The gladiolus is a beautiful flower that comes in a rainbow of colors. Gladioli are extremely popular both because they add a gorgeous splash of color to any flower arrangement and because they are easy to cultivate even for "brown thumbs." To grow the best gladioli, you need to understand when and how to plant and raise them so that they will produce beautiful flowers year after year.
Types
Gladioli come in many colors. The only color that gladioli do not come in is blue. They also come in a wide variety of shapes, such as the butterfly gladiolus and the nanus gladiolus, and in an array of blooming seasons from summer to winter. Gladioli are often mixed to make hybrids that are multiple colors or hardier varieties.
Features
Gladioli grow from bulbs called corms. These must be dug up if you live in a cold climate, but you can leave them underground in less severe climes. They produce large spikes of flowers that are beautiful and vibrant, and are great for flower arrangements or landscaping.
Time Frame
Gladioli take about two months to grow and bloom from the time that they are planted. You can plant them as early as mid-May. If you want to keep flowers blooming continuously, then continue to plant more gladioli in the same areas every 2 weeks until mid-June. This will give you continuous blooming from July through August. After the flowers are done, you will need to dig up the corms and store them during the winter months if you live in a cold climate where the ground tends to freeze and stay frozen.
Size
Gladiolus spikes can grow up to 1.5 feet tall. Their flowers are fairly large, ranging from 2 to 4 inches in diameter. Corms produce an average of 2 spikes per corm.
Benefits
Gladioli are great to work with because they are easy to grow and beautiful to look at. They are so exotic that they make every garden look like a work of art. Many of the hybrid breeds have an extremely long vase life once cut.
Considerations
To raise healthy gladioli, you will need well-drained soil. Loosen the soil to a depth of at least 12 inches. While gladioli do not like heavy, wet soil, they do need at least an inch of water a week, so if you live in a dry area, make sure that you water them diligently.
No comments:
Post a Comment