Gladiolus

02-02-2018
Tips and ideas

184-Gladiolus
Gladiolus (Gladíolus) got its name due to the similarity of its leaves with a blade (from Latin "gladius" is translated as "sword"). Otherwise, it is also called the sword. All varieties of this plant, which number more than 8,000, appeared as a result of crossing wild-growing species originally from subtropical regions of Africa.

Gladiolus is a perennial bulbous bulbous plant, which each year forms a new stem, leaves and inflorescences, and by the fall it forms a young corm. The stem can grow up to 2 m tall. It contains an inflorescence consisting of 16-22 large flowers. Their size can reach 20 cm. The corm is also rather large, from 3 to 8 cm in diameter, round, slightly flattened. She has a thin leathery shell, the color of which varies from light beige to dark cherry and depends on the particular variety.

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

Popular varieties 

Before you choose a seed, you must decide on the grade. Consider the most popular varieties.

Grade name general description Decorative properties Application
“Dmitry Solunsky” (Gladiolus Dmitri Solynski) Plant reaches a height of 2 m

The flowers are very large, spike, white with a pinkish tinge

In the cut and in the beds

"Moscow white stone" (Moskva Belokamennaya) Height up to 160 cm Large flowers, white, middle cream In flower beds
Blue Snowflakes (Hyacintho nives) Medium variety White flowers with a blue border, medium in size

For cutting, on beds, in flower beds

Oscar (Marcus) Plant height up to 2 m The flowers are red, the correct form, the shirring of flowers is small For cutting, on beds, in flower beds
"Neon lightning" (Neo fulguris) In height reaches 1.6 m Flowers of a lilac shade with a white center A great option for cutting
Golden Bells (Aureis) Medium grade Flowers yellow color, large Beautiful cut
Dragon Pearl (Draco Pearl) Plant height up to 1.4 m Flowers red and black, corrugation strong Flower beds and flower beds

Scheme and terms of landing 

It is best to plant gladioli in open areas where there is enough moisture, but the water does not stagnate. Land for planting should be loose and fertile. If the area where the flowers are planted is exposed to excessive moisture, flower beds should be raised slightly above the basic soil level. Before planting, it is recommended to put rotted sawdust on the ridges mixed with humus and sand. Plant the bulbs on the same day that the soil was prepared.

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

To get a strong plant with large flowers, after the appearance of the stems, you must leave one, the strongest. In order to avoid infection, wounds from distant stems are treated with brilliant green and covered with activated charcoal.

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

Pre-planting care lies in the fact that in spring the corms selected for planting are left in a warm and bright place for germination and treated with a strong solution of potassium permanganate to further protect the plant from diseases.

We also recommend to read: Indian onionAgertum: planting and care in the open fieldHow to grow peoniesWhen planting daffodils in spring: in which month

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It is not enough to plant plants beautifully, it is also necessary to prepare furrows between the rows for watering. This eliminates the possibility of excessive flooding and the ingress of water on the leaves, which will prevent their rotting.

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

Gladioli begin to germinate in the spring, after all the snow has melted and a constant positive temperature is established without night frosts. The depth of planting is 12-17 cm. The distance between the bulbs should be 10-20 cm, it depends on the size of the tubers themselves.

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

For landscaping the site, the flowers are planted in small groups in the vicinity of plants that bloom before and after the sword. However, most often gladioli are grown for cutting. They are exceptionally good and spectacular in bouquets, and with proper care, the flowers can be kept fresh in water for more than 10 days.

How to plant and store gladiolus (video)

How to care for a plant: basic rules

Cultivation of gladioli involves the observance of certain rules.

  • It is necessary to withstand the depth of landing. In heavy soils, it should be equal to three bulb diameters, in light lungs - four.
  • It is not necessary to have large and small onions in the garden. Such instances together will not get along - large copies will oppress smaller brethren.
  • At one place more than 2 years in a row gladioli do not place, there will be no flowering.
  • Even if properly care for the plant, it will not develop if the climatic conditions do not suit him.
  • What part of the site should be given under the plant? It should be light, these flowers do not grow in the shade.
  • When transplanting plant a plant stands on a different type of soil. If the flower originally grew on sandy soil, it can be transplanted to alumina, and vice versa.

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  • Disembarkation should be carried out in a ventilated area, otherwise the flower may be affected by fungal diseases.
  • Agrotechnical cultivation involves spraying the leaves with fertilizers of plants that develop in sandy cakes.
  • 4 days before planting, the tuber is cleaned of scales, watering is carried out a day after planting.
  • In the greenhouse in the summer watering the flowers 1 time in 7 days, but abundant.
  • High copies need to be tied up.
  • During the vegetative season, you need to feed the plants 3-4 times with mineral fertilizer (40-50 g per 10 l of water), you should also periodically weed out weeds, in which slugs often infest that damage the flower culture.

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Breeding features

Flowers are propagated with tubers. Digging corms should be in the fall before the first frosts appear, for the middle zone this is September - the beginning of October. Immediately cut off large roots and stems and dried in a well-ventilated and dry place for 10-15 days. If the roots are heavily contaminated, they should be washed in warm water and only then laid on the dryer. Have well-dried corms need to remove small roots, children and old corms, and then the planting material can be stored in a cool (4-8 degrees) place.

184-Gladiolus

184-Gladiolus

The reproduction of flowers is carried out mainly with corms, seeds are very rare. Corms give a good inflorescence of the first 4-5 years, then they need to be replaced with younger ones.

184-Gladiolus

How to tie

Compared with lilies, gladiolus flowers always tend upwards. If the stem deviates to the side, the inflorescence is obtained by curves. In view of this, the garter plays a large role in the cultivation of gladiolus.

The easiest way to garter - creating a support with your own hands from the pegs or bars and twine. The second option is preferable, since it will not be necessary to place a large number of pegs in the ground. It will just be necessary to go through the row and tie the gladiolus with a string to the bar eight-fold.

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Combination with other plants

Gladiolus is a pretty capricious flower both in choosing a place and in choosing a method of planting, and not any neighbors will suit him. The number of plants also matters: if there are few flowers, it will look scant, if there are many, the plot will resemble a selection garden. To keep the middle ground, you should follow these recommendations:

  • Gladiolus is not used as a tapeworm. The germination of several plant bulbs is usually carried out, and then they are planted together. Beautifully looked varieties with different contrasting colors, planted together. Another option - the combination of plants with rich in color and pastel flowers.
  • Perennial gladiolus - a bad neighbor for high dahlias. Cultures will compete for the colorful flowers.
  • Varieties with small flowers should not be planted next to the large-flowered varieties: large flowers will overshadow small ones.
  • It is important, before making a flowerbed, to find out how much the plants planned for planting are blooming. Gladiolus should be surrounded by plants that bloom for a long time, and their forcing should not cause problems. Optimal neighbors are daffodils, tulips, peonies and hydrangea.

Gladiolus: choice of variety (video)

Gladiolus - a majestic tall flower that requires careful care. It is recommended to propagate it with bulbs, and in order for the plant to harmoniously fit into the landscape design, it needs to find suitable neighbors. Another important point that is worth considering when cultivating gladiolus is that its tubers are dug out for the winter.

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