How to grow gladiolus? Detailed growing methods and precautions

Gladiolus is native to tropical Africa and the Mediterranean region, and is a perennial deciduous bulbous herb. Underground it has a flattened round corm, covered with a brown, firm, fibrous membranous skin. The longer it is cultivated, the larger and flatter the corm becomes, with large corms reaching 5-9 cm in diameter. The plant height is 70-150 cm, and the stem is stout and upright, unbranched, or rarely branched.

Gladiolus leaves are sword-shaped, thick and leathery, emerging from the corm in an overlapping, sheath-like arrangement, with 7-8 leaves per clump, leaves about 30-40 cm long and 4-5 cm wide. The flower scape emerges from the leaf clump and rises above it. The spike has 12-24 flowers, usually arranged in two rows facing to one side, rarely with flowers facing two or four directions. Below is a detailed introduction to how to grow gladiolus:

1. Soil selection for growing gladiolus

It grows well in deep, loose, fertile, slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6.5) sandy loam, and the soil must be moist during the growing period.

2. Fertilization methods for growing gladiolus

Gladiolus is a flower that loves fertilizer, and timely fertilization should be noted after planting. Generally, 3-4 applications per month of decomposed human manure and urine fertilizer at a 4:6 ratio can be given. When fertilizing, note that nitrogen fertilizer must not be too much, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be applied as appropriate to enhance flower bud differentiation and corm nutrition. After flowering, use superphosphate extract as a top dressing to promote the growth and plumpness of the new corm.

Gladiolus should be fertilized at least 3 times during the growing period. The first time is after 2 leaves have unfolded; the second time is at the 4-leaf stage; the third time is after flowering. Apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer and less nitrogen fertilizer to prevent lodging. After flowering, when more than 1/3 of the leaves turn yellow and withered, the corms should be lifted and dried in the sun. Then store them in a low-temperature, dry place.

3. Watering methods for growing gladiolus

Before the seedlings emerge, water gladiolus once every 10 days. Once the seedlings are fully emerged, never let them dry out, otherwise the leaf tips easily turn yellow. After the flower scape appears, they must not suffer drought even more; in summer when there is no rain, water once every 4 days. After flowering, watering should be stopped to prolong the flowering period.

Watering gladiolus requires controlling the amount; too much water easily causes root rot, while lack of water often causes the flower scape to wilt and droop, and after watering it still cannot recover but bends into a "zigzag" shape, affecting its appearance.

4. Temperature requirements for growing gladiolus

Gladiolus likes a warm, humid climate, dislikes high heat and severe summer heat, and is not cold-tolerant. The most suitable temperature for growth is 20-25°C. When the soil temperature rises above 5°C in early spring, the corm can sprout, and when the summer temperature rises above 35°C, growth is inhibited.

Gladiolus generally can bloom about 3 months after planting, but the cultivation cycle is greatly affected by the temperature during the growing period. The higher the temperature during the growing period, the shorter the cultivation cycle. For example, when the average temperature during the growing period is 12°C, gladiolus takes 110-120 days from planting to flowering; when the average temperature reaches 15°C, it takes only 90-100 days; at 20°C, it takes 70-80 days; and when it reaches 25°C, the cultivation cycle is only 60-70 days.

5. Light requirements for growing gladiolus

Gladiolus adapts to a sunny environment with ample light. Gladiolus is a typical long-day plant, and flower bud differentiation can only occur under light conditions of more than 14 hours; after flower bud differentiation, short-day conditions can promote flower bud growth and early flowering. Generally, from planting the corm to flowering takes about 70-75 days, varying by variety, and a few varieties take more than 80 days.

6. Precautions for growing gladiolus

(1) Harvesting and storage of gladiolus corms. After the inflorescence is picked, the underground corm grows rapidly and can be dug and harvested after about 45 days, when the leaves begin to turn yellow and wither. This must not be delayed, because after all the leaves turn yellow and wither, the small corms around the large corm will also all fall off, which is unfavorable for harvesting. Do not cut off the leaf clump before digging. After digging, first tie them in bundles or spread them out to dry, and then take the corms for storage. The seed corms should be spread thinly on multi-layer racks indoors, requiring ventilation and dryness, and preventing freezing damage.

