Gladioli are bulbous plants that cannot be classified as finicky to care for. There are many varieties of this flower, and before planting in open ground in the spring, you need to choose the right time, taking into account temperature indicators. Depending on the growing region, weather conditions are different, which is why there are differences in when to plant flowers. Also, experienced gardeners pay attention to unfavorable and favorable days for gladioli according to the lunar calendar in 2021.
Calculating landing dates
It is not difficult to prepare gladioli for planting in the spring, but you need to correctly determine the period when to plant them in the ground. Depending on regional climatic conditions and the type of flowers, you can control the frequency of flowering and provide your area with beautiful bouquets for a long time. In general, varieties of gladioli, according to the period of appearance of buds from the moment of planting, are divided into the following:
- very early – 60-65 days;
- early – 68-74 days;
- average – 75-80 days;
- medium-late – 82-90 days;
- late – 91-100 days.
Depending on the target flowering planning or the region of location, it is worth noting those varieties that bloom early - they can be planted later than others. If you draw up a schedule and frequency correctly, you can also plant gladioli in the northern part of Russia. In cold regions, you can choose plants with early planting or use the seedling method.
The seedling method of planting gladioli in the spring season involves keeping the plants in containers until the onset of a warm period. These bulbous flowers tolerate transplanting well from a pot into open ground, which is what many gardeners use.
Prevention of diseases and pests
The gardener carries out the first preventive measure at the stage of preparing gladioli bulbs for planting, i.e. Soaking in a manganese solution helps destroy pathogenic microbes.
And in order to prevent flowers from suffering from pest invasion and becoming infected, a number of preventive measures should be taken.
- Crop rotation is the main condition for growing healthy flowers. Over the course of a season, pathogenic microflora accumulate in the soil, the soil is depleted, which will certainly affect the quality of plants in the next season.
- If diseased gladioli are discovered, it is necessary to immediately remove the damaged specimen from the garden bed along with a lump of earth and destroy it.
- A desirable procedure for protecting plants from diseases is to spray healthy flowers with herbal infusions (yarrow, calendula, marigold) or a solution of potassium permanganate.
- Carry out preventive spraying of gladioli with a solution of copper oxychloride or copper sulfate (20 g per 10 liters of water).
- Maintain optimal planting times. Bulbs placed in unheated soil may be susceptible to rot.
- Sanitary cleanliness of the beds with gladioli, regular loosening, removal of weeds and maintaining good ventilation of the plantings will contribute to the cultivation of healthy and beautiful gladioli.
Favorable days for planting gladioli according to the lunar calendar in 2021
In order for the bulbous flowers on the site to develop normally and delight with abundant flowering, it is recommended to plant gladioli in open ground in the spring of 2021 according to the lunar calendar. The best time for planting vegetation outside occurs only during certain phases of the moon - this is due to changes in gravity and general pressure at different positions of the satellite. To determine planting days for gladiolus bulbs, periods for feeding and other manipulations according to the lunar calendar, you can use the data given in the table.
| Manipulation | March | April | May |
| Preparation of planting material | 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13, 17, 18, 22 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 15, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31 |
| Planting bulbous plants and flowers | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 22, 23, 27, 28 | 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 18, 19, 24, 28, 29 | 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 20, 25, 26, 30, 31 |
| Vegetation cuttings | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 22, 23, 27, 28 | 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 24, 25, 28, 29 | 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31 |
| Loosening the soil and weeding | 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 11-16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30 | 1, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
| Days of watering and preventive treatment against pests | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
| Disease and pest control | 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30 | 1, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
| Application of mineral fertilizers | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 | 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
| Application of organic fertilizers | 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23 | 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 | 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 |
Features of growing gladioli in open ground in the Moscow region
The biological cycle of a fully formed gladiolus bulb is 1-3 years, then the plant forms a replacement. Throughout the season, tubers form at the bottom; they can be very small or up to 1.5 cm in diameter. Their number depends on the variety. On average, a plant forms 5-15 pieces. There are varieties with intensive growth of children up to 25 pieces or more.
The weather conditions of the Moscow region do not allow leaving the underground part of the plant in the ground for the winter. Therefore, gladioli are dug up and stored in the basement or refrigerator. The tubers are separated in the spring before being placed in the ground.
The most viable material is selected from the total mass. If there are few children, then they all use it. Small ones are planted separately for growing. After 3 years it will be a full-fledged crop, producing a peduncle.
