Gladiolus
Gladioli fill the garden with colour through summer and are ideal for picking throughout the season. They bring Christmas cheer to the festive table with their stunning long-stemmed trumpet-like flowers and sword-shaped long green foliage. Choose from white or red varieties for a classic holiday look, or opt for a vibrant array of colours, including pink, yellow, orange, mauve, purple, and green.
They are grown from large, flat corms. Plant in spring (after the threat of frost has passed) or early summer. Expect flowers in around nine weeks from planting the corm. Enjoy a colourful garden border by planting corms on mass or have a few large containers around doorways and outdoor entertaining areas. Corms can be left in the ground, however in frosty and wet climates, they should be removed over winter and replanted in spring. Most corns re-flower year after year.
Growing conditions
Aspect Gladioli need a sunny location with full sun for most of the day. If grown with too much shade, they may fail to flower. Select a sheltered spot to avoid wind damage. Tall growers may need the support of stakes.
Soil They grow in a wide range of soils but do best in good garden soil with excellent drainage. The corms may rot in poorly drained soils. Before planting, enrich the soil with homemade compost or fork in Seasol Super Compost. Use Seasol Super Soil Wetter & Conditioner where the soil is water repellent. Seasol Advanced Potting Mix is perfect for gladiolus grown in large pots or containers.
When planting corms, mix Seasol Plant + Soil Booster into the soil and plant around 10cm deep and 10-20cm apart. Plant pointy side up and flat side down.
Climate They are suited to all climates from cool temperate to tropical areas throughout the warm months of the year.
General care
Watering Adequate and regular water is important, especially when summers are hot and dry. Water regularly until foliage begins to die back and then leave them to dry out.
Feeding and mulching Feed as flowers form until the foliage dies with a liquid fertiliser such as PowerFeed PRO SERIES for Roses & Flowers regularly every two weeks. Supplement feeding with a granular fertiliser such as Seasol plus Nutrients for Roses & Flowers to keep them looking good.
Mulch with organic mulch such as sugarcane mulch, pea straw or lucerne to aid soil moisture retention and keep weeds at bay.
Pruning and dividing Pick stems or deadhead after flowering to reduce seed formation. Leave foliage to die back naturally, then tidy up by taking care not to pull up bulbs. Mark where gladioli are planted to avoid digging them up when they are dormant over winter. Established clumps can be lifted and divided in early spring.
Watch for Thrips and aphids can damage flowers and leaves leaving streaking or marking on foliage and petals. Try a safe organic pesticide such as EarthCare White Oil insect spray. Where thrips and aphids have been a problem during the growing season, treat bulbs before replanting.
