Question: The catalogs list so many varieties and they all look so good, how do I know which to buy for my region?
Answer: Most of the varieties on the market should do well in any region provided full sunshine and water are provided.
Late-flowering varieties may not be advisable for gardeners in very cold areas.
The matter of selection, by and large, depends upon your color preference.
Question: How large a bulb should I buy?
Answer: To be correct, gladiolus grows from corms, not bulbs, that are graded in 6 sizes according to diameter.
No. 1 corms of 1 ½” inches or more produces the best flower spikes for exhibition.
If you do not want exhibition spikes, No. 2 corms produce excellent results.
Size, however, is not everything.
The higher the corm crowned and the smaller the scar at its base, the better the growth and flowers will be.
Question: How can I tell if the corms I buy are healthy?
Answer: A healthy corm is plump and firm, similar to a first-rate potato.
Pitted marks, discolorations, and lack of gloss indicate that the corm is not the best quality.
As a general rule, a dried appearance suggests that the corm has lost considerable vitality and should be avoided when you make your purchase.
Question: Why do some corms cost so much more than others?
Answer: Price is not the full indication of true value.
When a variety is first introduced, the hybridizer frequently has only limited stock, and to pay for the time and labor involved in developing the new variety, he may have to charge as much as $10 for each corm,
When, after several years, the corms are in abundant supply, the law of supply and demand brings the cost down.
He can have some of the best exhibition varieties today for a nominal amount.
Question: How deep and how far apart should I space the corms?
Answer: Corms should be planted from 4” to 6” inches deep. The heavier the soil, the more shallow the planting should be.
Plant them 6” to 7” inches apart in rows 1’ to 3’ feet apart, depending on the cultivation you plan to use.
Question: I don’t have space to grow them in rows. Is it possible for me to plant them among other flowers on my border?
Answer: Yes, excellent spikes may be produced from corms set among other flowers in groups of 5 or more spaced 6” to 7” inches apart.
But gladiolus, like corn, grow better in rows where they may be cultivated, billed, and fertilized easily.
Question: What kind of soil must gladiolus have?
Answer: Naturally, the better the fertility and texture of the soil, the better the flowers will be, but your soil texture should not prevent you from enjoying this wonderful flower.
Question: Do gladiolus need sunlight all day long?
Answer: As I mentioned before, sunlight and water are essential.
Naturally, those planted in semi-shade and where there is root competition from shrubs or trees will not do as well as those planted in the open.
Question: How often should I fertilize, and is there any chance of burning with too much fertilizer?
Answer: In my opinion, well-prepared soil with all the ingredients necessary for good root growth will produce far better spikes than poor soil that requires frequent commercial fertilizer applications.
Superphosphate worked into the area to be planted in spring will, in most cases, suffice.
If the foliage is not dark green by the time it is 7” inches tall, 5-10-5 fertilizer may be applied between the rows, not touching the base of the foliage, so that the soil is just covered by it.
The fertilizer is then thoroughly watered into the soil.
Have no fear of burning the growing corm if you apply fertilizer in this way.
Question: Is it true that I can have some gladiolus in bloom all summer?
Answer: Yes, definitely. Your catalog will indicate the number of days required from planting to flowering for each variety.
You can stagger plantings at one- or two-week intervals for continuous bloom from early July until frost or even earlier in Southern climates.
Question: Last summer, I tried a few gladiolus and white I did not follow all the advice you have given me so far, a few flowers turned brown and barely opened. What could have caused this?
Answer: From your description, it would appear that thrips caused the damage.
Thrips is an insect that is too small to see with the naked eye. Therefore, if you dust or spray the foliage with DDT every 2 to 3 weeks, you should experience no difficulty with them.
Question: Would you stake up gladiolus as they grow?
Answer: Well, yes and no!
When I grow my gladiolus 6” or 7” inches apart, they do not require any support. However, on my tall exhibition spikes, a stake properly used serves as insurance against wind and rain damage.
Question: Getting back to fertilizer, would the new foliage fertilizer sprays help me get blooms as I see in florist windows?
Answer: Those who grow gladiolus for exhibition resort to experimentation with liquid fertilizer, foliar sprays, and the like to get the most out of each corm.
Those you see in your florist’s window are probably grown under average culture, as we have been talking about, and there is no reason you can’t achieve the same results in your garden.
Question: But, the few I grew last year were not nearly as good as the ones I saw in the florists?
Answer: According to what you said earlier, you didn’t follow all of the practices we have been talking about, and this would have something to do with your poor results.
But let me say this: I would prefer to pay 50 cents for a corm I know to be healthy and from a reliable cataloger than to plant 10 corms at 5 cents apiece that were inferior in quality.
You can’t compare a jet plane with a Wright brothers’ model except to say that they will both fly.
Question: Must gladiolus be cultivated frequently, or should I mulch them to prevent weeds?
Answer: The advocates of mulching are on the increase as the practice serves to retain moisture and provide a cooler soil temperature for the roots.
Frequent cultivation, if water is available, will prove equally satisfactory.
Question: When should I cut the flower spikes and may I use some of the foliage with my arrangements?
Answer: Cut the spikes for arranging when two florets have opened.
Leave at least 4 leaves on the plant so that the corm created for next year’s use may mature properly.
Use extra leaves in your arrangement.
Question: How can I prevent crooked stems?
Answer: Crooked stems are troublesome and are caused for the most part by climatic conditions.
If plants are hilled up in such a way that growth is perpendicular, crooked spikes will be kept to a minimum.
Question: Some of the florets on my spikes last year were speckled and streaked. I thought they looked nice until a friend said they were diseased. Could he have been correct?
Answer: Your friend was probably correct.
Sometimes, however, streaking is caused by rain and intense heat.
Bulbs from reliable sources should not be diseased, and if you store your bulbs properly over the winter, you should not have to be concerned about it.
Question: Will my gladiolus come up again next year if I leave them in the ground over the winter?
Answer: In some climates, gladiolus left outdoors in the ground over winter reappears the following season.
However, this is not a good practice to follow as the corms are subject to rot.
Question: How should I store the corms over winter?
Answer: After the foliage has died down, the corm is dug and dried for about 6 weeks.
Then the old corm is broken from the new one, the little cormlets are removed and saved if desired, and the new corm is placed in a cool location over winter where the temperature is about 40° degrees Fahrenheit.
They should not dry out and should be ventilated.
There are fungicides available that you could dust the corms with when you store them as a precaution against disease.
Question: When I dig up my gladiolus, what should I do with all those little cormlets you mentioned a minute ago?
Answer: The cormiets will, with patience, over several years, produce flowering-sized corms.
Store them overwinter as you do the large corms, then in spring, plant them in shallow trenches and care for them as you do the large corms.
You will have small No. 5 or No. 6 sized corms the following year.
Question: How can I tell if I have grown a gladiolus worth exhibiting? I read about gladiolus shows in FLOWER GROWER and wonder how I could go about entering some of my finest blooms in them?
Answer: With respect to exhibiting gladiolus, you should never be bashful about taking a well-grown spike to any show.
The grand champion spike usually has 22 to 24 buds and from 7 to 10 open florets, all in good condition.
You will find plenty of persons anxious and willing to explain how spikes are exhibited and how entry tags are filled at any gladiolus show.
One of the thrills from the gladiolus is to see your spikes in competition with others.