>Gladiolus bloom about 10 weeks after planting. By planting the corms every 2 weeks from the early spring through midsummer, you’ll enjoy a succession of blossoms all season. Choose a sunny, well-drained spot and mix an all-purpose granular fertilizer (such as 10-10-10 mix) into the soil as you dig, allowing about 1 tablespoon of fertilizer per corm. Plant the corms 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 cm) deep and 4 inches (10.2 cm) apart. The small nubbin of new growth indicates the top of the corm and should point up.
>Gladiolus grow so tall and slender that they need to be planted in groups of 3 or more and staked with bamboo canes and some soft garden twine to inconspicuously “corset” the group. Water only if the soil becomes very dry, as gladiolus hate wet soil and can develop root rot. Provide plants with a second helping of balanced fertilizer when flower spikes appear. In the midsummer, watch for signs of thrips. These nearly invisible, sap-sucking insects make silvery streaks in leaves and distort flowers. Control thrips with a commercial insecticide labeled for this use, as directed.
>In areas where gladiolus are not hardy, dig the corms when the leaves begin to yellow in the late summer and trim the leaves to 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the corm. Brush away loose soil and store corms in a paper bag of peat moss in a cool, dry, dark place, such as an unheated room or a garage that remains above freezing. Many gardeners in warmer climate Zones also dig and store the corms, to keep plants from growing small, weedy offspring called cormlets. Cormlets reach flowering size in about 3 years, but because the mature corms are inexpensive, there is little reason to nurture cormlets.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment