Bulb ID

The Waxbill

Can somebody tell me what these bulbs are please. The 2 on the left I think are probably some kind of Allium as they look like onions, the rest I'm not sure?

The Waxbill

The Waxbill wrote: »

Can somebody tell me what these bulbs are please. The 2 on the left I think are probably some kind of Allium as they look like onions, the rest I'm not sure?

Sorry I don't seem to be able to attach a photo, I'll keep trying.

The Waxbill

Let's try again

looksee

The ones on the left look like bluebells and the ones on the right look like montbretia, but its difficult to tell from just bulbs.

The Waxbill

Thanks Looksee, I googled both bluebell and montbretia bulbs and I think you're spot on. I'm going to plant the bluebell bulbs but I'm not sure about the montbretia as it seems they can be very invasive, especially if they are the wild type.

The bulbs were in a load of lovely topsoil/compost I got from freecycle.

lottpaul

The ones on the right are definitely montbretia and unless you know what type etc I'd be inclined to dump them. They are very, very invasive and will crowd out most neighbours. Even at that you may miss some of the smallest ones so keep an eye out for a year or so and just pull up any you see sprouting.

The Waxbill

I've got a corner of the garden where I might put the crocosmia, away from everything else. The problem is I've already put this soil into a new raised bed for growing veg this year. I've removed as many of the bulbs as I could but doubtless I've left plenty behind. I'm going to be pulling out crocosmia from this bed for the whole year, aren't I?

lottpaul

The Waxbill wrote: »

I'm going to be pulling out crocosmia from this bed for the whole year, aren't I?

Possibly, or even longer but it shouldn't be too difficult.
Just keep carefully pulling them out down to the bulb - don't just pull the stem - and don't let them get a hold.

(You could try painting them with a weedkiller gel but they'd need to be a decent size before you do that.)

looksee

If they are the wild bluebells/English bluebells/common bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), keep them certainly. I suspect they are H. hispanica though, in which case they are easily as much trouble as the montbretia.