Modern gladioluses (care and growing them - a kind of challenge for any novice gardener) are the result of many years of selection work. The first varieties were characterized by the presence of very weak stems, as well as loose inflorescences with small flowers with smooth edges. Today, everything has changed dramatically: the stems are noticeably stronger and now they can bear the weight of a dense and often two-row inflorescence. Many large-flowered varieties have acquired corollas with a diameter of up to 14 centimeters and even more. Petals also changed their shape and became corrugated, which gave the plant beauty and sophistication.
Gladiolus: care and cultivation
In any garden, these flowers are, first of all, very demanding on the location and lighting. They need complete protection against gusts of wind and the brightest lighting. Moreover, the north of the latitude where they are grown, the more light they need. In the southern strip of Russia, gladioli can put up with a slight shade, while maintaining their unique decorative properties. In addition, these plants are extremely demanding on the soil. They need loose, well-drained soil with little acidity. On other soil, gladioli often get sick and bloom much worse.
The corms of this plant begin to be prepared for planting ahead of time, in about two to three weeks. This usually happens at the very beginning of April. Gladioli, the care and cultivation of which is a rather troublesome process, must be cleaned of scales before planting. In this case, the plant will sprout a couple of days earlier. In addition, this procedure will identify defects in the planting material and some diseases.
The peeled corms are laid out in a warm, lighted place and wait until small tubercles of the root system appear on their bottom. Before planting, they need to be soaked in a weak manganese solution and can be planted in the ground. They do this in the middle or end of spring, when the earth warms up enough and moves away from winter frosts.
Gladioli are planted, the care and cultivation of which is a rather interesting and fascinating process, to a depth of 2 to 5 centimeters (depending on the size of the bulb). The distance between the bulbs should not be less than 15 centimeters.
Watering and feeding
It should be remembered that these plants require proper care. In dry and warm weather, they need abundant watering. This is due to a very deep rooting. In addition, after watering, it is useful to loosen and mulch the earth around the flowers.
One of the most pressing questions in the process of growing these plants is the following: how to feed gladioli? Basically, they need three types of fertilizer:
- nitrogen - at the very beginning, before the appearance of real leaves;
- complex - until the appearance of the 6th sheet;
- phosphorus-potassium fertilizers - during the appearance of inflorescences.
When gladioli bloom, this is truly an unforgettable sight! Such beauty is a worthy reward to any gardener who has taken up the difficult task of growing them. However, it should be remembered that gladioli have very heavy inflorescences. That is why, to preserve their beauty, they need to be tied to small stakes.