Every autumn in the Moscow region, bulbs are dug up, then specimens that meet certain standards are left for propagation:
- 1st grade – 3.0-3.5 cm;
- second-rate - 2.5-3.2 cm;
- the smallest acceptable is 1.5-2.5 cm.
Important! The strongest gladioli with full flowering are obtained from grade 1 and 2 material.
In the Moscow region with short summers, it is not recommended to use third-rate material, since the plant will not reach the required size during the growing season.
Dependence of term on region
Planting gladioli according to the lunar calendar does not imply performing work during the cold period. The climate zone must also be taken into account when choosing favorable days. When planting plants early, when the soil temperature does not yet exceed +8ºC, there is a risk of rotting. Depending on the regional location, the planting period should begin at different times:
- In central Russia (Moscow region, Smolensk region, south of Leningrad, Pskov regions), the best time for planting bulbs is in April-May. Minor frosts during this period will not harm gladioli in the ground, but many gardeners recommend additionally covering the growing area.
- In the southern part of Russia, when spring comes, you can safely plant gladiolus bulbs in the ground in early April. It is not recommended to delay planting plants - rapid warming leads to rapid drying of the soil, which will have a negative impact.
- In the Urals and Siberia, it is recommended to select days from the end of May to the beginning of June, but be sure to check the weather forecast before starting work. If there is rain or frost, it is better to postpone the planting of gladiolus bulbs to a later period - rotting is possible.
If, according to forecasts, return frosts are possible, but there is no longer time to delay the time of planting, then you can additionally protect the vegetation from excess moisture in the soil. To do this, it is recommended to raise the beds above the general level and pour a layer of sand into each hole, under flowering plants. Additional covering material will also help improve the situation.
How to plant gladioli so they don't fall
Gladioli are quite tall flowers and it is often difficult for them to stay upright.
Gladioli grow crookedly and fall due to improper planting technology. For example, large bulbs are buried close to the surface. Or plant corms of different diameters nearby. As a result, small nodules grow poorly because they lack nutrients.
Equally important is the even position of the bulb in the hole. Place them carefully so that the sprout faces straight up.
Also, the factor of soil and planting site cannot be ignored. Gladioli do not like wetlands or shade. This negatively affects their decorative effect.
Planting by seeds
When growing gladioli, seeds are sown in February-March. Initially, the seed is treated with Epin or Heteroauxin. The soil is prepared from sand, humus, and garden soil. The components are taken in equal quantities. The seeds are placed on moist soil.
Successful days for sowing can be selected in accordance with the gardener's calendar.
| Month | Favorable numbers for sowing seeds |
| January | 8-14, 21-23 |
| February | 13-15, 19-21 |
| March | 14-16 |
| April | 3-7, 12, 16-18, 26-28 |
Sowing seeds for seedlings in Siberia and other northern regions is possible only at home. But in the south of the country you can sow directly in open ground so as not to injure the delicate roots.
In order for the culture to germinate quickly, they are placed in a bright, warm room. Lighting should be diffused for at least 14 hours. First you will need additional lighting.
When it becomes warm outside, the seedlings are placed in fresh air in a pot or planted in a permanent place. In the fall, small bulbs are harvested and stored.
Growing by seedlings
To obtain beautiful flowering at the right time, seedling cultivation is often used. It is advisable to initially use separate cups so that when picking and moving to a permanent place to grow, it is not necessary to separate the root system of the plants. This procedure can significantly weaken the flower; it will take longer to take root in the new location.
Choose illuminated window sills for gladiolus babies. With a lack of light, the sprouts will be weak. If weather conditions do not allow planting flowers to produce flowers early, then the seedling method is used. For example, in the Moscow region, you can plant gladioli for seedlings in 2021 according to the lunar calendar approximately in the middle of spring (the last days of March or the first ten days of April). In the spring, gladioli can be transplanted into open ground after the temperature has stabilized, when the likelihood of frost is minimal.
Propagation by bulbs
This method is proven and simple. Corms must be healthy, without signs of rot. The bulbs are prepared 2-3 weeks in advance. First, the old scales are removed. The bulbs are soaked in a disinfecting solution. You can use solutions of potassium permanganate or the drug Maxim.
After processing, the tubers are placed in the sun for the appearance of young shoots. Plant in trenches or separate holes to a depth of 5-8 cm. Leave 25-40 cm between tubers.
