Gladioli are commonly grown to be cut and used in flower arrangements. Majestic in size and stature, they vary from 60 to 120 centimeters in height and have trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of all colors, except blue. The gladiolus is a perennial bulb-tuber (corm), which cannot resist freezing.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Plant the Gladiolus
Step 1. Purchase corms of gladioli from a garden center or greenhouse
You can also buy them by mail order, but it is best to buy them hand-picked to ensure they are of superior quality.
- Look for plump bulbs with chunky centers for a superior quality flower. Avoid flat corms.
- Base the size of the corms you buy on the size of the gladioli you want to grow. Choose bulbs with diameters of 1, 25 to 2 cm to grow flowers of 60 to 90 cm. Those with a diameter of 2.5 cm or more give larger flowers.
Step 2. Store the bulbs in a cool, dry environment where temperatures do not drop below freezing until you are ready to plant them
Step 3. Choose a place that gets a lot of sunlight
Gladioli prefer full sun, but tolerate partial shade.
Step 4. Dig the soil to a depth of 30cm
Step 5. Clean the soil as needed to provide good drainage
Gladioli grown in soil without proper drainage are more prone to disease.
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Add compost or compost, bark or peat moss to the soil if drainage is a problem.
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Raise the level of the gladiolus flower beds by 5 to 10 cm to raise the plants from standing water if the puddles still remain on the ground surface 4 to 5 hours after heavy rain.
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Step 6. Plant the bulbs in the garden after the last frost at 2 week intervals to extend their flowering season
Stop planting in mid-June to ensure the plants have enough time to bloom.
Step 7. Dig holes 15 - 18cm deep and place them 15 - 20cm apart
Step 8. Place a corm in each hole with the pointed end or growth point facing up and the notched part underneath
Step 9. Fill the holes with earth
Water the entire area thoroughly.
Method 2 of 3: Caring for Gladioli
Step 1. Mulch the soil around and between plants to control weeds and conserve moisture
Gladioli often make the land prone to weeds.
Step 2. Water them with 2.5cm of water every week during periods of insufficient rain
Step 3. Spray or sprinkle the plants with pesticide
Use one that contains carbaryl or malathion when the plants reach 6 inches tall to protect them from thrips.
Thrips are small insects not visible to the naked eye. They cause streaked white leaves and discolored, misshapen and sickly flowers. The control of these pests must be preventive because, by the time the signs of damage are visible, it is already too late to save the flowers
Step 4. Support single plants that grow taller
You can also use stakes and twine to group them if several neighboring gladioli are developing. Staking and tying these tall flowers helps minimize wind and gust damage.
Step 5. Cut the flower spikes when 1-3 florets are open
The remaining flowers will continue to open in the water.
- Collect the flowers early in the morning or in the evening when they are cooler.
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Cut the flowers with a sharp knife at a diagonal angle. Take care to leave at least 4 to 6 leaves on the plant to mature and feed the corm that still grows under the soil.
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Step 6. Remove the leaves from the stems 10 to 15 cm from the bottom and place them in hot water
Step 7. Leave the flowers in a cool dark area for several hours before exposing them to light and arranging them
Method 3 of 3: Extract, Dry and Store the Gladiolus Corms
Step 1. Dig up the bulbs just before the arrival of frost
Make sure you remove the full bulbs with any smaller corms surrounding them. Shake them off the ground and free the stems from the tubers.
Step 2. Dry the corms in a warm, well-ventilated area for 2 to 3 weeks
Step 3. Clean the bulbs with your hands by dusting them off the dry earth
Separate the old dried tubers from the new ones and remove the bulbless shells. Instead, leave them if they are attached. The new bulbs are called cormetti.
Step 4. Sort, clean and label the small corms to plant next year
The corms will not produce flowers the first year, but will grow into larger corms for future annual blooms.
Step 5. Store the bulb tubers for the winter
Sprinkle them with the same insecticide you used to protect plants with and keep them in a dark, cool, well-ventilated area where they won't freeze.
