In this article we will consider issues regarding the care and planting of gladioli.
Surely, many of us know what a beautiful flower looks like – gladiolus. Speechweed, as this crop is also called, really cannot help but attract flower growers with its lush color and variety of species.
However, not all gardeners and gardeners are in a hurry to plant these plants on their plots, because they believe that caring for them requires a lot of effort. Whether this is true or not, today we will try to figure it out.
When to prepare gladioli for planting in the spring, take them out of the refrigerator for germination: timing
Gladioli cannot be called too picky flowers, however, they, of course, need some care.
Let's start, perhaps, with preparing flowers for planting in spring:
- First you need to remove the gladioli from their storage place - the refrigerator. This should be done about a month before planting in the ground.
- Next, you should look at the condition of the corms. Be sure to clean them of scales. This must be done extremely carefully, as the eyes of the plants can be damaged. Then we take brilliant green and treat all the “wounds” of the crop with it.
- After this, you can move on to the next job. If you have corms that have formed a pair of eyes, you can divide them. They do this, of course, very carefully, and the damaged area is necessarily treated with either ash or activated carbon in tablets, which must first be crushed.
- Further, if desired, you can sort the flowers according to different criteria: variety, size, age.
Preparing the bulbs
- All corms that are unsuitable in your opinion need to be selected and eliminated. Dry, rotten, blackened corms are definitely not suitable for planting.
- Now we carefully put the gladioli in a box or box and send them to a fairly bright place, but without direct rays of the sun. It is better to use a box made of cardboard.
- When laying corms, pay attention to their position. The eyes should not be pressed against anything, otherwise they will grow crookedly. Each bulb should take its place and not lie on top of another.
- That's all, the gladioli are prepared for further planting. Now you need to wait for the right time and temperature and start planting flowers.
Neighborhood choice, beautiful combinations
Due to the unusual shape of the peduncle, it is difficult for gladiolus to choose a companion, so the plants are used as a tapeworm. When choosing a neighborhood, designers pay attention to the biological and decorative compatibility of species. There are options that allow you to create harmonious compositions.
monoflower
Skewer is a self-sufficient plant that does not need to be combined with other species. Regardless of the number of buds, diameter or color, gladioli always look luxurious in a flower bed. Shades often depend on light intensity and soil acidity. There are rich bright and delicate pastels. Contrasts and gradient transitions of tones look impressive.
Red and white flowers Source diz-cafe.com
Combining different types Source botanichka.ru
To prevent gladularia from becoming tasteless, you cannot use many different shades. For a flower bed of gladioli, combinations of 2-4 colors are suitable; too much will add tackiness to the landscape design. The option of plants of the same tone, collected in a single composition of 8-10 copies, looks elegant.
Bright plant in a flower bed Source yandex.ua
Gladioli are often planted along paths or fences. To prevent the flower garden from resembling a plantation, you should not plant more than 6 rows. Speech petals can be simple smooth or complex corrugated, in the form of folds or fringe. Plants look great both near the entrance to the house and at the entrance to the site. A beautiful border of low-growing varieties will become a striking element of the landscape.
Flower of rich shade Source yandex.ua
Color options for decor Source decorathing.com
To beautifully plant gladioli, designers use the game of sizes of bushes and arrows. Large varieties are planted in the center of the monoflower; closer to the edge, the plants gradually decrease. Varieties with small flowers (5-7 cm) will be lost against the background of their giant counterparts (15-20 cm), so species of the same diameter are selected.
Background for skewer
A properly selected background helps highlight the gladioli. Designers recommend using evergreen shrubs and conifers as a basis. The shades of the flower benefit from the background of a boxwood fence or plantings of juniper, spruce or thuja. The beauty of the plant will be emphasized by the unusual shape of castor beans or the graceful branches of kochia.
