How will submerged plants/bulbs cope?

We have a burn which runs along the edge of my garden. A culvert has blocked/collapsed and the burn has backed up so a couple of trees, some Hostas and thousands of Daffodil and Snowdrop bulbs are now covered in water and have been so since Saturday. The council have been out and made a pathetic attempt at unblocking it. They are now waiting to get some "other equipment"...3 men with shovels would probably do the trick! so it could be some time before the water can escape. Do you think the plants/bulbs will survive or am I likely to loose the lot? If I was younger I'd have a good go at clearing the blockage myself! In comparison to many poor people who've been so badly flooded recently my problem is minor but still annoying.I have experienced a severe flood in a previous house so can totally sympathise with those affected...not funny at all.

 

If I were nearer i'd be round with a shovel to help you.

2 weeks max i'd guess, maybe a lot less. Going from my experience of making liquid feed, not much survives once the oxygen has been used up & the anerobic bacteria start to thrive

 

Hmm thought as much and thanks for your very kind offer! Wonder if things will improve as now much of the water has frozen. Fanflamingtastic. Wouldn't mind QUITE so much but I planted everything affected, the bulbs took months!

 

Oh no, that means the oxygen will get used up even quicker

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I didn't want to give you false hope.

Lets hope you come back in the spring & say, you were wrong zigs.

 

Gawd, here was me thinking it just might be better Zigs...you are a fund of useful info however dire! I'm now contemplating donning wellies, need waders really and having a b..... go myself!"If you want anything doing DIY" comes to mind. The thought of having to replant all those bulbs is worse than getting up to my ears in freezing water.

 

Sorry, the Snow Drops might be ok. They grow in places that are regularly flooded, but don't know if they can withstand a long period underwater. Kristen might know.

 

I was going to say a week would be fine, two weeks would be pushing it - much as you said Zigs.

But I'm not sure what happens then? I don't think a bulb, in soil but which is then covered with water, would start to rot in 2 weeks? It would stop growing because no oxygen ... but would then resume?

of course there comes a point where it would rot. Dunno when that is. Lets hope they get it fixed promptly.

The Hardy Tropical boys use Hydrogen Peroxide on things which get accidentally over-watered. The idea is that it releases Oxygen (in the soil) which helps the plant counteract the effects of being waterlogged (and thus starved of oxygen). Not sure of dilution percentage - Google would probably help with that. Whether it is worth watering a whole field of Bulbs with H2O2? Dunno the answer to that one!

 

Its what the anerobic bacteria would do to it that was worrying me Kristen. Your bulb would normally put up with it in a dormant state, but not totally submerged for too long.

 

Yeah, "too long" is the operative bit ...

 

Reminds me of a song played often in Ireland,,,,
What goes up the road,
over the road,
and down the road,
and never touches the road at all.
...............The council workman........

 

Been out today and while it's not rained for a week the burn hasn't really gone down at all. Could be looking at way longer than 2 weeks if normal council activity is anything to go by!!! Grass already looks pretty brown but suppose could be silt.Road is absolutely lethal as very cold here so unless you are Torville or Dean it's a no go area. Spoke to the council suggested our road should be shut except for access but what do I know, only lived here 10 years. I'd take very short odds that there will be an accident as for a stretch of about 200 mtrs it's impossible to stop as sheet ice. Thanks all for your efforts to allay my worst fears but have a nasty feeling my Snowdrops which run the whole length of the burn on the less steep side will buy it...sob and oh god my back is aching at the thought of planting them all again! Photo is what it looks like when behaving!

 

What a lovely little run of water Silu, I hope it comes good for next year,
Jenny

 

Keeping them crossed for you Silu

 

It must be heartbreaking ,I am sure we all sympathise and wish we could help.