Any beginner gardener involved in the cultivation of gladioli faces the problem of their wintering. The fact is that their bulbs must be removed from the soil in the cold season. To do this, you need to not only know the time when to dig out gladioli, but also how to store and process them. The quality and successful storage in the winter period significantly depends on the time and properly carried out cleaning of gladioli.
How to choose the right time to dig out gladioli
After flowering or pruning, the corms should be given about two months for final ripening. If they are removed before the peduncles appear, then they may not even ascend the next year. That is why flowers need to be prepared in advance for harvesting. This preparation consists in the complete removal of all its inflorescences from the plant, regardless of whether they have entered the flowering period or not.
Any experienced gardener will answer in the affirmative when asked if they are digging gladioli for the winter. The fact is that it is necessary to remove the corms of these flowers from the earth before the onset of cold weather. If the very first frosts do not cause harm to the gladioli, then a temperature below -2 degrees Celsius already begins to harm the leaves of the plant.
Corms do not suffer from this, but if frosts below -5 degrees are expected, and the gardener does not have time to remove them, it is strongly recommended to cover them with a layer of mulch.
Anyone who is interested in when to dig out gladioli should know that the first and middle grades must be removed, and the later ones after them. The last to dig up flowers grown from daughter bulbs. First, you must try to extract dark and lavender-blue varieties from the soil, because they are the first to become susceptible to various fungal infections.
When to dig out gladioli for the winter
This procedure should be carried out in warm, dry weather due to the fact that in moist soil a large number of children's bulbs are always lost. Some of them can then hatch from the ground for three years, violating the integrity of the garden and clogging the planting of pure varieties of gladioli.
When digging, the plant is carefully removed along with a lump of earth, which is gently shaken off over a piece of plastic film. In this case, the stalk is cut off by the secateurs so that the corm remains small, up to one centimeter long, the stump. The roots and maternal bulb in adult corms are removed immediately. In children, the roots are simply shortened. Sick and infected plants are burned.
Everyone who is interested in when to dig out gladioli should know that after this procedure the corms need to be washed and processed in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. After that, they are placed for several weeks in a dry, warm place to dry. Throughout this period, they must be turned over twice a day. Plant health and germination for the next year are very dependent on drying.
Any professional who knows when to dig out gladioli also knows that the bulbs must be carefully sorted after drying. Damaged or diseased just need to be burned. If the variety is especially valuable, then you can try to cut the damaged part, and process the cut with a solution of brilliant green.