One bulb provides beautiful flowers for 4-5 years. The update is being carried out gradually. For such purposes, children are used that are formed at the base of the adult bulb. They grow children in the garden, just like adult flowers, or in a pot all season. A small onion is not buried completely in the ground, but pressed a little.
How to prepare, divide, clean and what to soak gladioli bulbs in before germination?
Having taken the flower bulbs out of the cool place in which they were stored, you need to immediately start processing them.
- Earlier we talked about the fact that all corms must be cleared of scales. It is necessary to do this, because various parasites and pests can live in them. To clean the children, you need to take them in your hands, lightly press the film, and then pry it with your fingernail and remove it. Clean them immediately before planting.
- It is not at all necessary to divide the bulbs, but almost all gardeners do this. To do this, you need to take the onion that has 2 growth buds and divide it into 2 parts. Treat the cut area with ash or coal.
Before planting, it is important to prepare the bulbs
- An important step in preparing gladioli is soaking them. To do this, you need to place all the bulbs in garlic infusion. Prepare the infusion as follows: peel and grate 270 g of garlic, then pour 10 liters of water into the vegetable. We place not only adult bulbs in this liquid, but also children, and wait a couple of hours. Garlic disinfects gladioli and affects various pests.
- If the option with garlic does not suit you for some reason, use solutions of potassium permanganate and karbofos. First you need to carry out the procedure with a solution of potassium permanganate. To do this, dissolve 1 g of the product in 10 liters of water and dip the onions in the resulting liquid for half an hour. Afterwards, dissolve 25 g of karbofos in 10 liters of water, and put the plants in this solution for half an hour.
- After all such manipulations, you can treat the crop with means that will accelerate its growth. To do this, add 1 tablet of heteroauxin, 1 g of sodium humate and 1 g of succinic acid to 10 liters of water. Plants must spend at least 8 hours in this liquid.
Planting gladioli in spring
Gladioli are a heat-loving crop that originates from the Mediterranean and African countries. Therefore, this perennial needs to be dug up in the fall and planted again in the spring. It is better to choose a well-lit place for growing bulbous plants. But, in the summer season in the southern regions of Russia, the beds with gladioli should be slightly shaded and provided with frequent watering.
Soil preparation
To plant a heat-loving flower crop, you need a complete nutrient soil - sandy loam and loam are better. If the soil cover on the site is of a different type, then it must first be prepared for growing gladioli. The normal acidity of the soil mixture for flower development is 6.5-6.8 pH. To determine, you can buy a test strip at a garden store. If this indicator is exceeded, then when digging up the soil it is recommended to mix in 150-200 g per square meter of a mixture of the following components:
- dolomite flour;
- slaked lime;
- eggshell.
If there is an excess of clay in the soil on a site, it is recommended to lighten it by adding sand, and add humus in the fall. Also, to prepare the soil for planting gladioli, you can add 15 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium sulfate per 1 m² in the autumn season. Immediately before planting gladioli in prepared holes on the site, it is additionally advised to add wood ash under each plant. You should not overuse natural fertilizers, especially with fresh humus. Gladioli, with an abundance of nutrients, delay flowering and increase green mass.
Correct fit
The prepared planting material, after pre-treatment, can be planted in the ground. But, for the normal development of gladioli, you need to correctly place individual plants in the flowerbed. The distance between the holes, when planted in rows, will be no more than 10 cm - this value is tied to the size of each onion. It is recommended to maintain the width between the beds at about 25 cm. The planting depth of gladioli varies - it depends on the size:
- children – 2-2.5 cm;
- medium – 4-5 cm;
- large – 7-8 cm.
When planting gladiolus bulbs in furrows, you must also adhere to the norms for the distance between individual plants. If the planting is too dense, the flower stalks will be cramped. The normal distance for varieties of this bulbous plant with large buds will be about 15-20 cm. When the gladioli bulbs are already laid in the ground, you can bury and mulch the surface with a peat mixture. Many experienced flower growers believe that when gladiolus develops a powerful peduncle, the standard rate of planting bulbs in the ground is insufficient - it is better to immerse them 15-20 cm underground.
What to do with gladioli babies in the fall?
The only thing we can say for sure is that you definitely shouldn’t throw them away.
- Having dug up the plant bulbs and cleared them of soil, we leave them to dry
- After this, it is necessary to separate the children from the main bulb. To do this, you need to carefully unscrew them.
- Adult and baby bulbs should be stored separately.
