
Planting, Growing, and Caring for Gladiolus
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Gladioli come in a variety of sizes and colors, with the most popular being part of the following hybrid groups:
- Grandiflora Hybrids: These are the classic gladioli that produce a plentiful amount of large (5- to 6-inch) blooms in a range of colors. The plants produce flower stalks that reach up to 4 feet in height and are winter hardy to Zone 7.
- Dwarf Grandiflora Hybrids: These miniature glads are an excellent choice for containers and cutting gardens, as their flowers are about half the size of Grandifloras, and their shorter stalks don’t typically require staking. They are also winter hardy to Zone 7. Glamini gladioli are included in this group; they are pest-resistant and will bloom in full sun or partial shade.
- Nanus Hybrids: Hardy to Zone 5, these smaller gladioli look a lot like Grandifloras, but do not produce as many flowers. They tend to grow no larger than about 2 feet in height, which makes them perfect for containers or small spaces.
Some specific gladiolus varieties of note include:
- ‘Black Star,’ which has deep purple-red blooms
- ‘Candyman,’ for its beautiful, deep pink flowers
- ‘Costa,’ which sports ruffled flowers in blue-purple
- ‘Dream’s End,’ which makes a good background plant because its flower spike is up to 3 feet tall (and it has pretty light orange flowers with large yellow centers)
- ‘Fun Time,’ which has yellow flowers edged with red
- ‘Green Time,’ for its unusual lime-green flowers
- ‘Prins Claus,’ which has white flowers with splashes of pink on its petals
- ‘Priscilla,’ which produces off-white flowers with a yellow center and a pink edge
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Hi Patty,
Plan to move them during cooler weather in late fall/early winter.
I love my glads, but I they never bloom all the same direction. Is there a way to know, when I plant the corn, which direction the bloom will face?
Hi Vicki,
That is an interesting question! I wonder how many people have asked themselves the same thing. Sorry to report that there isn’t a way to know. All you can do is place the root side (flat and wide) down and hope for the best!
I live in Ohio and was wondering if I have to dig up my bulbs in order for them to come up again in the spring?
Hi Angela,
Most gladiolus are only hardy to Zone 7 so it is a good idea to dig them up and overwinter them inside, given your climate.
I live in northern va.. Shenandoah valley area. I bought new gladiolus bulbs this year. Intending on redoing an old flower bed. I have almost finished digging everything out. We had a rainy, cold spell..which delayed my project for a bit. Is it too late to plant now when I reset the other flowers?
The new bulbs are still in their open mesh bags inside brown paper bag.
What are the pods where my flowers were on the stalks?
Could you please tell me what a corm is???
The corm is just another word for bulb.