Decorative fence Source zen.yandex.kg
Hostas are an ideal complement to skewer. Decorative perennials with beautiful flowers visually shade gladioli and hide the bare lower part. A variety with a white border or glossy leaves is often used to decorate flower beds. The background for the base of the composition will be made by a hybrid with raised veins or curly edges. Options with light plates can be combined with petals of bright, rich colors.
Decorative gooseberry is an unpretentious ground cover species with unusual foliage. The culture is used to fill empty areas under gladioli. Openwork light green plates with white edging will become an effective backdrop for high and low swordsmen.
Flowerbed of continuous flowering
According to the timing of flowering, gladioli are distinguished as early, middle and late. Depending on the variety, between planting and the dissolution of the petals, it takes from 70 days to 3 months. With the right selection of plants, you can get a flowerbed that will delight you throughout the summer and early autumn.
Flower garden near the house Source yandex.ua
In early spring, bulbous species bloom, then the time of gladioli comes. Tulips and daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses, snowdrops and muscari co-exist perfectly as predecessors for swords on the site. At the end of summer, all the plants are dug out from the flowerbed.
Designers collect a luxurious flower garden from different cultures. Spring is given over to bulbous species; the herbaceous peony will bloom in May-June. After the fragrant bush, it will be the turn of gladioli. In mid-summer, paniculate hydrangea blooms. The effect of endless flowering is created, which gradually moves from the ground to the height of human growth.
With annuals
Swordweed is dug up in the fall, so in landscape design they prefer to grow it with annuals. Gladiolus will become the center of the composition, the rest of the plants are used for edging. Compact marigolds or bright pansies are planted next to tall flowers.
You can grow fragrant tobacco next to the sword. Low- and medium-growing species of aromatic plants repel pests and complement the beauty of tall flower stalks. The variety of shades and shapes of buds allows you to choose a hybrid that will highlight the decorative effect of the gladiolus.
Options for a mobile flower garden Source gardening.kittens-world.ru
In the domestic climate, tricolor bindweed is grown as an annual. A low-growing climbing plant with gramophone buds will create a spectacular soil carpet under a tall gladiolus in its background.
A herbaceous plant with a peduncle in the shape of a low pyramid resembles a gladiolus. The annual has a wide palette of shades - from snowy white to rich burgundy. There are hybrids with petals of different tones. In combination with swords, designers recommend using low-growing (up to 40 cm) and dwarf (15-25 cm) species.
Zinnia angustifolia is a beautiful annual with bright daisy flowers that will turn the flowerbed space into a thick carpet. The compact, low-growing appearance complements rather than competes with the proud beauty of the gladiolus. Designers recommend using multi-colored mixtures of varieties, creating a colorful addition to the base of the composition. The crops have the same growing requirements.
Gladioli in a pot Source aliexrus.ru
With perennials
A harmonious neighborhood will help to plant gladioli beautifully. Rudbeckia should not exceed the height of the peduncle of the main plant. The dense greenery hides the spiky foliage of the fennel, creating a lawn effect. Bright buds with a dark core bloom in July and bloom until the first frost.
Successful color combination Source yandex.ua
Garden with different flowers Source yandex.ua
What soil is needed for gladioli, what kind of soil do gladioli like?
Particular attention should be paid to the soil in which the flowers will be planted, because if it is chosen incorrectly, the crop will not take root and, accordingly, will not bloom.
- This crop responds well to black soil, which is rich in humus. It is also suitable for light loamy and sandy soils.
- The acidity of the soil in which gladioli will be planted should be neutral or weak.
Soil for flowers
- If the soil is not suitable, most often it is improved, and only then flowers are planted in it.
- If the soil is heavy clayey, it is worth adding weathered peat, if the soil is sand - humus.
How to prepare, divide, clean and what to soak gladioli bulbs in before germination?
Having taken the flower bulbs out of the cool place in which they were stored, you need to immediately start processing them.
- Earlier we talked about the fact that all corms must be cleared of scales. It is necessary to do this, because various parasites and pests can live in them. To clean the children, you need to take them in your hands, lightly press the film, and then pry it with your fingernail and remove it. Clean them immediately before planting.
