GROWING GREAT GLADS
For the gardener with little time to spend in the yard,
gladiolus are a colorful, easy care plant, perfect for borders and
large containers. They make great cut flowers, too! Selecting a
variety of glads and staggering their planting dates will produce a
succession of height and bloom from spring through fall.
GLADS ARE EASY TO GROW!
Most garden soils that will produce a good crop of
vegetables or weeds
will also grow good glads with little or no added
fertilizer. Glads prefer
good air circulation and full sunlight but will do
reasonably well with a
little high shade in early morning or late afternoon.
Choose an area
with good drainage. Glads don't like wet feet! Raised beds
Plant only clean, plump gladiolus corms (also known as
Here in the valley, foothills, and Bay Area, plant a few
every week or two, from late January through early April.
there will always be a gladiolus in bloom throughout the
warm weather months.
Plant gladiolus corms three to five inches deep and from
four to six inches apart, with the tip side facing upwards.
GLADS ARE EASY TO CARE FOR...AND ENJOY!
Water regularly while they are growing or blooming, perhaps
once a week.
Water twice a week during heat waves. Weed by shallow
and hand weeding. A three inch layer of mulch of bark,
grass clippings, etc., between rows will discourage weeds
and help conserve moisture.
To get the most enjoyment of glads as a cut flower indoors,
cut off the flowering
stalk when the lowest buds begin to open. Be sure to keep at
least four leaves
on the plant to allow the corm to renew itself for the
At the end of the season, cut off the stem just below the
lowest flower buds.
This keeps the energy from the leaves flowing towards the
corm, not to seed production.
GLADIOLUS CAN GET BUGGED!
Thrips are one of the most damaging insects to glads,
especially in the summer.
Look for silvery flecks on the foliage and silver or brown
blemishes on the flowers
and buds. You may also see their black droppings on the
These tiny (less than 1/20th of an inch long) creatures
scrape away the plant tissue,
suck the juice and lay their eggs inside. Control thrips
with a blast of water from
the hose or insecticidal soap. Healthy plants can outgrow
CAN YOU DIG IT? SURE! BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO EVERY
Here, where the ground doesn't freeze in the winter, you
not to dig up your corms. However, disease brought on by too
rain and too cool of a soil, as well as eventual crowding,
the amount and quality of next year's bloom.
It is suggested that you dig and divide your corms every
couple of years
in the fall, being sure to discard any damaged or diseased
The plant should be separated from the corm as close to the
as possible, either by hand breaking or cutting with pruning
Store any lifted corms in a cool, dry place, in single
layers in a flat or
ventilated tray. Then, replant those corms the following
February or March.