Gladioli are the decoration of any garden.
They have high decorative qualities, are good in cutting, and a variety of colors allows you to revitalize the garden and fill it with bright colors. But in order to get a beautiful and healthy peduncle, it is worth familiarizing yourself with how to plant gladioli and care for them.
Gladioli are propagated by corms, which are updated every year. The old bulb gives up a supply of nutrients to the plant, while a new corm and children grows above it. Here they are dug up in the fall, dried and stored until spring. Growing gladioli from seeds gives low results. In these cases, the purity of the variety is lost.
Choosing a place to land
Before planting gladioli, you need to choose a suitable place in the garden. These flowers love loose soil, well-drained: black soil, light loam, non-acidic or slightly acidic sandy loam. For gladioli, good lighting is important. In a shaded place, it will not be possible to obtain abundant flowering. Clay land with a close location of groundwater, slopes of slopes and open areas for drafts are not suitable.
Preparation for landing
Preparation for the planting of corms of gladioli begins in the fall. The selected place is dug up, humus, manure (3-5 kg per 1 sq. M.) Or compost (up to 10 kg per 1 sq. M.) Is brought to choose. Bulb planting begins in the spring. Depending on the region’s climate, the period from the end of April to the beginning of June is chosen.
For planting, healthy replacement corms and children are selected. By the way, the large size of the bulb does not guarantee the beauty of the plant. Those gardeners who know how to plant gladioli in the spring select not too large replacement bulbs for planting. Such a bulb gives large beautiful buds for 3-4 years, so it is worth giving preference to children.
How to plant flowers and how to fertilize?
3-4 days before planting, you need to get the bulbs, pour water on the bottom of the saucer, put the onions in it and put in a well-lit place. This simple technique will make it possible to wake up the flowers, as well as build up the roots. Prepared planting material is planted in warm soil to a depth not exceeding the height of three bulbs (usually 8-12 cm). Those who are wondering how to plant gladioli need to know that it is better to plant corms in warm ground (up to about +10 degrees).
Typically, flowers are planted in rows with an interval of 15 - 20 cm. Warm sunny weather will provoke rapid leaf growth. When they reach a height of 25-30 cm, you can spud plants like potatoes - to scoop up the earth. This will give stability to the stem and retain moisture.
Those who want to know how to plant gladioli and take care of these flowers should take care of further feeding. Fertilizing - nitrogen, potash and phosphorus - will allow you to get a powerful flower stalk and beautiful flowering. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied after 1 month (first feeding), and then 2 months (second feeding) after planting at the rate of 20-25 g per 1 sq. meter. During the second top dressing, in addition to nitrogen fertilizers, you can add 25 g of superphosphate per 1 sq. Km. meter.
Further care is regular watering. Do not allow the soil to dry out during budding and flowering. For this purpose, the soil is usually mulched with humus or peat. This method protects the earth from drying out, provides protection against weeds and good soil aeration.