clumps. Garden compost will do if you have no leaf mould.
March, as the flowers fade, thin sandy soil only
50 g/m², the low end of the label, scattered among the leaves and watered in: a small handful per square metre. Once a year.
After flowering while the leaves are green, pots only
1 g per litre of water, the label rate, as a drench every three weeks until the leaves yellow: usually two or three applications.
No fertiliser is needed for snowdrops in ordinary garden soil. The seaweed products are for thin sandy soil and for pots only.
Signs to watch
Clumps dwindle to leaves only
Congestion or summer drought under a hedge
Divide in Mar and water in a dry Jun
Yellow floppy foliage in Feb
Wet, airless soil
Add leaf mould and grit
Pests, diseases and problems
Leaves and flower stalks covered in grey fuzzy mould as they emerge, then collapse; bulbs rot
Snowdrop grey mould, worst in mild, damp winters
Dig up and bin the whole affected clump with the soil round it as soon as you see it, and do not replant snowdrops in that spot. Dividing congested clumps helps prevent it.
A clump produces only a few thin leaves or nothing; lifted bulbs are soft with a fat grub inside
Narcissus bulb fly, which lays eggs at the neck of the bulb as the leaves die back, mostly in warm, sunny positions
Discard soft bulbs when dividing, grow snowdrops in shade where the fly is less active, and rake soil over the holes left by the dying foliage in May.
Newly planted bulbs dug up or missing
Squirrels, and sometimes mice
Firm the soil well after planting and pin chicken wire over the area until the ground has settled. Established clumps are rarely disturbed.
Red-brown streaks and scorched tips on the leaves, reddish marks on the bulb scales
Leaf scorch, a fungal disease shared with daffodils
Remove affected leaves, discard marked bulbs when you divide, and replant healthy bulbs in fresh ground.
Flowers ragged or eaten, with slime trails
Slugs and snails in a mild spell
Clear matted wet leaves from over the clumps in December and pick off the culprits at dusk.
Pruning
Pruning and care
No deadheading needed unless you want to stop self-seeding. Leave foliage until it yellows in late Apr; never cut or mow before. Divide congested clumps every 3 to 4 years in Mar 'in the green'. Mulch with leaf mould in autumn; fully hardy, no protection.
Good to knowPlant or divide 'in the green' (just after flowering) for the best results.
Growing snowdrops in pots
Snowdrops are short-term pot plants. A 20 cm pan of loam-based compost mixed with a third of leaf mould or fine bark will hold 15 to 20 bulbs for a display by the door, but compost in a pot gets too warm and too dry in summer for them to thrive long term. Keep the pan outdoors and moist, never in a heated room for more than a few days, and plant the whole clump out in the garden in March once the flowers fade. If a pot must stay planted, sink it to the rim in a shady border for the summer.
Snowdrops: common questions
When is the best time to plant snowdrops?
The best time is February or March, 'in the green', when the plants are still in leaf just after flowering. They are sold lifted with leaves and roots attached and should be replanted the day they arrive, at the depth shown by the white part of the stem. Dry bulbs go in during September or early October but are less reliable.
Why are my snowdrops not flowering?
Snowdrops that come up as leaves only are usually congested, too dry in summer, or had their foliage cut off too early the year before. Lift and divide the clump in March, replant in small groups in soil improved with leaf mould, and leave the leaves to die down naturally. Newly planted dry bulbs can also take a year or two to settle.
How do I get snowdrops to spread?
Divide the clumps every three to four years just after flowering. Lift a clump with a fork, tease it into groups of about five bulbs, and replant them 10 cm deep and a hand's width apart. Single-flowered snowdrops also self-seed in undisturbed, moist soil if you leave the seed pods on.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these references in November 2026. Feeding rates are Dr Forest label rates.
- How to grow snowdropsRHS
- Snowdrops (Galanthus) plant guideRHS
- Narcissus bulb flyRHS
- How to grow snowdropsBBC Gardeners' World