Gladioli - Their Popularity Continues to Grow

In short: Plant gladiolus corms from late April in a sunny spot, 8-10 cm deep and 15x20 cm apart, after working in Cererit at 50 g/m2 about two weeks before planting. Lift the new corms at the end of September or in October, dry them and store at 2-8 °C.

Gladioli - Their Popularity Continues to Grow

Gladioli (lat. Gladiolus) are among the most popular decorative flowers. They belong to the iris family (lat. Iridaceae). Gladioli are a genus of monocotyledonous, perennial bulbous plants. They originate from Africa and Madagascar. They are very widespread in tropical regions. They appear less frequently in Europe, Asia and America. Around 260 species of gladioli are known.

In the Czech Republic, 2 species of gladioli grow in the wild. Both belong to endangered species and their occurrence is rare. The better known is probably the Wild Gladiolus (lat. Gladiolus imbricatus) - it occurs most frequently in the White Carpathians and in the Libavá military area. The second species is the Marsh Gladiolus (lat. Gladiolus palustris) found in some parts of the Elbe region and south-eastern Moravia. In ornamental gardens we grow cultivated varieties.

Gladioli are perennial, terrestrial, corm-bearing flowers. Gladioli have upright stems without lateral branching. Gladioli have large, showy flowers that are hermaphroditic. The flowers can be in various colours, the inflorescence is in fans. Gladiolus flowers are supported by bracts. The flowers are variously coloured - white, red, pink, purple with white, with various colour markings. They can also be cream or orange. The leaves are alternate, sessile, mostly lanceolate. Gladiolus fruits are three-chambered capsules. Gladiolus seeds are winged.

Gladioli have been bred since they became a popular garden ornament. Over at least a hundred years of breeding, thousands of varieties have been developed. Flowers can be small-flowered or large-flowered. Countless colours and colour combinations.

Gladioli are magnificent flowers whose cultivation you will enjoy. They are excellent for decorative arrangements - bouquets.

You grow gladioli from soft, regular corms that are covered with a brown, outer fibrous coating in several layers.

Growing Gladioli

From early April, work the soil well where you will plant the gladiolus corms. It is advisable to work in compound fertiliser Cererit 50g/m2 at least 2 weeks before planting. Gladioli are grown from corms. The corms must be healthy. Plant the corms in a sunny location. The soil should be at least slightly warmed up.

TIP: If you want to harvest flowers gradually, then plant corms in stages until mid-August.

Plant corms in the soil no earlier than the end of April. Plant them at a depth of 8-10cm. They can also be at a depth of 15cm. Planting corms too shallow will cause crooked growth and toppling of the tall stem. Gladioli are planted in rows or at a spacing of 15x20cm. They can therefore be planted quite densely.

Gladioli need a sunny location. They will not thrive in shade or partial shade.

Water the planted bulbs thoroughly. Do not overwater to prevent the bulbs from rotting. Water when you see movement in the soil.

The soil must be nutritious and well-draining. Warning - Gladioli do not tolerate fertilizing with farmyard manure and other organic fertilizers!

Rotate gladioli locations. Give them a new bed every year. Always a fresh and newly fertilized location. This will prevent the spread of pests - thrips and the occurrence of fungal diseases.

Once the gladioli start growing, the soil around them needs to be aerated by loosening. It is also necessary to start fertilizing the gladioli. We fertilize with ammonium nitrate with limestone. For gladioli to produce large beautiful flowers, it is necessary to fertilize with Cererit. We fertilize with Cererit from the beginning of August.

Make sure that the gladiolus bulbs grow to a circumference of 15cm. If the gladiolus bulbs are smaller than 10cm, they will not flower the following year.

Recommendation: for your planted gladiolus bulbs to bloom abundantly, several basic conditions must be met. Gladioli need nutritious soil, sufficient fertilization, and careful selection of location.

Gladioli are the most beautiful plants for cutting. They are very suitable for arrangements. You will delight any woman with gladioli. They are suitable when visiting or for meetings. For representative events. They decorate hallways, halls, offices. Building entrances.

Cutting Gladioli and Storing Bulbs

Cut flowers with the entire stem. Cut the stem with one to two stem leaves. Cut flowers when the first lower flower begins to bloom. This way they will last longest in a vase. When cutting, try not to damage other leaves. The new gladiolus bulb will start growing again only after cutting the flowers. Gladiolus bulbs are annual.

Gladiolus bulbs do not overwinter in the soil. In autumn, carefully remove the bulbs from the soil and store them until spring. Remove the bulbs from the soil at the end of September or in October. The original bulb will die. Gladioli will create a new bulb with roots. Store only the new bulb, remove the older one.

Before storage, allow the outer skin of the bulb to dry well. Store these treated bulbs in a dry room with a temperature of 2-8°C. We recommend dusting the bulbs with disinfectant powder.

Dealing with Pests

Since gladioli are among the bred varieties, they are very sensitive to external influences. Among growers, they are considered very delicate plants. The success of flowering depends, among other things, on proper bulb storage.

You can recognize the dreaded thrips by green or yellow spots that start forming on the leaves. These spots appear even before the flower stalk develops. If you notice them before it forms, you're relatively safe. At this stage, sprays are still effective. Use any spray suitable against thrips.

After drying before storage, remove the upper skins from the corms. Examine the corms thoroughly. Rot or other diseases may only be visible in the deeper layers.

To protect against fungal and bacterial diseases, it's advisable to soak the gladiolus corms. Perform the soaking with a recommended product. Soak the corms in the solution for several days. Prepare a fresh solution each day. You can gradually increase the concentration.

We wish you successful growing and abundant blooms!

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Author: Hana Michalíková