- It is not at all necessary to divide the bulbs, but almost all gardeners do this. To do this, you need to take the onion that has 2 growth buds and divide it into 2 parts. Treat the cut area with ash or coal.
Before planting, it is important to prepare the bulbs
- An important step in preparing gladioli is soaking them. To do this, you need to place all the bulbs in garlic infusion. Prepare the infusion as follows: peel and grate 270 g of garlic, then pour 10 liters of water into the vegetable. We place not only adult bulbs in this liquid, but also children, and wait a couple of hours. Garlic disinfects gladioli and affects various pests.
- If the option with garlic does not suit you for some reason, use solutions of potassium permanganate and karbofos. First you need to carry out the procedure with a solution of potassium permanganate. To do this, dissolve 1 g of the product in 10 liters of water and dip the onions in the resulting liquid for half an hour. Afterwards, dissolve 25 g of karbofos in 10 liters of water, and put the plants in this solution for half an hour.
- After all such manipulations, you can treat the crop with means that will accelerate its growth. To do this, add 1 tablet of heteroauxin, 1 g of sodium humate and 1 g of succinic acid to 10 liters of water. Plants must spend at least 8 hours in this liquid.
Gladioli sprouted in January, February, March: what to do?
Due to improper storage, the bulbs of this crop often germinate before the required time.
- The thing is that gladioli, during their forced rest, go through 2 stages: the first stage is the time during which the flowers are at rest for reasons beyond our control, the second stage is the time during which we provide peace to the culture, creating certain conditions for her
- By conditions we mean air temperature of about +10 degrees and humidity no more than 70%
When the storage conditions of the crop are violated, we get flowers that sprouted in winter. In this case, the algorithm of actions should be as follows:
- We carefully transfer all the corms to a drier place. This place should be warm enough. In a few weeks the plants will dry out properly.
- After this, we take the corms and transfer them to a place where the air temperature will not exceed +6 degrees. The humidity in this room should be lower than normal.
- A couple of weeks before planting gladioli, they need to be moved to a room with a temperature of about +15 degrees. Such conditions will contribute to the awakening of culture.
It is not recommended to plant prematurely sprouted flowers in the ground, since they, in principle, will not yet be able to take root and grow normally.
What to do if a gladiolus sprout breaks?
Very often we order new varieties of crops from various online stores. At the same time, the transportation of flowers often leaves little to be desired. And in everyday life it happens that the sprouts of culture break. If this happens to you, it is important to know the following information.
- Most often, good healthy bulbs have so-called spare buds
- If you create conditions that are comfortable for the plant, it will survive and after planting it will definitely delight your eye with lush flowering
- If there is still a lot of time before planting in the ground, place the onion with the broken sprout in a fairly cold and, most importantly, dry place
- If you need to plant the crop very soon, then the bulb with the broken sprout should be left in a warm, bright place. This is necessary so that the spare kidneys begin to wake up faster
In any case, do not rush to throw away the plant, try all available methods and only then make a decision.
GROW THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GLADIOLUS!
If you want to grow gladioli in your garden, choose the most beautiful varieties! We want to offer you the best from our collection! Mystical Amber, Indian Summer, Boniface, Burgundy, Evergreen, Vine, Gaidan, Deep Red, Terrible, Jester, Ding-Don, Zizani, Zorro, Kirov, Color, Contrast, Corazon, Cote D, Azur, Kum Laude, Moscow, Princess Margarita, Purple, Murmansk, Omsk, Provence, Ram Bam, Robert, Pink lace, Rus', Saratov, Sugar Plum, Ufa, Flora, Tsepky.
We also have wonderful mixes of different varieties of gladioli, skillfully selected by our designers according to color scheme. These are the sets: Butterflies, Marshmallows, Lemon in chocolate, Terry.
Even a novice gardener can grow gladioli. But how much joy and aesthetic pleasure they will give you and your loved ones with their long, lush flowering. And I will also save you from any trouble!
