Why do gladioli change color: causes and effects of diseases on color

Why do gladioli gradually change color? This question worries many flower growers who grow this royal flower. If the reproduction of the plant took place by seeds, then everything could be attributed to cross-pollination. But many gardeners breed gladioli with bulbs, and they must fully transfer the properties of the mother plant. What happens to the color scheme?

Possible reasons why gladiolus changes color

Strange as it sounds, various diseases can be the causes of the change in the color of gladioli. Scientists came to this conclusion after research.

Fusariosis

Fusariosis is perhaps the most dangerous fungal disease of gladioli. It can be identified by the characteristic brown spots on the bulb. If such material is planted, then with a high probability it will not rise. Otherwise, the seedlings will bloom, after which they will dry out. The leaves on a diseased plant wither immediately. When an infected gladiolus bulb is placed in storage, the fungus disperses spores onto he althy seed.

Sclerotinia

This disease is popularly called black rot. It spreads well in acidic and dense soil, especially in cold rainy weather. The first sign of damage to the gladiolus is the turning brown foliage, after which the stem rots and falls off. On the affected plant, black areas are considered - agglomerations of fungi. The roots of the bulb change color to brown, after which they rot. Brown or dark brown spots are also visible on the planting material.There is no cure for this disease. Gradually, it is transferred to the formed child corms.

Botrythiosis

Flower growers call this disease gray rot. Its spread is facilitated by damp and cold weather. It is during this period that fungal spores are carried by wind and raindrops from affected gladioli to he althy ones.

Characteristic signs of the disease:

Red spots appear on the leaves of flowering plants.
Flowers lose their decorative appearance, stems and corms begin to rot.
When digging, the bottom of the bulb breaks or becomes soft.

Such planting material is subject to destruction. However, it is possible to collect he althy children from it without signs of illness.

Septoria

Septoria is very similar in appearance to other fungal diseases. The spread of the disease is determined by the characteristic spots on the leaves, then the stem is affected. Gladiolus can no longer be cured. Affected bulbs must be destroyed.

Timely preventive measures are very effective in this case.

Bacterial scab

Pathogenic bacteria get on the bulbs of gladioli from the ground. Scab is characterized by erosion on the body of the planting material, but on the ground part of the flower, any changes are hardly noticeable. At the very soil on the leaves, you can see brown spots, which, without preventive and protective treatments, grow and destroy the flower.

Cancer

Root cancer is no less troublesome than fungi.Malicious bacteria invade the program of cells that are responsible for the formation of children. After digging, diseased bulbs with watery neoplasms can be easily seen. The disease cannot be treated, so it is necessary to carry out prevention in time, get rid of nematodes.

Mosaic

Mosaic began to spread strongly only in recent years. Gardeners consider it a real misfortune. A characteristic symptom of the disease is the alternation of light and dark spots on the leaves, which subsequently spread to the flowers. The disease negatively affects not only the decorative qualities of the gladiolus, but also its growth. Flowers not only change color, but also become smaller, give fewer buds. At the same time, the bulb looks he althy on the outside. Timely preventive and protective treatments are needed.

Do gladioli pollinate?

It is believed that gladioli are not able to pollinate. Why? Because only breeders propagate them with seeds in order to obtain new varieties.

And when breeding with bulbs, the characteristics of the mother flower are completely transferred to the cub.

Different varieties

Over-pollination of gladiolus in private gardens is not threatened, but still they are recommended to be planted by varieties, in groups. They do this in order not to confuse the bulbs during storage and dig them out separately. After all, only the best and he althiest planting material will subsequently be selected, the rest will go to waste. As a result of such actions, only a couple of the most hardy and strong varieties remain in the garden. As a rule, they have low decorative qualities. The owner, on the other hand, has the impression that the flowers have pollinated and become all the same color.

Growing side by side

When several varieties of gladioli are planted nearby, their cross-pollination is mandatory. But in order to observe the result obtained, you must first collect seeds from a flower, then grow corms from them, and only then they will delight the owner with a new unexpected riot of colors.This is a long and laborious process, so most gardeners propagate gladioli by separating bulbous children. With this method, no cross-pollination of flowers is scary, even if many varieties with different characteristics are grown nearby.

Gladiolus are beautiful and majestic plants. Their color scheme is simply amazing. In order for them to please the eye of the owner for a long period of time and not change the withered varietal characteristics, plants must be properly looked after, prevented from diseases and pests, and ensure that the bulbs of cultivated varieties do not mix with each other during storage. Do not worry that your favorite flower will be cross-pollinated from other gladioli, if the gardener does not use the seed method of reproduction and is not fond of selection.