(2) The optimum temperature for the growth and development of gladiolus generally does not exceed 27°C, so in summer high temperatures, attention should be paid to ventilation and shading to avoid excessive temperature causing aging and degeneration of plant growth.

I. Growing methods and precautions for gladiolus——Soil

The soil for planting gladiolus needs to be relatively loose. Mix leaf mold with garden soil, then add some calcium phosphate material, and after drying the soil in the sun, prepare to put it in a pot. First disinfect the pot, then add the mixed soil, and repot after the plant grows larger. Gladiolus is a corm-type plant. After repotting, the corm should be more than half exposed above the soil to prevent the gladiolus corm from becoming moldy and rotting due to moisture and thus failing to bloom.

II. Growing methods and precautions for gladiolus——Repotting

When gladiolus begins to grow leaves, you can consider repotting. If you wait until about 4 leaves have gradually grown, you can transplant this corm into a larger pot. When repotting, you can choose June, when conditions are relatively suitable. When summer temperatures are high, it is suitable to carry out repotting for cyclamen.

III. Growing methods and precautions for gladiolus——Fertilization

During the growing process, gladiolus can be given more watering and fertilization. If the leaves begin to turn yellow, then place the gladiolus in a lower-temperature and more ventilated environment. Gladiolus is suited to a cool growing environment, and autumn is even more suitable for growing gladiolus.

Growing methods and precautions for gladiolus

This article mainly discusses the growing methods and precautions for gladiolus. First, flower lovers need to be told that what we usually call gladiolus is scientifically named Tangchangpu (gladiolus). Because common flower names can overlap, the first thing to do when reading this article is to check whether the gladiolus you need to know about is Tangchangpu (gladiolus) (illustrations are included in the article).

I. Growing methods for gladiolus

First, a brief overview of the growing methods for gladiolus, and then we will discuss them one by one according to soil, environment, watering, etc. Growing gladiolus is actually quite simple. As long as there can be 4-5 months of suitable growing time, it can be planted. From planting the bulb to flowering, gladiolus takes about 60-120 days (flowering time varies by variety). During the growing process, one thing to note is light (ample light), and another is watering (avoid waterlogging). Below we will look at the specific growing methods.

1) Planting time: In China, the best planting time for gladiolus is spring. It can be planted when the average temperature is above 20°C.

2) Planting depth: The best soil covering depth for gladiolus is about 10 cm.

3) Planting environment: Whether in pots or in the ground, ample light is indispensable. If there is no good light condition, then it is better to give up growing gladiolus.

4) Soil: Sandy soil with good drainage is best, though of course other soils are also acceptable, as long as drainage is good, because gladiolus is not tolerant of waterlogging and the corms rot easily, so the drainage of the potting soil is especially important.

5) Watering: Overall, less watering is better. Keep the soil slightly dry at ordinary times. It is not suitable to keep the soil moist for a long time; for the reason, refer to item 4).

6) Fertilization: Gladiolus has a fairly high demand for fertilizer, especially in pots. Use mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and apply light fertilizer frequently.

Image from an online flower lover

II. Precautions for growing gladiolus

1) Light: Before flower bud differentiation, the care environment needs long-day conditions, which is beneficial to gladiolus flower bud differentiation. Insufficient light will reduce the number of flowers. After flower bud differentiation is complete, short-day conditions help flower bud formation and early flowering.

2) Temperature: Gladiolus likes warmth, dislikes muggy heat, and is not cold-tolerant, so the temperature of the care environment is very important.

3) Planting time: Gladiolus is suitable for spring planting. Some flower lovers cannot resist planting in autumn, but because gladiolus has the habit of dormancy in winter, gladiolus planted in autumn in most cases withers before blooming.

4) Preventing corm rot: If the soil is moist for a long time, for example, many consecutive rainy days for ground planting may cause corm rot, and for potted plants, if watering is excessive and the potting soil drainage is poor, the corms also rot easily.