Time to plant gladioli in open ground in spring: month, air temperature
In order to choose the right time and month for planting a crop, it is recommended to pay attention to the weather outside the window.
Most often, nature itself tells flower growers when it is time to plant plants.
- If the spring is early and warm enough, gladioli bulbs can be planted at the beginning or end of April.
- If spring is not as warm as we would like, then planting should be postponed until the beginning of May, or even its first week.
Planting bulbs
- You can navigate by folk tips. If small leaves begin to form on the birch tree, this is a sure sign that the bulbs can be planted.
- You also need to focus on the soil temperature. The most suitable soil is considered to be one that has warmed up to +10 degrees. The depth of the soil being tested is about 12 cm.
Optimal landing times
It is best to start preparing the soil for planting gladioli in the fall by testing the soil for acidity: the optimal indicator recommended for bulbs is a slightly acidic environment within the pH range of 5.5-6.5. During the same period, fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium are added to the soil.
But the bulbs should be planted when the threat of spring frosts has passed. In Russian realities, this period begins at the end of April-beginning of May. At this time, the soil contains the optimal amount of moisture suitable for gladioli bulbs, so it is important not to miss this moment.
Preparation and treatment of gladioli bulbs against thrips before planting in spring: means, description
Thrips are special enemies of flower growers, as they cause considerable harm to many crops.
To save gladioli from these pests, use these methods.
- Before planting, you need to take the plants and place them in fairly hot water - 50°C. You can keep gladioli in such water for no more than 3-5 minutes.
- You can also treat the culture in Actellik solution. This product has a complex effect on all parts of the plant, destroying many pests. At the same time, the product is safe for flowers and can be used with other drugs. To prepare the required solution, take 10 liters of water and dilute 15 g of the product in it.
Bulb processing
- You can use a folk remedy, which, according to flower growers, is no less effective than special means. We take 800 g of garlic, peel it, pass it through a press, collecting the juice. Dilute the resulting juice with 10 liters of water. Dip the plants in this solution for 1 hour before planting.
- It is also recommended to disinfect the crop bulbs with karbofos. Take 10 liters of water and dissolve approximately 50 g of the product in it. Immerse the plants in the solution for 5 minutes. The procedure must be done immediately before landing.
- A good remedy is Inta-Vir. To use it, dissolve 1 tablet of the substance in 10 liters of water. Place the plants in the resulting liquid for 5 minutes. After the procedure, we immediately plant the crop.
Diseases and pests of gladioli
The swordsman is not endowed with strong immunity to diseases.
It may suffer from bacterial and fungal diseases.
Gladioli can suffer from scab, fusarium, rot, and variegation.
It is known that negative situations are easier to prevent than to resolve. Preventive measures include the destruction of damaged plants, compliance with crop rotation, and the use of special preparations.
Photo of gladioli bulbs affected by scab
Photo of damage to gladioli leaves by fusarium
Photo of gladioli bulbs affected by rot
Among the army of pests that can annoy gladioli are thrips, wireworms, and mole crickets.
Thrips damage the buds and prevent them from opening.
If the tubers are not treated before storage, the pests can be transported along with them and then the bulbs will suffer. A characteristic sticky coating will appear on the tubers. A special preparation will help get rid of pests.
The wireworm prefers areas with weeds.
To avoid its occurrence, it is recommended to loosen the soil, remove weeds and liming the soil.
The mole cricket can also encroach on the tubers.
This insect can reach large sizes and cause significant damage to the bulbs. Special pest control products will help get rid of it.
Proper planting of gladioli in the spring so that they bloom well and do not fall: depth, planting rules
Planting of this crop begins when the soil warms up to at least +10 degrees at a depth of 10 cm.
Most often, the planting period falls at the end of April, beginning of May. In order for the planting of flowers to be successful, and the gladioli to please you with their flowering, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules when carrying out this process:
- Plant the healthiest, highest quality plant bulbs first.
