Gladiolus Bulbs Planting Depth

The gladiolus, once called the sword lily, has a long spiked stem filled with flowers. Gladioli come in every color of the rainbow except blue.

Expert Insight

The University of Minnesota Extension recommends planting gladiolus corms about four times as deep as their diameter. For example, plant a one-and-a-quarter-inch corm five inches deep.

Misconceptions

Though often called a bulb, the proper term for the food storage structure that the gladiolus grows from is a corm. A corm maintains the plant while it is dormant.

Size

Gladiolus corms smaller than three quarters of an inch in diameter may not flower the year they are planted. To make sure you get nice showy blooms, choose tall, plump corms that are at least one-and-a-quarter inches.

Considerations

Tall, stalky gladiolus have a tendency to break in the wind. Stake your gladiolus when planting them so that you can avoid damaging the roots with later staking.

Prevention/Solution

Though gladioli are perennials, they are not winter hardy in some regions. Your corms may need to be dug up in the fall and stored indoors. Alternatively, if you live in a cooler growing zone, you could treat the gladiolus as an annual and purchase corms each year.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension: Yard and Garden Brief: Growing Gladiolus
• University of Missouri Extension: Gladiolus
• Purdue University Cooperative Extension: Winter storage of Gladiolus

Resources

• University of Minnesota Extension: Yard and Garden Brief: Growing Gladiolus