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Plant gladiolus to enjoy bold blooms and beautiful summer bouquets.
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Planting
For the best blooms, plant glads in full sun (6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day) in well-draining soil that’s moderately fertile. They will not do well in heavy, soggy soil. Mix compost (humus) into your soil to improve consistency and fertility.
When to Plant Gladiolus
- Start planting gladiolus corms in the spring once the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed to at least 55°F (13°C). See your local frost dates here.
- From your last frost date to early summer, plant another round of corms every ten days or so. This will result in continuous blooms through early fall!
- Depending on the variety, it takes between 60 and 90 days from the time glads are planted for the corms to root, grow, and bloom.
How to Plant Gladiolus
- Ready your garden by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to about 12 to 15 inches deep. After loosening the soil, mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost or aged manure.
- To ensure large-sized blooms, plant corms that are 1¼ inch or larger in diameter.
- Set the corm in the hole about 4 inches deep with the pointed end facing up. Cover with soil and press firmly.
- Space the corms 6 to 8 inches apart.
- If you grow gladioli primarily for cut flowers, plant them in rows. It’s easier to tend the plants and to harvest the flowers.
- If planted with other flowers in borders or annual beds, plant the corms in groups of 7 or more for the best effect.
- Water the corms thoroughly at planting.
- If you’re planting tall varieties, be sure to stake them at planting time. Be careful not to damage the corms with the stakes.
Growing
How to Grow Gladiolus
- Put a 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch around your gladioli to keep your soil moist and help prevent weeds.
- If you get less than 1 inch of rain a week, water your plants regularly throughout the summer. Otherwise, water them moderately when they are growing to keep the soil moist.
- Remove the faded/dead flowers to ensure continuous blooms. Once all the flowers on a stalk are gone, cut the stalk off at about 2 to 3 inches above the soil.
- Be sure to leave the plant intact so it can mature and grow the corms for the next season.
Winter Protection for Gladiolus
- If you live in USDA Hardiness Zone 8 or warmer, put down a layer of hay or straw for winter protection. Gladiolus can remain in the ground through winter, provided a hard freeze (28°F or colder) isn’t common in your area.
- In colder regions (Zone 7 or colder), dig up gladioli corms once the foliage has faded after the first fall frost. A light frost will kill the foliage but not the rest of the plant. Be sure to dig up the gladiolus corms before a hard freeze (28°F), or the plants could be fatally damaged.
- All that said, many gardeners who live in the “border” Zones 6 and 7 have tried leaving them glads in the ground and found that they survived; this is a judgment call based on your microclimate, your variety of gladiolus, and climate shifts.
Digging Up and Storing Gladioli Corms
To dig up the gladioli corms for winter storage, follow these tips:
- Use a spade and dig up the entire plant, grasping the top to pull it out of the soil. Avoid bruising or injuring corms while digging. Shake off all loose soil (do not wash them off) and discard damaged corms. Cut the stalk down to 1 to 2 inches above the corm. Save the small cormels separately if you so desire. These will bloom in 2 to 3 years if you replant them each spring.
- Allow the corms to dry in the sun for 1 or 2 days if the weather agrees. Sift out excess soil and place corms in wooden flats or trays. Cure in a warm and airy location for 2 to 3 weeks. Remove and throw away the oldest bottom corms (from the base of the new ones).
- Don’t remove the husks on the corms.
- Dust the corms with a fungicide (“bulb dust”) to avoid disease problems. Place dust and bulbs in a paper bag and shake vigorously.
- Store the corms in paper or cloth bags, pantyhose, or old onion sacks. Stack or hang the containers so air can move among them. Store the corms at 35° to 45°F (2° to 7°C) in low humidity. A cool basement is quite suitable. Do not allow corms to freeze.
- Replant these corms in the spring for another year of beautiful blooms.
Learn more tips for storing gladiolus through the winter.
Types
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’ has deep purple-red blooms
- ‘Candyman’ for its beautiful, deep pink flowers
- ‘Costa’ sports ruffled flowers in blue-purple
- ‘Dream’s End’ 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’ has yellow flowers edged with red
- ‘Green Time’ for its unusual lime-green flowers
- ‘Prins Claus’ has white flowers with splashes of pink on its petals
- ‘Priscilla’ produces off-white flowers with a yellow center and a pink edge
Harvesting
To cut glads for bouquets, follow these tips:
- Cut the flower stalks early in the morning or at night, not during the heat of the day.
- Use a sharp knife and bring a bucket of lukewarm water to the flower bed; cut diagonally through the stalks and place in the bucket.