- Gladioli are planted in sandy soil, because such soil has a beneficial effect on plant bulbs and performs a protective function.
- To achieve a similar effect, proceed as follows: pour a little sand into the holes dug for the bulbs. It will be enough to fill each hole with a layer of sand of 1.5 cm.
- An already planted plant is also lightly sprinkled with sand, and then with soil.
Planting in spring
- When planting plants, keep an eye on the distance between them. If the bulbs of the crop are large enough, then the distance between them should not be less than 15 cm, between the rows of such plants the distance should be at least 20-25 cm. If you are planting children, then it will be enough to make the distance between each bulb 5 cm, and between rows – 15 cm.
- The depth at which plants need to be planted also depends on the soil and their size. If the crop is planted in chernozem or sandy soil, then the depth should be approximately 15 cm, but if the soil is clayey, then it will be enough to plant the bulb to a depth of 8 cm. On average, corms are planted to a depth of 12 cm. Children are planted to a depth of 4 cm.
- Before planting plants, be sure to moisten the soil. However, do not turn the hole into a small swamp.
When to plant gladioli in the spring of 2022 according to the lunar calendar, favorable days
When choosing the time to plant gladioli in open ground, you must be guided not only by the climate of your region, but also by the recommendations of the lunar calendar.
Since gladiolus grows from a corm, it, like other tuberous and bulbous crops, must be planted on the waning moon.
In the spring of 2022, favorable days for planting gladiolus are:
- in March - 1 - 12, 29 - 31.
- in April - 1 - 11, 28 - 30.
- in May - 1 - 10, 27 - 31.
Gladioli can also be planted at the very beginning of summer. Therefore, in June, favorable days for planting will be: 1 - 9, 25 - 30.
How often to water gladioli?
This crop loves water, so plants must be watered properly. Otherwise, the root system of plants may be damaged, and this in turn will affect the development of flowers.
- Watering is carried out exclusively with warm water. Cold or even cool water is not suitable for watering this crop.
- Gladioli do not need frequent watering, however, there is no need to skimp on water when watering the plants. The soil should be moistened to at least 25 cm in depth, or even to the full 30 cm.
- For each plant you need to use about 10 liters of water.
- The amount of water used also depends on weather conditions. If the weather is hot outside, the amount of water can be increased by 1.5 times.
- After the procedure, it is recommended to lightly weed the soil and loosen it.
Can gladioli withstand spring frosts?
It should immediately be noted that gladioli are heat-loving crops, so temperature fluctuations have an adverse effect on plants.
- It is generally accepted that air temperatures from +17 to + 25°C are most suitable for the normal growth and development of this crop.
- It is also important to consider that nighttime cold snaps have a much greater effect on plants than daytime ones.
- Plant roots feel good at a soil temperature of +10°C.
- During the growing season, the crop may suffer if the air temperature drops to -4°C.
- Spring frosts are dangerous for gladioli. If the plant stays for about 8 hours. at a temperature of -5°C, its leaves will suffer, however, not critically. If the temperature drops to -7°C, then during the same time the flowers will die.
- In order for plants to tolerate frost as best as possible, they need to be hardened off in a timely manner. This procedure will significantly reduce the risk that gladioli will not survive spring frosts.
How to feed gladioli when planting, in spring, during flowering: fertilizers, folk remedies
Fertilizing plants plays a huge role, because in this way the flowers receive all the microelements and substances they lack.
- Initially, fertilize the soil in which gladioli will be planted. To do this, urea, ash, potassium sulfate and superphosphate are added to the soil. For example, you need to take approximately 45 g of ash per 1 m2, if the choice fell on urea, then 30 g will be enough, potassium sulfate is used in an amount of 20 g, and superphosphate - 30 g
- Next, the plants themselves are fed. As soon as the second leaves appear on the crop, you can fertilize it with chicken droppings. To do this, prepare a solution based on a ratio of 1:20. Also, the first fertilizing can be done using nitrophoska. To do this, dilute 50 g of the product in 10 liters of water. Leave this liquid for a day, and then fertilize the plants with it.
