I bought some gladiolus bulbs last season and they were very nice. I had to dig them because I am in zone 4 and saved them in the basement. The bulbs look pretty dry with all of this skin or paper stuff around them. Do I pull all of it off or some it off or none of it off before I replant them for this season? I don't remember them having all this on them when I bought them but they did multiply in size...Thank you for your help.
Leave the dry bits on, it won't hurt any thing and will actually add to the nutrients of the soil as it composts itself.
Thank you Toni...I seen some bulbs with skins on when I goggled it so I had thought that I would... Have a great day...and thank you again....Sherry
Wow! you are patient to plant and pull gladiola corms!! I planted some about 4 years ago and was too lazy to pull them in the fall. They came back! Not all of them but most of them. They had little babies because now my flower bed is full of young gladiola leaves Glads are soooooo beautiful, too bad they don't smell. I am in zone 6, guess that's why mine came back Deanna :-D I'm anxious to try the new mini glads, I think they call them "Glaminis" Haven't been able to find any though
Deanna, I may have to order some of these. I love Glads. Brecks only has one color but the Brecks Canada has a collection of 6 colors.....wonder why we are being restricted to only one http://brecks.com/product.asp?pn=68168
I planted some late two years ago. They came up the first year but didn't have time to bloom. Last year they all came up, but as soon as they bloomed, they wilted. We were in a drought and I couldn't bring myself to water flowers. This year I have about nine that have come up. It is raining about two inches a week, so I am expecting much better results. Also, I never dig mine up.
Hi Sherry8, If the bulbs look healthy, just plant them as they are. Sometimes glads are fickle and rot and dry out during the winter. You can tell, these bulbs will be light weight, dry and crunchy. Glad corms actually form a whole new bulb or corm every year. If they are planted late, they may bloom but not have time to produce a large enough new corm. In my Michigan Z5, I to must dig them but sometimes I miss one and if we have a mild winter it will come up. In your Z4, things will freeze off. Ron
Guess I am the only Gladiola hater around. I love the blooms but the plants are invasive in my garden. They multiply outrageously. I put some in two planters in the front of my house and they did well. I decided to change up the planters for this season so I dumped all of the potting soil out of the planters, took out all of the parent bulbs and every itsy-bitsy baby to the point of sifting the soil. Guess what? There are Gladiolas in the replanted planters. I don't know how but nature is amazing. If they did not flop over after a rain I would plant fields of them. I have staked them and everything else and they flop on me. But I do enjoy the surprise of finding them in random places that I did not plant them mind you in garden. Enjoy your Glads.
