How to Garden Gladiolus
Gladiolus plants are easy to grow and bring an array of colors to the garden. These striking, spiked flowering plants are grown from corms -- short, vertical underground plant stems -- rather than bulbs. Gladiolus thrives in full sunlight and moist soil with good drainage; in the right conditions, it can reach a height of 6 feet. Gladiolus is not recommended for planting below U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 6. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Plant gladiolus corms after the risk of frost has passed. Choose a spot in the garden that gets direct sunlight for at least six hours each day.
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Loosen the soil of your planting area to a depth of at least 10 inches, using a garden fork or hoe.
Dig holes for your gladiolus corms 4 to 6 inches deep in the loosened soil. Space the holes at least four inches apart.
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Add mulch when covering up the corms with your soil.
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Water once the gladiolus corms are planted; thereafter, they should not need watering during the spring, except during particularly dry conditions.
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Water regularly as soon as foliage appears in the late spring or early summer.
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Remove weeds from around short gladioluses to make sure they get enough sunlight. Add mulch between plants to keep moisture in the soil.
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Remove any dead blossoms and carry on watering into the summer.
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Trim the stalks down to 4 inches at the end of summer, to let the corms get precious nutrients. In colder temperatures, remove the corms and store them at a temperature of 35 to 45 degrees in a well-ventilated area; they can be replanted in the spring. In milder areas, leave them in the ground and add mulch on top.
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