Next, we will feed the gladioli when 5 true leaves appear on them. For this fertilizing, add the following components to the soil per 1 m²:
- Ammonium sulfate – 15 g
- Superphosphate – 15 g
- Potassium sulfate – 15 g
Feeding
As soon as a peduncle appears on the plant, it is time to make the next feeding. For this stage, it is recommended to take the following substances per 1 m²:
- Urea – 7 g
- Superphosphate – 30 g
- Potassium sulfate – 25 g
- Final fertilizing is carried out after the crop has flowered. It is appropriate to water the flowers with a solution of wood ash. To do this, dilute 1 glass of the substance in 10 liters of water.
Before buds begin to form on the plants, it is recommended to spray. To do this, mix the following substances:
- Boric acid – 1.5 g
- Copper sulfate – 2 g
- Cobalt nitrate – 1.5 g
- Zinc sulfate – 1 g
- Liquid soap – 15 g
- Water – 10 l
We spray the flowers with this solution so that the liquid gets onto the entire plant. For the procedure, choose the evening time.
Gladioli care
- Watering. The flower must be watered every seven days early in the morning or in the evening. During a long absence of precipitation - every 3-4 days. Water consumption should be 10-12 liters per 1m2. Before these procedures, it is recommended to create grooves 3-5 centimeters deep between the rows and pour water into them. This allows you to protect the foliage from liquid ingress, but at the same time provide watering to the plants. Then the gladioli are hilled. You need to loosen the soil at least once every 10 days.
- Garter. As flowers begin to form, gardeners recommend tying the arrows to pegs. When the buds begin to fade, they are removed so that the plant does not waste the extra energy that the seeds need.
- Weeding. This procedure must be carried out 3-4 times throughout the season. The area should be especially cleared of weeds when sprouts appear, so that they do not choke the young plant. Weeding is also done to prevent diseases.
- Fertilizer. In order for the gladiolus flower to grow healthy and spectacular, it is recommended to regularly apply mineral fertilizers. The first procedure is performed at the stage of development of the first two or three leaves using nitrogen-containing fertilizer. Due to a lack of this substance, the plant may lose its color and become faded. If there is excessive presence, the greenery grows too actively, and the flowering becomes poorer. It also contributes to the development of fungal diseases. It is recommended to apply the second fertilizer when the fifth or sixth leaf is formed. In this case, gardeners use formulations with potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. The third procedure takes place with the first appearance of flowers. At this stage, fertilize with phosphorus-potassium products.
In addition to mineral fertilizers, gladioli also need organic fertilizers. For better delivery of nutrients to the roots, gardeners recommend applying liquid formulations. Some also use bird droppings when the bush is just starting to grow. The prepared mixture is distributed along the grooves between the rows, then loosened and hilled.
To achieve earlier flowering and greater decorativeness, you can spray the foliage on both sides with a light solution of soap with copper sulfate, potassium permanganate or boric acid. 2-3 such procedures are carried out when the plant is just beginning to develop, as well as during the formation of flowers.
Until the 15th of August, the plant needs to be fertilized with mineral compounds every 2-3 weeks. After this, feeding is stopped.
Cut flowers. You need to cut the buds with a very sharp knife early in the morning or in the evening so that the peduncle does not come out of the leaves. For good development of bulbs, the plant must have at least 4 leaf blades.
When do gladioli bloom, in what month?
The flowering period of gladioli directly depends on when you planted them in the ground.
- Some gardeners plant this crop in mid-March. Gladioli planted at this time will delight you with their flowering around the first week of July
- Plants planted in mid-April will bloom in late July
- If you planted the plants at the end of May, then you need to wait for them to bloom around the last days of August
- And those gladioli that went into the ground at the end of July will delight you with color no earlier than mid-September, or even in early October
Knowing this information, you can adjust the time of planting flowers, so that you can admire them all summer and even a little bit of autumn.
