Content
- Valuable tips for the care of the gladioli
- How much water does the gladiolus need?
- When is fertilized?
- How is it cut?
- How are gladioli overwintered?
- Which pests and diseases can affect the plant
- Tips
Gladioli are very thirsty plants
Valuable tips for the care of the gladioli
The magnificent pedicels of the gladiolus look like swords, which brought the plant the Latin name Gladiolus (sword flower). Gladioli are true sun worshipers and thrive best in full-sunflower perennial. Maintain the bulb plant that has become very popular again in recent years, it is extremely robust and not very susceptible to diseases and pests.
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Gladioli are quite thirsty and have to be watered regularly, especially on hot summer days. Where:
When is fertilized?
If you have already enriched the garden soil with some compost or manure when placing the gladiolus, it is sufficient to fertilize the plants for the first time four weeks later. A second fertilizer application takes place after eight weeks. Use commercial long-term flowering fertilizer. This contains all the nutrients that the gladiolus needs for healthy growth and abundance of flowers.
How is it cut?
Once the peduncle is completely flowered, the faded parts are shortened to the leaf approach. It is important not to completely cut back the green of the gladiolus until the leaves have turned very pale and have become unsightly. This allows the onion to continue to grow, storing important nutrients for next year.
Cut gladioli for the vase, always leave three to many petals on the onion. If the stem is cut directly above the ground, for example, because you need the full length for a vase, it may happen that the onion plant dies.
How are gladioli overwintered?
Gladioli are not hardy and must be wintered indoors. In autumn, the tubers are dug up and stored well dried in a cool but frost-free room.
Which pests and diseases can affect the plant
Newly bred gladioli are often attacked by thrips. These also known under the name bladder feet or fringed insect pests are between one and three millimeters in size and feed on the plant juices. As a result, they damage the gladiolus so much that they can wither away.
They recognize the infestation of the silvery stripes along the leaves and flowers. Since the pests migrate to winter over the outer bracts in the tubers, advises the Federal Association of German Garden Friends, the infested gladioli cut off near the ground. Most of the onion then drives healthy again.
If your gladioli are repeatedly attacked by the animals, you can place the bulbs in an insecticide solution that is effective against the pests before planting.
Tips
For large flowering gladioli, it is recommended to support them, so that the flower stalks do not kink. Well suited are special bamboo or plant rods, which are hardly noticed by their natural coloring.