Gladiolus Byzantine: planting and care in the open field, flower description

In harsh climatic conditions, people have learned to grow a variety of plants, but representatives of exotic countries can not survive the winter cold. And yet, do not despair. Despite the exotic appearance, some flowers are unpretentious. One of these wonderful plants is the Byzantine gladiolus. An exquisite flower will be appropriate in any garden.

Description of the plant

Graceful representatives of the Byzantinus family rarely grow above 60 cm. In some gardens you can meet giants whose height reaches 120 cm.The exquisite gramophones are decorated with white strokes.

Elegant flowers interspersed with narrow purple buds and collected in groups of 5-8 pieces. The spiky leaves of the Mediterranean guest are collected in a fancy fan. The length of each xiphoid leaf reaches 35 cm. The width of the leaf plate does not exceed 1 cm.

Features of Byzantine gladiolus

Byzantine handsome - unpretentious flower. It can easily withstand temperature extremes in a sharply continental climate. Minor frosts are not terrible for him, so the plant feels good even in the flower beds of the Ural and Siberian gardeners.

Selection and preparation of bulbs before planting

4 weeks before planting, the bulbs are taken out of storage, inspected, damaged and diseased specimens are removed. He althy bulbs have a glossy surface and elasticity. Large specimens with a diameter of 7-8 cm can be cut in half.This must be done carefully so as not to damage the kidneys located on the surface of the bulb. In this way the seed is renewed.

Tubers with minor defects are put in order by cutting out the affected areas. The procedure is conveniently carried out with a sharp knife. Wounds are treated with brilliant green or sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Then the bulbs are freed from the husk. After processing, the seed is laid out on a flat, dry surface. In this case, you need to make sure that the kidneys on the bulbs are located at the top.

The place for sprouting tubers should be warm and protected from direct sunlight. In comfortable conditions, the first shoots will appear in a week. Before planting, the seed must be soaked in a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate or kept for a couple of hours in a 0.3 solution of potassium permanganate.

Special care requires miniature onions - babies growing during the growing season on the surface of a young tuber.Children a month before planting are removed from storage and placed for 2 weeks in a warm place. Then they are laid out on a damp napkin laid on a saucer. Place the dishes in a bag and put them in the refrigerator. After a few days, sprouts will appear on the bulbs. In this form, miniature corms can be planted in the ground.

How to plant a flower?

In order to grow a gladiolus in the open field, it is necessary to plant bulbs in accordance with all the rules of agricultural technology.

Date of planting

Despite the fact that the plant is considered frost-resistant, the flower is not able to withstand extreme cold. Therefore, the autumn planting of gladiolus is possible only in a warm climate. The plant is planted in early October. In this case, the bulbs will have time to take root before the first cold weather. For the winter, the flowerbed is covered with spandbond.

In areas with harsh climatic conditions, gladioli are planted in the spring, after the onset of sustained heat. Usually this time falls on the middle of May. For the normal development of seedlings, it is important that the air temperature does not fall below 10 degrees.

Selection and site preparation

Sunny, well-ventilated area is suitable for planting Byzantines. It is advisable to break the flower garden on a small hill. Gladiolus is picky about lighting and will not fully bloom even in semi-shady places. The plant prefers light, sandy soil. Lime and humus are added to such soil. Clay soil for the Byzantine is heavy, so sand is added to it. Manure is not brought into the planting hole.

The location of the flower bed must be changed annually. This maneuver helps to avoid diseases. Do not plant gladioli in the place of growth of phloxes or asters. These cultures are susceptible to the same diseases. Cucumbers or garlic can be good precursors for Mediterranean beauties.

In the eastern part of the garden, gladioli bloom earlier.

Planting gladioli

2-3 weeks before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil in the garden. For this, 1 sq. m. soil add a couple of handfuls of ash and 15 g of superphosphate. Before planting, the seed is soaked in a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate. Prepared bulbs are placed in the ground. The depth of the hole depends on the size of the corm and the type of soil. If the soil is light, the bulb is planted at a depth of 10-12 cm. In clay soil, the seed cannot be placed at a depth of more than 8 cm. For planting children, a depth of 4-5 cm is sufficient.

A layer of sand is poured at the bottom of each hole. A small layer of sand is poured on top of the planted corms and the remaining space is filled with humus. Gladioli are large plants, so the distance between flowers should be at least 20 cm. The distance between rows is 30 cm.

The main mistakes when planting gladioli:

1. Strong seed penetration. In this case, a large bulb will grow, but you can not wait for flowering.
2. Thickening plantings. Crowded plants interfere with air circulation. In damp, rainy weather, this can lead to a fungal infection.

Features of plant care

Gladioli are demanding to care for. They need to be fed and tied to a support in time. A tall plant can hardly support its own weight and often breaks.

Irrigation Rules

Before the flowering period, it is enough to water gladioli 2 times a week. Flowering plants need to be moistened as the soil dries. Saplings are watered abundantly, because the roots of plants go deep into the ground. With insufficient watering, the leaves and buds of the plant wither.

Loosening and weeding

The soil under gladiolus must be loosened and weeded after each watering. The procedure must be done regularly, otherwise tall handsome men will fade prematurely.

Fertilization

When fertilizing, do not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers. An excess of organic matter can lead to a build-up of green, leafy mass and poor flowering. In addition, excess nitrogen can trigger an outbreak of fungal diseases. If such top dressing is nevertheless introduced, then the food is supplemented with preparations containing copper. Caution should be used when feeding with a high phosphorus content. Experienced gardeners recommend using a mixture of 10 g of ammonium nitrate and the same amount of potassium s alt. To achieve a good result, it is advisable to apply complex fertilizer to the soil.

Feed gladioli 3 times:

1. When 3-4 leaves appear on the plant.
2. In the 5-6 leaf phase.
3. Before flowering.

Feed better in the form of an aqueous solution. So the seedlings will better absorb the nutrients.

Disease and pest control methods

The worst enemies of gladioli are thrips. Small pests are dangerous for plants at any time of the year. During the growing season, thrips destroy the buds, and in winter they pounce on the bulbs. As a result, the tubers lose their elasticity and dry out. Insecticides are used to control diseases. Karbofos or Fitoverm effectively fight pests.

In order to avoid trouble, you need to take care of the protection of planting material in advance. To do this, the corms are soaked in an insecticide solution. The same planting agent is sprayed during the growing season. For a stable result, the procedure is performed twice a month. The final processing is done before digging the bulbs. Often the plant is affected by bacterial scab. In this case, 3% iron sulfate will come to the rescue. Most often, gladiolus is affected by Fusarium. Fungicides will help get rid of the fungus.

Cleaning and storage of Byzantine gladiolus

After the end of the flowering period, the bulbs are dug up. It is better to extract the tubers with a pitchfork - so the planting material can be dug up without damage. The stems of the plants are cut off, leaving a stump 2 cm long. The bulbs are examined, young specimens are separated, laid out on a dry surface and dried for 3-4 weeks.

On young tubers grow miniature bulbs - babies. They are folded separately and dried well. After 3-4 weeks, planting material is stored in a cool place. It is recommended to store tubers in the basement or underground. In a city apartment, bulbs can be stored at the bottom of the refrigerator. Planting material must be wrapped in paper and checked periodically. The main thing is that the bulbs do not freeze and do not get wet.

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