Brief description of cultivation
The flowering period depends on the variety. It may begin during the first weeks of summer or later. Some representatives of this plant can bloom even in early autumn. It is recommended to plant the flower in the spring, and remove the bulbs from the ground in the fall (September-October). They must be stored in a room whose temperature is 5-10°C.
For good development of gladiolus, it is necessary to select a site with good bright lighting and soil with low acidity (6.5-6.8 pH). Gardeners plant the flower in a place with structural black soil, light loam or sandy loam.
Gladioli flowers need generous weekly watering with 10-12 liters of liquid per 1m2. For fertilizers, compositions of mineral origin with a liquid consistency and organic mixtures are used. The procedures must be performed three times per season. The first time is recommended to be carried out when 1-2 leaves are formed, the second - during the formation of 5-6 leaves, and the third - until the buds develop.
Gladioli can be propagated by seeds, tubers and buds.
Problems that may arise while growing flowers include diseases and insect damage. For example, a plant may develop fusarium, curvularia, gray mold, bacterial scab, cancer, smut, septoria, penicillosis or sclerotinia. In addition, the flower can be damaged by slugs, cabbage cutworms, thrips, meadow mites, wireworms and mole crickets.
Gladioli after flowering: what to do, how to prune gladioli for the winter, how much stem to leave?
The gladioli have faded, however, they still need care and attention. After all, proper cleaning of plants after they bloom is the key to their successful storage and future flowering.
- After the crop has flowered, proceed as follows. After about a month, 40 days, the gladioli need to be dug up. This must be done extremely carefully so as not to damage the root system of the plants. First, the plants are slightly dug up, prying them up with a pitchfork, and then pulled out with their hands.
- Now we remove the remaining soil from the flowers and lay them on a dry surface. In this case, immediately inspect the dug up bulbs. All sick, damaged bulbs should be removed to the side. The stems of the crop should be trimmed as much as possible. It is permissible to leave only a small piece of the stem, approximately 5 cm
- Leave the plants for a couple of days for them to dry out.
- After this, we treat the gladioli in a solution of potassium permanganate. Then dry it again
- Then the plants need to be stored in nylon bags for a whole month.
- After this time, transfer the bulbs to a box and store it for about a month.
- After this, the culture must be moved to a cold place.
- You need to dry gladioli monthly, taking them out of the basement or refrigerator
- While doing this procedure, inspect the plants for pests and diseases.
Harvesting and storing corms
What time to dig up the bulbs. The work is performed after 35-45 days, when the flowering period has ended, on a day with dry weather. First of all, this should be done with early plants, then with late ones, and finally with gladioli that have grown from children and small bulbs. Bulbs with signs of disease should be removed from the soil earlier to avoid the development of diseases.
It is necessary to remove the soil from the dug bulbs and separate them from the children. After this, they are distributed into containers with a lattice bottom, washed well, disinfected for half an hour with a 1% solution of Fundazol and washed again under running water. Then they are treated with 3% potassium permanganate, dried for 2-3 days, and then transferred to paper sheets for 17-21 days at a temperature of 25-30°C. After this period has expired, the planting material is removed to a room whose temperature is 18-22°C. And after a month and a half, all the copies are cleaned and sorted.
To store children, they are first sorted by size and grade, and then distributed into paper envelopes. Storage should take place at a temperature of 5-6°C.
Basic rules for storing bulbs. To prevent the bulbs from sprouting, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 5-10 ° C after 35-40 days of storage. In addition, the humidity level should be maintained at 60-70%. It is recommended to place garlic in a container with planting material, replacing it with a new one every 4 weeks. Also at this time, gladioli should be inspected for damage - diseased specimens should be removed.
What to do with gladioli babies in the fall?
The only thing we can say for sure is that you definitely shouldn’t throw them away.
- Having dug up the plant bulbs and cleared them of soil, we leave them to dry
- After this, it is necessary to separate the children from the main bulb. To do this, you need to carefully unscrew them.
