How Long Do Gladiolus Corms Take to Sprout? A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods
Gladiolus is a world-famous flower variety, and it can now be seen in many countries around the world; it is a flower variety with high ornamental value. Many people in China now grow gladiolus, and surely many people who have bought gladiolus corms are quite concerned about its planting methods and the specific time it takes to sprout after planting.
How Long Do Gladiolus Corms Take to Sprout
Gladiolus corms generally show obvious sprouts in about 10 days. If there is still no sign of activity after about 15 days, it is probably a failure. Generally, failure to sprout is caused by improper care after planting.
Gladiolus Corm Planting Methods
1. Planting time: Generally speaking, a corm will be produced one year after it is planted, and we usually use its seed corms. The planting time is generally in spring. Of course, if conditions allow you to maintain the temperature so that it does not enter dormancy, then the timing does not need to be considered.
2. Preparation before planting: Because these are corms, we need to process the corms to some extent before starting to plant. Soak its graded corms in water for a quarter of an hour, then use mercuric chloride or formalin. For mercuric chloride, the concentration we generally need is 0.1 percent, while for formalin, an 80-fold solution is needed, and the disinfection time only needs to be 30 minutes. Wash it clean with pure water, put it in a ventilated place to dry, and set it aside. Before sowing, we also need to use fertilizer to increase the nutrient content of the flower soil, but these base fertilizers must not come into direct contact with the corms we plant.
3. Pot planting: Put it all into the soil and press it down firmly. Pour in a sufficient amount of water and water it thoroughly. Place it in a semi-shaded place, replenish water in time, and wait for it to sprout.
4. Ground planting: Choose a suitable piece of land, dig a trench, and the depth of the trench should be two times more than the corm. As for the spacing, you can decide for yourself according to the size of the corms. Put the corms into the trench, cover with a layer of soil, and fill the trench level. After sowing, still pay attention to water management. Before seedlings emerge, do not water casually unless it has already dried out completely.
How to Fertilize and Water Gladiolus Corms
1. Watering: Gladiolus is not tolerant of waterlogging and does not need too much water during the growth period. To sum up, it can be grouped into the following key watering periods. First is the period from seedling sprouting to two or three true leaves. During this period, water about once every week. Of course, you can also arrange it reasonably according to the soil condition. Also pay attention to drainage and do not let water accumulate. Second is from after two or three leaves to the bud and flowering period. Before flowering, water thoroughly once more as appropriate. Then, after flowering until the flowering period is halfway through, water once more as appropriate. Avoid too much water, otherwise the plant will lodge due to excessive growth.
2. Fertilizing: Gladiolus is a fertilizer-loving plant. Base fertilizer must be applied sufficiently before planting, and fertilization during the growth period must also keep up in time. From one month after planting until before budding, apply p and k fertilizer once every 10—15 days or so to promote plant growth and flower bud differentiation. After budding and before flowering, appropriately apply topdressing of k fertilizer and B fertilizer twice. B fertilizer helps promote flower color. Although gladiolus loves fertilizer, it is even more prone to lodging from excessive growth caused by too much fertilizer. After it grows two or three leaves, pay attention to hilling the soil in time.
Common Diseases of Gladiolus Corms and Their Control
1. Mosaic disease. Control method: Strengthen prevention. Before planting the corms, disinfect the corms and soil to ensure that no pathogens are carried before planting. For affected plants, immediately take out the corms and throw them away to avoid infecting other plants. When disease occurs, spray carbendazim, either as a root drench or as a foliar spray, once every 7 days, 3~4 times is enough.
2. Dry rot. Control method: When fertilizing normally, pay attention to controlling the nitrogen fertilizer content, apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and enhance the disease resistance of the plant. Before planting the corms, soak them in carbendazim solution for 30 minutes, which can effectively prevent corm disease. When the plant becomes diseased, promptly spray 50% zineb solution, once every 7 days, 3~5 times is enough.
The sprouting time of gladiolus corms will not exceed half a month. If they have not sprouted after half a month, it is definitely a failure. Therefore, after planting, care must be done well. Timely watering and fertilizing are the necessary factors to ensure its growth, and in the later stage of planting, active disease prevention and control are also needed.