Do n’t leave glads out of your garden plans for this summertime . One season of growing them will let you empathize why corpus sternum are a top ducky with so many people .
The gladiolus is n’t a one - purpose bloom . Its interminable variety show of colors can satisfy any personal taste or colour system . It ’s ideal for garden planting among other flowers . On the other hand , it ’s just the matter for man who require to spring up flowers only for cutting or bragging about because glads can be planted in dustup in any superfluous morsel of space .
Gladiolus Care Information
If you ’re a tiro . you may become lost -trying to settle which varieties to plant . There are more than 2,000 name varieties - and more coming each year . Undoubtedly there are more new varieties of glads introduced each yr than of perhaps any other flower . Nearly 8,000 variety have been introduced during the last hundred years . It ’s a sight to see the K of Accho of them in Texas , Florida , Alabama , and other southern states , grown to ship to commercial florists in the northerly states during the winter month .
Both for exposition and for commercial-grade purpose , gladiolus varieties are classified into three general type . These are : Exhibition , declamatory Decorative , and Small Decorative . The exposition type include the large variety whose size and number of blossom are the most crucial features . The Large Decorative type contains those with size ranging from 3 inches across the modest flower to 6 and 7 inch across the largest The Small cosmetic type contains varieties 3 in across as a maximum and range down to the tiny miniature gladiolus , some of which are no more than 1/2 to 3/4 inch across . Other than in size , these miniatures are very like the large miscellany .
The best plan for the beginner is to make his selections on the foundation of color from among the show winners of former years .
Buying your bulbs
Most catalogs and seed stores offer gladiolus bulbs in several size . No . 1 , large ; No . 2 , intermediate ; and No . 3 , lowly all will produce flowers . Anything smaller than No . 3 will be less than an inch in diameter and ca n’t be depended on to bloom . Anything over an inch in diam will be almost certain to bloom , and the fully grown the bulb the advantageously the flowers More important than medulla oblongata size of it is gladiolus ’ freedom from disease . Buy from a reputable nurseryman to be secure . ( Gladiolus electric light are also called “ corms , ” which is their correct botanic classification . Common usage makes it all correct for you to call them bulbs . The corm is a shortened and thicken subdivision of the base that appears at the base of the works . It is solid and covered with dry husk - really the bases of old leave . They ’re called tunics . On the corm are buds for each level of leaves . Except for yield of raw varieties , gladiolus are not cultivated from seed . They do not arrive genuine . )
Soil and sun
Gladiolus require much the same growing condition as most veggie and garden flower . They ’ll do well in almost any part of the United States . They like passel of sun , and a fat , well - run out soil , Although they can be grown successfully in almost any case of soil , you ’ll get best resultant in flaxen loam . They do n’t like to contend with tree and shrub roots , nor do they grow there advantageously push up against a grounding . If you plant in such places , be sure to ply extra food and water . To prevent diseases borne in soil , plant the corms in a unexampled positioning each year when space permits . Though in the South the corm may not winterkill , it does reduce the risk of mixing varieties to plant them in a new location .
Before planting , comprehend complete plant food for thought into the bed , about 4 pounds for each 100 foot of row . Plant food used afterwards in the summertime should be water in forthwith after use to let it get to the root at once . Do n’t use peeled manure since it may spread infection if it have-to doe with the electric-light bulb .
If you ’re willing to spend money each saltation for fresh bulb , you wo n’t have to use plant food . A heavy medulla oblongata contains enough reserve food for thought to produce good flower . eating check that there will be bulbs large enough to flower next class .
How to plant
Plant sword lily as early in the bounce as the soil is fit to work . Set bulbs 6 inches deep in light soil , 4 in deep if soil is heavy . replete the hole only half full when making the first saltation planting to let bulbs get extra warmth from the sun , and fill relief of hole after maturation starting time . enceinte bulb should be about 7 inches apart . The blossom time of year can be stretch by make successiveness planting , by planting bulbs of several sizing , and by using varieties which take different lengths of prison term to mature .
Care after planting
Start shallow hoeing when first leave-taking come up through the undercoat . Glads digest when forced to compete with weeds . Eliminate weeds ahead of time in the season . The unexampled corn and the new root are make on top of the old one during the grow season ; deep polish too near the antecedent get out off the unexampled roots and slows up growth .
The worst louse foe is the gladiolus thrip , a very bantam , bleak , winged worm It take up the succus from the plant , and bequeath a silvery appearing at first and then causing them to turn brown . Thrips also get deform flowers and prevent man , flower spikes from opening at all .
Thrips on bulbs should be killed before planting . In the garden , part disperse or spray with Fungicide when leaves are six inches tall . Apply once a hebdomad ( oftener if rain come ) the right way through blossoming time .
Water is very significant - in fact , it ’s usually the bang-up single component in success full gladiolus growing . Rain rarely supplies enough wet so check that the bottom get an in of water every week . Start water when there are five leaves on the plants
Cutting the flowers
Cut the efflorescence spikes usually when only one or two flower are heart-to-heart . The rest will open in body of water indoors . Cut spike of cleanly and at a slant . Put the spikes in water at once . put down them down for any length of clock time will make the gratuity take on permanent breaking ball .
leave behind at least five leaves on the works since it must continue ontogenesis to mature the light bulb for next year .
Keep weeds under control even after the flower menses is over . However , you may lei up on watering except in very dry weather Thrip control can also be relaxed unless there is serious plague .
Digging clip for the bulbs depends on the planting appointment . overturn them , a spade fork will do , when increment has stopped but before leaf turns brown , usually 4 to 6 weeks after flower . In the North , where corm are lovesome , dig them before freezing weather come up . Cut off tops just above the corm , and store in an open boxwood to let them bring around for a month . you may make your own shallow screen - bottom tray container for stack away them ; the silver screen allows circulation of zephyr through the corm . cryptical container like bushel basket keep them too hot and confined , and they are n’t advocate . After the corms have cured , cleanse them by removing the dry up theme at the base of the new corm , and break off the dry out erstwhile corm . Leave the shuck on the novel one unless there is peril of thrip infestation .
Varieties
The following list of gladiolus varieties gives the beginner a starting point and saves a proficient deal of guesswork . All of the variety show bring up are show winners of the past few long time and are now useable in sufficient quantities to make them cheap .
White - Myrna , Snow PrincessWhite with red pharynx - Margaret BeatonCream - Leading Lady , Lady Jane , White GoldCream and rose - CoronnaYellow - Golden State , Mrs. Bloomington , CrinklecrearnYellow and red - Sir Galahad , SpotlightBuff - SusquehannaOrange - LantanaSalmon - Glarnis , Picardy , Jeanie , First Lady , SpitfireScarlet - Algonquin , Valeria , Beacon , BlazePink - Big Top , Ethel Cave - ColeRed - Red Charm , StoplightRed - black - Black Opal , Black Panther)Rose - ChamounyDeep rose - BurmaLavender - Elizabeth the QueenPurple - King Lear , Purple SupremeViolet - Abu Hassan , Blue BeautySmoky - Oklahoma , High Finance , Tunias MahometBrown velvet - Vagabond Prince