- Adult and baby bulbs should be stored separately.
Gladioli babies
- In this case, the children need to be folded into paper and then into cardboard boxes.
- The best places to store them are in a cellar, balcony, or refrigerator.
- The temperature in the room where children are kept should be about +5 degrees
Bulb storage rules
Before wintering, gladioli bulbs are sorted, separating the children. They are stored separately, which makes planting easier in the spring.
To successfully store gladioli, you need to create suitable conditions. The temperature in the storage facility is maintained at +4... +6 °C, and air humidity is not lower than 65-70%. You can store planting material on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, in the basement or cellar, or on a glassed-in loggia.
If storage conditions are not suitable, then gladioli will germinate in the first months of storage. This is very bad, such bulbs will not have strong peduncles in the future, and you can’t expect lush flowering. Before planting, all sprouts that have risen above 3-5 cm are removed.
Reproduction of gladioli by children: description
Propagating gladioli by children is the surest way to provide yourself and your garden with beautiful flowering crops.
- In the fall, as you already know, the children are separated from the mother bulb, and, properly processed, stored until spring
- Next, before planting, the children need to be treated. First, we clear them of scales. After this, we make a solution of potassium permanganate by mixing 10 liters of water and 5 g of the product. We treat children with this liquid
- We plant children only when the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm is +10 degrees
- Plant plants to a depth of 5 cm
- Between plants you need to leave a distance of 5 cm, between rows - 15 cm
- As soon as the shoots appear, it is necessary to water the plants and loosen the soil
- You can fertilize gladioli a month after you see the shoots
- It happens that children shoot arrows and bloom, but this should not be allowed in the first year
- Around the end of September, the bulbs need to be dug up and then prepared in a way already familiar to you for storage.
How to plant
Now let's move on to how to plant gladioli. Just before planting the bulbs, the beds prepared for them are dug up, the necessary fertilizers are added to the soil (no cow manure - only phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, remember the level of soil acidity!). Small holes are dug in the beds to suit the size of the corms; the recommended distance between each hole is 25-35 cm from each other.
The bottom of the holes is covered with sand to protect the tubers from diseases, and the children from direct contact with the soil. Afterwards, the holes already filled with bulbs are again covered with a layer of sand and then soil.
A CONVENIENT METHOD FOR PLANTING GLADIOLUS. Video
How to get gladiolus seeds?
This crop can also be propagated using seeds. To do this, you need to get seeds, and this happens as follows.
- The plant must be pollinated by pollen from another flower.
- After the gladioli have faded, the process of drying begins
- When the flowers dry, small boxes with seeds will appear in their place.
- Our task is to remove the boxes and collect the seeds
When we have the seeds at hand, we can think about propagating this crop with their help.
- The process of growing a crop from seeds begins at the end of winter
- We take our seeds and soak them in a solution of sodium humate (a 0.01% solution is suitable for this) for a couple of hours.
- Next, mix humus and sand in a 2:1 ratio. We plant seeds in this soil
- Next, we care for the seeds in the standard way: water them, feed them if necessary
- If the weather in your region allows, plant the seeds directly in open soil.
- When the season is over, your seedlings will delight you with the appearance of children
- We carefully separate the babies from the stem, dry them and put them away for storage.
- Store in a fairly dry and warm place
How to speed up or delay flowering
Blooming gladioli.
Photo from pixabay.com A proven way to speed up the flowering of gladioli is to grow tubers in pots. About 4 weeks before planting, pre-cleaned and prepared bulbs are planted in pots with soil rich in humus. When the first shoots appear, the pots should be placed in a well-lit place. After the onset of a warm period, the sprouted tubers are planted in the ground according to plan.
To delay the flowering of gladioli, you can simultaneously plant tubers with different flowering times so that late varieties bloom to replace fading gladioli.
You can also experiment with planting time and plant tubers with a delay of two weeks - then the area will be covered with flowers until mid-autumn.
Good to read: 9 indoor flowers that bloom all year round.