Majestic gladioli, delighting gardeners since the beginning of August, complete their next cycle with the onset of autumn. It's time to send the bulbs to the winter apartments, because the cold is destructive for them. Storage of gladioli at home is not difficult, but requires compliance with certain rules.
When to dig out gladioli
Bulbs are harvested completely matured: from the moment of flowering or cutting, at least a month should pass, and in later varieties - up to 45-50 days. Cleaning should not be delayed to prevent decay and the development of fungal diseases. Bulbs are picked from the ground in dry weather. If the soil is moist or, conversely, hardened and dry, many children are lost. First of all, early-flowering varieties and gladioli with dark-colored flowers are harvested: cherry, dark red, purple, as they have low immunity to fungal diseases. Lastly, they dig up tubers grown from children.
Culling
For storing gladioli at home to be successful, you need to lay only high-quality material for the winter. It is necessary to shake off excess soil and carefully inspect the bulbs. It is necessary to throw out all diseased and damaged tubers, as well as children with a burst shell. The roots and stems shortly after digging are shortened to 1 cm, so that the drying process is faster.
Disinfection and drying
To prevent putrefactive processes, gladiolus is recommended to withstand 15 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate (10 g per bucket of water) or in garlic water (1 kg of crushed mass per bucket of liquid). Before laying for storage, the bulbs are dried for a month in an aired room. They are laid out in one layer and kept at a temperature of 20-23 0 C.
Storage of gladiolus tubers
An ideal place for wintering of gladioli is a dry cold basement with good air circulation. The optimum storage temperature is 4-6 0 C, relative humidity is 65-80%. Children love colder air (1-2 0 C) and a little more relative humidity. It is better to place the tubers in low drawers with a mesh bottom.
Storage of gladioli in the apartment
Healthy and well-dried material can be preserved in a city apartment at +18 +20 0 , but in this case, by spring, the bulbs noticeably lose volume. They are laid without wrapping, so that the tubers do not touch each other, and stored in the dark (for example, in a shoe box under the bed). Before planting, such bulbs should be kept in a growth stimulator, and they will develop well and bloom.
Of course, it is better to choose the coolest place in the apartment for storing gladioli at home. It can be a glazed loggia, a cold window sill or the lower shelf in the refrigerator.
It is advisable to avoid temperature fluctuations and high humidity. Several times during the winter, it is necessary to inspect the bulbs. Sick and dried specimens are removed. If there is a risk of infection with thrips, you can dust the tubers with chalk, lay garlic cloves with them, or perform an Inta-Vir treatment. You can also dip tubers in molten paraffin. This will prevent drying out and protect the bulbs from mold.
Special option
There is another way of such an event, as the storage of gladioli at home. It involves digging up bulbs at the usual time. But! It is necessary to leave a little earth on the roots, and place the plant in a high plastic bag without cutting the leaves. In this improvised greenhouse, the bulb continues to grow and ripen, gradually taking nutrients from the stem. By December, the dried leaves are removed, the bulbs are treated with pest preparations and stored until cool in the spring.
This method can be adopted by gardeners who grow late-flowering varieties in areas with short summers.