According to the ancient language of flowers, the delivery of a bouquet of gladioli symbolizes heart attention. An elegant plant adorns flowerbeds, elegant flowers can often be seen at holidays, various celebrations and anniversaries. Those who want to know how to plant gladioli will find answers to the most problematic and frequently asked questions in the proposed material.
Material Content:
When and how to plant gladiolus in open ground?
Full-fledged flower stalks and large buds are obtained only if all agrotechnical requirements are observed. You can vary the varietal composition and time of planting corms, but taking into account the recommended timing of planting a flower culture in your region. Then flowering gladioli will decorate the flower beds during the two summer months and early autumn.
Gladioli are thermophilic plants. For the development of corms need warm soil. It happens that in March and April the weather is abnormally warm, and in May, less often in June, the colds return. Therefore, gladioli are planted in open ground only after the threat of late spring frosts has passed.
Recommendations on the timing of planting flower culture in various regions of Russia:
- south - mid-April;
- middle lane - from late April to early May;
- Ural, Siberia - May.
In addition to the timing of planting, it is necessary to take into account the heating of the upper soil layer.
Growth processes in corms begin at a soil temperature of 10 ° С and higher at a depth of 10–12 cm.
How to prepare for landing?
The soil is prepared in autumn and spring before planting corms. Landing in freshly excavated soil is undesirable.
Soil requirements
For optimal development, gladioluses need fertile, structural, breathable and fairly loose soil. A substrate with an acidity close to neutral values (pH 6–7) is preferred. River sand is added to the loamy soil, sandy soil is mixed with compost. If the acidity is high, then dolomite flour or chalk is used.
A site for planting gladioli is prepared in the fall:
- Dig the soil to the depth of one bayonet shovel.
- Contribute to normalize the pH (if necessary) 200 g of chalk per 1 square. m plot.
- Enrich the soil with organic matter - humus or compost.
- Contribute to 1 square. m area mineral fertilizers: 3 tbsp. l with the top of superphosphate, 2 tbsp. l potassium chloride and 1 can of 0.5 l of wood ash.
- Re-dig the site to a depth of ½ bayonet shovels and level with a rake.
In spring, the soil is only loosened. It is possible that in the busy autumn season it is not possible to fully prepare the place for landing. In this case, perform the above activities 10-14 days before planting gladioli in open ground.
Bulb preparation before planting
Prepare planting material in advance. The corms are removed from the basement or other storage 30 days before the expected date of planting in open ground. At the top there can already be developed sprouts, at the “bottom” there are root rudiments. Carefully remove the upper dry scales, being careful not to damage living tissue.
Corrupted, rotting corms are thrown away. If the damage is minor, then it is carefully removed with a sharp knife, and the place of the cut is sprinkled with sifted ash. The prepared material is brought out for germination in a dry, well-heated room.
The elevated temperature before planting promotes faster and more efficient root and kidney formation. The period before buds begin to bloom is reduced and the quality of the flowers improves.
Before planting, you can treat the corms with an antiseptic to prevent decay:
- in a solution of the purchased drug "Maxim" is maintained according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
- in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate - 2 hours;
- in a solution of foundationazole (0.3%) - 30 minutes.
At the top of each corm, a sprout should appear from 1 to 3 cm long, up to 2 cm wide at the base. Strong white roots about 0.5–1 cm long grow on the “bottom”. Germination periods of gladioli and entry into the flowering phase are from 25 to 90 days (depending on grade).
Choosing a place to land
Gladioli belong to the group of geophytes - plants that love a sunny location. They are able to quickly grow and develop in open ground, but only when favorable conditions occur. Warm weather, the presence of moisture and nutrients in the soil contribute to the rapid formation of peduncles.
Gladioli are planted in a lighted area that is closed from drafts by a building wall or a hedge. It is not advisable that direct sunlight fall on the plants. If you can’t shade the gladioli at noon, you need to make sure that the soil is always moist.
