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 Gladiolus
Football fans, plant a spring garden that will show your colors!  
Saphir Gladiolus
Slender central slash of white adds sparkle Compact, so it can be interplanted with perennials Plant at 10- to 14-day intervals for waves of color |  
Morning Gold Gladiolus
Strong, vigorous plants put on a big show . Plant at 10- to 14-day intervals for waves of color. Compact, so it can be interplanted with perennials |  
Wigs Sensation Gladiolus
Sensational, brilliant red. Plant at 10- to 14-day intervals for waves of color |  
Sophie Gladiolus
The most durable white available! Superb form and staying power, even on hot days. Elegant presence in the garden or in arrangements |
- Buy firm, plump bulbs in spring.
- Choose the largest bulbs of a particular variety.
- Avoid bulbs that are even slightly soft to the touch.
- Discard bulbs that have any signs of mold or mildew (green, blue, or gray spots), or obvious signs of growth.
- ALL ZONES
- Plant Gladiolus bulbs in late spring after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
- The bulbs will flower in about 90 days.
- Full sun or partial shade. Gladioli planted in full sun generally grow straighter and are less likely to require staking for support.
- Well-drained soil.
- Dig the bed deeply before you plant to help the roots to spread and secure the plant.
- Plant a new batch of Gladiolus bulbs every 10 to 14 days until mid-summer for continuous blooming.
- When they begin to flower, feed your Gladioli with a spray of seaweed or fish emulsion for better and bigger blooms.
- Thrips, tiny white or brown insects, eat Gladioli buds before the plants can bloom. To deter thrips, soak bulbs for two or three hours
just before planting in a mix of 1-1/4 tablespoons of disinfectant cleaner to 1 gallon of water. - Stake the flowers. If they begin to lean, tie stalks to metal hoop stakes stuck firmly in the ground 1-2 inches from the plant
- In the Fall, zones 1-7, dig up the bulbs after the foliage has turned yellow. Spread them out to dry in an airy, frost-free area. Store them in a pail filled with sawdust.
Hardy Gladiolus This gladiolus is sometimes referred to as the early flowering gladiolus. It is easy to grow, sometimes reaching a height of from 3 to 4 feet. Spikes are excellent for cutting and create a vivid splash of color to the garden in early June. Hardy gladiolus look similar to the regular summer blooming gladiolus except that the flower spikes are shorter, looser and bear somewhat smaller florets, almost butterfly in type. Its stem has a more wiry appearance than the regular gladiolus.
PLANTING Unlike the summer blooming gladiolus, the hardy gladiolus corms are planted in the Fall, 3 to 4 inches deep and spaced at least 4 inches apart. Planting in groups of 5 or more corms creates a more attractive planting, than single plantings. Over-planting with dianthus gives a nice garden effect and will help to protect the plants overwinter. The dianthus will also come into bloom with the gladiolus. Select a sunny area of your garden for planting these Fall gladiolus corms. Although the hardy gladiolus will grow in most any type of soil, they do prefer a light sandy loam that has been enriched with compost, leaf mold or peat moss. At planting time use bonemeal or a good commercial fertilizer such as 5-10-5. Place fertilizer around the plants at the rate of 1 cupful to a 25 foot row of plants. Water fertilizer into the soil. Avoid the use of animal manures, as it tends to encourage bulb rot. Fertilize plants as the spikes appear and then again as the flowers have been picked.
WINTER CARE In most areas, plants will bloom in early June and last in the garden for a few weeks, depending on weather conditions (warm temperatures). In areas north of Hardiness Zone 7, we recommend you apply a mulch of straw or evergreen branches after the ground freezes. This will protect the corms over-winter, a 4 to 6 inch layer should be adequate. Mulch must be removed in spring, to allow plants to grow up through the soil. During periods of warm, dry weather, make sure your planting receives at least one good watering a week.
SEPARATING When it becomes obvious your plants are overcrowded or are not blooming as they should, it is an indication the corms need separating. Make sure the foliage has died back on it's own, dig up corms, shake off soil and remove any old dried up corms. Separate the remaining large corms and dust them with a combination insecticide/fungicide and store them in either onion bags or old nylon stockings, until you are ready to replant in the Fall. The extremely tiny corms that may have formed are not worth planting if flowers are wanted the next season. If you have a special area in your garden to propagate and care for smaller plants, this would provide you with blooming plants in 3 or 4 years. |
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