- Cut stalks with only one or two open flowers. The rest of the buds will open after you put them in a vase. Leave at least four leaves on the plant in the ground if you want to reuse the corms.
- Place the bucket with the flowers in a cool dark place for a few hours before arranging them in a vase.
- Remove lower fading flowers and cut about 1 inch off the bottom of each flower stalk every few days.
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I've been growing glads for years and have had nothing less than the usual pests(white flies, tiny catepillars), but this year some kind a pest bit the flower at the tiny stem portion of the flower, and the flowers were left behind in the dirt. This happened with one flower at first, and then the next day about 5 more flowers were gone, eventually all flowers were gone, including buds! The leaves were bent and I saw tiny scratch marks(like a cat's claws) on them. I sprayed the plant and what was left of the buds, but they all vanished. This particular glad had twins and the pest was able to chew the stems, so the twins vanished, too.
My garden is fenced with bamboo and each plant has mini-wire mesh circular fortress around the bottom to prevent chewing of leaves at the base(a method learned from past damage). Never saw any catepillars or larvae in the dirt. We have squirrels, gophers and mice; no deer. I found ants the first day, sprayed them and never saw them again. Squirrels are too heavy to climb the stem without noticeable damage, so I omitted them from being the possible pests; the main stem is very tall(5 feet+), and the highest stolen bud was on the very thin green tip of the stem. I thought mice might be too heavy, as well...but they are my best guess! I read somewhere to place foil discs around the stems, so I've done that for my last 2 glads that are flowering. The green leaf structures holding the buds and flowers were somewhat frayed. Have you heard of mice climbing glads and eating them all the way to the top? Are there any other pests that might do this type of damage?
Hmm. We're stumped! Rabbits can sometimes clip flowers or buds off and just leave them, but at 5 feet, that's unlikely without bending the plant; they normally feed up to about 2 feet high. Do you think it might be a bird? We haven't come across any gladiolus pest that would do this at that height (without major damage). Voles aren't good climbers, but can sometimes climb trees a tiny bit if there are low-hanging branches. Mice are good climbers, but their damage in the garden is usually just a few inches aboveground or belowground (although, there are some mice, such as the harvest mouse in England, that can use their tail to help climb tall stems of plants such as cereal grains or reeds). Squirrels can do the damage you describe--do you think a young squirrel, or, if they are in your area, a smaller type of squirrel such as a red squirrel, would be able to climb the gladiolus without bending it too much? Are there chipmunks in your area? Perhaps you can call your county's Cooperative Extension (if you are in the United States); they would know what pests are likely in your area, and perhaps can suggest some possibilities. For contact information, see: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services Good luck!
I live in Indianapolis, Indiana. How do I know what "zone" I live in?
Use our search above and type in Plant Hardiness Zones.
I live in zone 6(b) and have an established glad bed. I want to move them to another garden area. When is the best time to move them and what else should I consider?
In zone 6, glads are not winter-hardy, so you'll need to dig them up as described on this page and replant in the spring.
I live in zone 5 (I think, east-central Iowa). This year is the 4th blooming season for my glads. The first year, a friend told me when I planted them that before the first frost to cut the stalks and dig them up for winter storage. I forgot, then it snowed and I just left them in the ground, well covered with the seasons mulch. The next summer, to my surprise, the glads poked out of the ground and grew big and strong and bloomed beatifully (though I didnt realize until now to keep them blooming to oull out the dead petals)!! Since then, I do nothing with the glads in the fall, just let them go naturally. In the spring I gently remove dead stalks, and watch again as my glads grow strong and beautifully!! Is it possible that because I have the glads planted on the south side of my house they do so well? Also, when I originally planted them, I didnt realize their height and planted in haphazard way. When is the best time to move them into a better formation, if you will, such as closer to the house as a backdrop for my other flower (day lilies and tiger lilies)? Thanks for your response!!
My daughter-in-law planted Glads in NE PA (zone 4-5) a few years ago and has never dug them They are blooming beautifully. They burn wood in the basement and the glads are planted on the other side of the wall. It is also a W exposure. Crazy I know but it is working. She asked me when would be the best time to split the bulbs. I gave up on glads years ago and so am no help. Any suggestions?
It is possible that the south side of the house has created a microclimate that is warm enough for them to survive the winter. Also, you might have a variety that is a little more cold tolerant than others. You might add some winter protection, such as a thick layer of straw in fall, just in case, if you prefer not to dig them up for winter storage. As to when to transplant, the best time is in early spring.
I planted last year. Noticed a growing bloom. Then I noticed that something had eaten the tops off. I have deers and rabbits in my back yard. How can I keep them away ? I would love to see the finished product of planting my gladiolus.
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