May 18th, 2010
The Flowering Bulbs Of The Gladiolus
The gladiolus, one of many flowering bulbs, is a popular favorite among many gardeners. The gladiolus colors are available in just about any color you want except for a true blue. These flowering bulbs name is derived from the Latin word “gladius” or little sword. The gladiolus originated in the Mediterranean and South Africa.
Gladiolus planting is normally done in the spring after the threat of frost. It is best to start planting them as soon as you can work the soil. Gladiolus bulbs, when planted in heavy soil, only need to be four inches deep; but if planting in light soil, they should go down as far as 6 inches. If you plant gladiolus over a few weeks period of time or with bulbs that mature at different times, you can prolong the blooming season. If you live in an area where frost occurs regularly you must dig out the bulbs for storage before the frost comes. In the warmer frost free areas gladiolus bulbs can stay in the ground all winter.
Gladiolus should receive some humidity and they like the warm regions of any country. The growing conditions for these flowering bulbs are no different than any other garden flower or vegetables. They should receive plenty of sun and the soil needs to be fertile and well drained. Gladiolus care is not difficult but you do need to keep an eye on them. Watering is important because the rain seldom supplies them with enough moisture. Their flower bed should receive at least an inch of water weekly. Once the plants sprout about 5 leaves you need to start watering. You do not want to crowd the bulbs together or too close the foundation of a building. They also do not want to fight the roots of shrubs or trees. If you have no other choice but plant in these conditions you will need to provide them with extra water and food. They also do not want to compete with weeds; the sooner you start weeding the better these flowering bulbs will do. New corms or bulbs, along with their roots, will form on top of the old during their growing season.
If you are going to plant several gladiolus bulbs together, you should leave four to six inches between them; the more room they have the larger the plant will grow. This will give you a beautiful display of summer flowers. You should start seeing some blooms about 3 months after planting. Since the stems will grow quite tall it would be a good idea to stake them during their growth. This will help keep the flower stem nice and straight. Gladiolus will generally bloom between July and September and can grow to a height of sixty inches. .
The gladiolus does have one enemy and that is the thrip insect. It is a very small winged insect that can suck all the juices out of the plant. It also leaves an appearance that is very silvery that will cause the plant to turn brown. The flowers could possibly become deformed and some of them may not open because of the thrip. If you should see any thrips on the bulbs while planting, remove them all before planting. Once the bulbs are planted and their leaves are about six 6 inches high you can start to spray with a fungicide. This should be done on a weekly basis, but more often if it is rainy, all through flowering time.
The flower stems can be cut when only one or two flowers have opened up; the cut should be done on a slant and the stem placed in water immediately. The remainder of the flowers on the stem will open in time if kept in the water. When you cut your flower stems you want to be sure to leave five leaves on the plant so the bulbs can continue growing to maturity for the following season. You should continue to keep the weeds under control even after the blooming time but you do not need to water unless conditions become dry.
Barbara have been enjoying her garden since she has been retired and has planted one of her favorite summer flowering bulbs. She and her husband enjoy learning new things to do in the garden and want to share them with others. Please visit their website Gardeners Garden Supplies for more tidbits.
