How to grow gladiolus? Cultivation methods and key points for pest and disease control

Gladiolus has high ornamental value and can be used in flower baskets, bouquets, vase arrangements, and more. It can also be arranged in flower beds and special flower beds, and it is also one of the world's four major cut flowers, with an excellent reputation. Below, the editor introduces the cultivation methods for gladiolus, and hopes everyone will enjoy them.

Cultivation methods for gladiolus

1. Soil: Gladiolus requires very fertile and sandy soil. It needs good drainage. A well-drained sandy slope is most suitable. The pH value should be 5.6-6.5. It is not suitable for planting in clay.

2. Watering: Gladiolus is a flower that needs more water. Watering in a timely manner and keeping the soil moist are important measures to promote more flowering. In hot weather, it should be sprayed to increase humidity and lower the temperature, and attention should be paid to drainage after rain.

3. Temperature: The optimum temperature for gladiolus growth is 20-25°C during the day and 10-15°C at night. Growth is hindered when the temperature is above 27°C, and the petals are easily scorched. Growth is slow below 10°C.

Sunlight: Gladiolus is not tolerant of shade. It is a long-day plant, with 16 hours of light per day. Cut flower varieties are greatly affected by light. Strong sunlight produces strong plants, strong resistance, and vivid, long-lasting color, but in hot summer, direct strong sunlight should also be avoided.

Fertilization: Gladiolus is a shallow-rooted plant. Fertilizer should be applied shallowly. The fertilizer should be balanced with NPK. Topdressing should be applied at the two true leaf stage (after flower bud differentiation) and the heading stage. Reapply potassium fertilizer, and pay attention to controlling nitrogen fertilizer in the later stage to prevent the plants from growing too long and lodging. Plots producing bulbs should be based on adding potassium fertilizer.

Growth habits of gladiolus

Gladiolus is a warmth-loving plant, but the growing temperature should not be too high, and it is not cold-tolerant. The growth temperature is 20-25°C, and corms can sprout at a soil temperature above 5°C. It is a typical long-day plant. Long daylight is beneficial to flower bud differentiation. Insufficient light will reduce the number of flowers, but after flower bud differentiation, short daylight is beneficial to bud formation and early flowering. Corms of summer-flowering types must be stored indoors in winter, and the room temperature must not be lower than 0°C. The cultivation soil is suitable for fertile sandy loam, with a pH value not exceeding 7. Especially for fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer can improve flower quality, and potassium fertilizer can improve corm quality and the number of corms.

Pest control of gladiolus

1. Mosaic disease

[Symptoms] Mosaic disease mainly infects leaves, and also infects flowers and other parts. In the early stage of the disease, chlorotic angles and dots appear on the leaves. Due to the limitation of the lesions, the lesions are mostly polygonal, and later turn brown. The diseased leaves turn yellow and become deformed. Diseased plants are short, and the flowering spikes are short. Plants with severe disease cannot produce flower spikes. In early summer, the symptoms on new leaves are especially obvious. In summer, the symptoms are not obvious, and there are latent symptoms.

[Prevention and control] Strengthen quarantine, control the occurrence of the disease, test corms, select virus-free corms, carry out virus-free cultivation, reduce reinfection of flowers, and promptly remove diseased plants in flower beds to prevent mutual infection. At the time of onset, spray the leaves with 58% mancozeb WP 500 times solution or 75% chlorothalonil WP and 50% carbendazim WP 1000 times, once every 7 days. Usually, it can be sprayed 3 to 4 times.

2. Dry rot

[Symptoms] Dry rot mainly damages the plant's bulbs, leaves, flowers, and roots. When the plant begins, it first starts to turn yellow from the outer leaves, then spreads to the inner leaves, and finally wilts.

[Prevention and control] Try to avoid continuous planting in flower beds. It is not advisable to apply more nitrogen fertilizer, and increase the amount of phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer. Before planting, bulbs can be soaked in 50% carbendazim 500 times for 30 minutes. In the early stage of plant disease, spray 50% zinc 1000 times solution, spraying the leaves once every 7 days, generally 3 times.

3. Leaf spot disease

[Symptoms] The pathogen can infect leaves and bulbs. After infection, the leaves produce brown spots, which gradually expand and gradually darken, eventually causing the leaves to wither. After the bulbs are infected, the plants grow very short, or even do not flower.

[Prevention and treatment] Rotate crops. Diseased areas must be rotated to reduce pathogen inoculum. Corm treatment: after harvesting, corms should be dried and stored dry to prevent rot. Before planting, disinfect with 50% thiram, then plant. For chemical control, spray 75% chlorothalonil 800 times or zinc 65%.

4. Scab

[Symptoms] Scab mainly harms corms, and sometimes harms leaves. After the corms are infected, water-soaked round lesions are produced. The color gradually darkens from dark to dark brown. The lesion edges are raised, and the middle is sunken. After the leaves are infected, water-soaked soft rot occurs.

[Prevention and treatment] Disease-resistant cultivation, choose a high, dry, and ventilated environment, pay attention to drainage, rotate crops, and maintain field sanitation. This disease can only be prevented through treatment; there is no specific medication.

5. Fusarium disease

[Symptoms] Fusarium mainly occurs on corms, and sometimes infects leaves and flowers. At the beginning of the disease, small reddish-brown spots appear, gradually expand, droop, and shrink, or even rot, and then white filaments grow. After sowing affected bulbs, growth is poor, flowering is deformed, and severely affected seedlings cannot sprout or die at the seedling stage.

[Prevention and control] Double selection and disinfection of bulbs, selection after harvest and removal of diseased corms, soak the bulbs in 0.5% formalin solution for 2 hours, wash with warm water and dry until the next spring, and conduct a first selection when planting, disinfect with 5% carbendazim 500 times solution, then plant to avoid continuous cropping.

6. Gray mold

[Symptoms] Botrytis cinerea often occurs on leaves and petals. At the beginning of the disease, small gray-brown spots often appear, which gradually expand and gray mold appears on the surface of the lesions.

[Prevention and control] Store bulbs reasonably, keep the environment dry, keep the cultivation environment ventilated and well-lit, and ensure good drainage. For chemical control, 80% mancozeb wettable powder 500-700 times liquid spray has a better effect.

7. Thrips

[Symptoms] Adult and nymph thrips usually hide among the leaves during the day, and crawl onto the leaves on cloudy days or at night to damage the plant. The plant's leaves, stems, and flowers are mainly bitten, causing the leaves to discolor and leaving white-gray spot-like feeding marks and egg-laying marks on the corolla, causing the petals to curl.

[Prevention and control] Spray with 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times solution or 80% dichlorvos emulsifiable concentrate 300 times solution.