Outdoor grass care
Gladioli need attention, more intensive care, including frequent top dressing, cultivation and watering, followed by mulching the soil.
Watering, fertilizing and fertilizing
Plants with long, sturdy leaves, a potent peduncle and plenty of flowers require a lot of water. At each watering, it is recommended to use 15 liters per 1 square. m of soil. If it is not possible to measure the volume of water, then they are guided by the depth of wetting of the soil. The soil should be saturated with moisture to a depth of 25-30 cm. You can water it in the grooves prepared in advance between the rows of gladioli.
Irrigation of flowers from above can cause rotting and sunburn.
Nutrients penetrate worse into the roots in cold earth, so top dressing begins only when warm weather sets in. Gladioli have high requirements for the content of potassium and phosphorus in the soil.
Feeding is carried out 4 times per season:
- Urea or ammonium nitrate is introduced with the appearance of a green cone about 10 cm high. Add 3 tbsp. l fertilizers for 10 liters of water. Pour 50 ml of solution under each plant.
- The same amount of soluble potassium salt is used as during the first feeding.
- It is watered during the period of budding with a solution of special fertilizer for gladioli.
- They are fed with superphosphate before the end of flowering (40 g of fertilizer per 10 l of water).
“Overfeeding” gladioli leads to the accumulation of too much nutrients in the bulbs in the form of carbohydrates. Together with the high content of humus in the soil, this contributes to the spread of diseases and pests.
Proper weeding
Loosening and removal of weeds are mandatory agricultural practices. The dense arrangement of gladioli, their powerful leaves and inflorescences significantly complicates their implementation. It is recommended that you carefully select all the rhizomes of weeds when digging a site, often weed young plants. Then less need to "disturb" adult plants.
When and how to cut flowers?
The value of gladioli for making bouquets is in the beauty of the flowers and the long stem on which they are located. Part of the shoot during cutting is left to supply the bulb with organic matter. There must be at least four developed leaves on the stem.
Gladioli are cut in the morning before sunrise or in the evening. If you do not plan to immediately deliver the bouquet, then choose flower stalks for it, on which only the lower flowers are open.
When the gladioli are put into the water, the remaining buds will gradually open.
When to dig bulbs?
After planting a gladiolus, the aerial and underground parts develop almost simultaneously. The corms stock up on the nutrients needed for bud germination and shoot development next year. The mass of the largest underground organ of the gladiolus reaches 250 g. Ordinary corms are smaller. After flowering, leave them to ripen in the soil for a period of 4 to 6 weeks.
When to dig out gladioli are determined by several signs. The corms should be brown in color, and the "kids" can be easily separated. Carry out the procedure before the onset of frost in dry weather. The aerial part and roots are cut. Corms are cleared of soil.
Bulb storage of gladiolus
The collected material is sorted by size. Corms are placed in wooden boxes and left to dry for 4-6 weeks. First, the temperature should be above 25 ° C, then you can lower it to 20 ° C. After drying, brown scales are not removed from the corm, the “children” are separated.
You can store gladioli in paper bags in a cool, dry place, such as on shelves in the basement.
Plant in landscape design
Gladioli are grown by summer residents and owners of cottages; plantations of these elegant plants are available in garden centers and floriculture farms. Plants are placed in separate groups, choosing varieties of the same or different in height of the stem, the color of the flowers. You can drop gladioli in containers or flowerpots, set them along the track.
Montebrecia garden looks different from the "true" gladiolus. Another name for the plant is crocosmia, and many know it as Japanese gladiolus. Corm of montebrecia is small, but 3 or 4 peduncles grow from it. Leaves are collected by a fan in a basal rosette. The funnel-shaped flowers of Japanese gladiolus with a diameter of up to 5 cm have a red orange, yellow color. Flowering begins in June – July and lasts until September – October.
Beginning flower growers say that gladiolus is a "moody" plant.But with the knowledge and observance of the cultivation rules of this and any decorative culture, there are no difficulties with its cultivation.
