Caring for gladioli after flowering: rules and timing of events, storage

Gladiolus, or skewer is a representative of the genus of perennial flowering herbaceous plants from the Iris family. Their feature is the presence of a corm. In ancient times they were used as food. They were especially popular with warriors, who attributed magical powers to them. Modern flower lovers should remember that proper care of gladioli after flowering is the key to getting he althy plantings next season.

Pre-harvesting activities

Now about 5,000 varieties of gladiolus are known. To prolong the life of varietal flowers, you need to properly care for their corms.

Peduncle cut

Pruning peduncles in gladioli depends on the purpose of their cultivation. If the plant is intended for bouquet cutting, then the peduncle is cut off after the lower flower opens or the three lower buds are colored. In this case, you need to take care of the safety of the leaves, otherwise the bulbs and children will suffer. It is optimal to pierce the peduncle with a knife and break it.

In the event that the skewer is planted to decorate a flower bed or flower stalks remain after the bouquet cut, they are removed after all the buds open and bloom. Do not leave wilted and dried flowers on the plant. This will weaken the bulbs. After flowering, the flower stalks are cut with a clean knife at a distance of 5-6 cm from the ground.

Pruning plants

After the flowers are cut, you can begin to prune the entire plant. To do this, you will need not only a sharp, but also a clean tool.

For pruning, use a pruner or a sharpened knife. The height of the leaves after pruning should not be more than 25-30 cm.

Reduce watering

If during growth and flowering the plant needs to be watered at least once every 10 days, then at the end of summer watering can be reduced to once every two weeks. In rainy weather, additional moisture is not needed. Completely stop watering after flowering.

Late varieties are watered for the last time no later than September 10-15. At the same time, the earth is loosened near the plant.

Feeding

In order for the bulbs to successfully endure the winter, they need to be fed after pruning all the peduncles. For these purposes, you can dilute a tablespoon of superphosphate in 10 liters of water. Pour one glass of wood ash there. This amount is enough for 1 square meter of landings. After two weeks, add 1-2 g of potassium permanganate to the indicated ingredients.With the resulting mixture, carry out another top dressing of flowers.

Flower Processing

In adverse weather, before digging up the bulbs, the flowers are treated with insecticidal preparations. Small sucking insects from the Thrips order are especially dangerous for the gladiolus. They suck juices from stored corms, leading to their complete drying. To avoid this, after the last feeding, the flowers can be treated with any insecticide against thrips.

Terms of digging corms

The time of digging bulbs for early and medium varieties comes in about 30-40, and for late - 40-50 days after cutting the greens. In the middle lane, this can be done from mid-September to mid-October. If the grower is late with pruning, then you need to withstand at least three weeks after it.

Many flower growers focus on harvesting potatoes and late cabbage. They dig corms after harvesting the first, but before harvesting the second crop. It is important not to delay until the time when the average daily temperature drops below -1… -2 degrees.

Digging nuances

It is desirable to start removing the bulbs from the soil in dry weather. The following stages and nuances of this process can be distinguished:

1. Stock up with a pitchfork or bayonet shovel.
2. Stick the tool into the ground at some distance from the intended location of the bulb. The forks can be held straight and the shovel can be held at an angle.
3. Dig the plant from 3-4 sides.
4. Gently press on the handle of the tool, with the other hand remove the bulb from the ground by the remnants of the ground parts.
5. Shake off excess soil with light movements.

Cleaning and storage of gladioli

When harvesting, it is important not to rush and be careful not only not to damage the mother bulb, but also not to lose the babies. After collecting you need:

• cut off ground parts and roots almost completely;
• sort out, remove damaged, rotten specimens;
• separate the kids;
• wash with running water;
• treat with diluted karbofos or other preparation according to the instructions;
• soak for 10 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate;
• put in boxes in one layer;
• put everything in a dry room with a temperature of +25 degrees for three weeks;
• then remove the extra scales;
• sort by size.

After these events, gladioli can be stored. Selected corms should be transferred to clean cardboard or wooden boxes. Move them to a dry basement or cellar. Store at +2…+5 degrees. Several times during the winter, inspect the planting material and remove damaged specimens.

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