Gladioli babies
- In this case, the children need to be folded into paper and then into cardboard boxes.
- The best places to store them are in a cellar, balcony, or refrigerator.
- The temperature in the room where children are kept should be about +5 degrees
Gladioli care
Caring for a gladioli flower garden consists of regular moderate watering with cold water and timely tying the plants to supports.
If no fertilizers were applied to the soil during planting, starting from the budding period, the gladiolus is fed with solutions of complex mineral fertilizers. The frequency of feeding is once every 2 weeks.
Peduncles with faded buds are removed from plants so that the flower does not waste energy on producing seeds. If a flower shoot has grown on a planted baby, it is immediately removed, not allowing it to bloom.
Experienced gardeners advise regularly inspecting the flower garden for pests or diseases in order to begin treatment on time.
Watering and fertilizing mode
To grow beautiful gladioli on your site, you need proper planting care, which includes timely weeding, loosening the soil, watering and fertilizers. Before the first shoots appear after planting in the ground, there is no need to pay much attention to the plant. This period usually takes up to 14 days. Gladioli should be watered frequently and abundantly - the soil should be saturated with moisture by 2-3 cm. The frequency of the procedure is once every 5-6 days.
If the soil was fertilized last autumn season, then additional feeding of bulbous plants is not necessary. Otherwise, nutritional components must be added throughout the entire period of development and flowering of gladioli. To do this, it is recommended to use products containing high concentrations of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. By autumn, it is better to remove nitrogen from the fertilizer mixture.
Cleaning and storage
It is important not only to plant flowers on time, but also to properly store flowers. If you dig flowers out of the ground early for the winter, then the next flower may not appear, since the bulb will not ripen. If you keep them in the soil, the gladioli may disappear completely, since they will not be able to withstand strong temperature changes.
Dig out the bulbs after growth has completely stopped. The ground part should turn completely yellow. On average, it has been established that you need to dig up gladioli for the winter approximately 30-40 days after the last flowering. But a lot depends on the weather, place of germination and variety. First, the early species (with red, pink, purple) are removed, and only then the late-ripening ones. If the flowers have not bloomed, they are removed later.
Cleaning times in different areas
In the southern regions, there is practically no temperature below zero, so the bulbs can be left in the ground until spring. Simply cut off the top part and cover the beds with hay.
In areas with a cold climate (Ural, Siberia), flowers are harvested even if they are not ripe. They dig it up along with a lump of earth and send it to ripen until May.
In central Russia, where a temperate climate prevails, cleaning begins in mid-September. Initially, the above-ground part is cut off and then dug out using a fork. Do this on a windless, dry day.
Storage rules
Small and large onions are thoroughly dried (for 2-3 weeks) before storing for the winter. Then the planting material is collected and sorted, removing all rotten and damaged specimens. If they have small traces of rot, they are cut off with a knife, treated with an antiseptic, and then dried again.
Healthy dry bulbs are dried for another 1-1.5 months.
For such purposes, wooden boxes are used, covered with newspaper, which will absorb excess moisture. The prepared bulbs are wrapped in dry paper and stored in a cool room. It is recommended to store at home in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator. If you properly prepare the skewer for storage, the bulbs will not lose their germination capacity for 2-3 years. Save and Share:
How to store in winter
The natural dormancy period for gladiolus is 35-40 days, and during this time the corm will not germinate even in the most favorable conditions. But after this period, there is a risk of premature emergence of sprouts, and it’s winter outside! What can be done to prevent gladioli from germinating in winter? How to preserve gladioli until spring? Gladiolus corms should be stored in a room where the temperature is not higher than 5-10 °C and the humidity is approximately 60-70%. To store them better, place several peeled cloves of garlic in a box and inspect the bulbs at least once a month and remove spoiled ones, if any, and also replace old garlic with fresh one at each inspection.
The most ideal place to store corms is a cold basement or cellar with ventilation, and the most convenient container is boxes with a mesh bottom in which air circulates, allowing the corms to breathe.
It is best to keep boxes on racks: this is both convenient and saves space. It is also very good to store corms in bags made from oversized tights.
- Tulip bulbs
If you have to keep gladioli in your apartment in winter and if you have a “no frost” refrigerator, use the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for storage: simply put the corms in airtight containers so that they do not dehydrate during storage. But be sure to wrap them in paper. Closer to spring, the bulbs begin to “breathe”, releasing moisture, then you will need to take them out of the refrigerator, unfold them, dry them, wrap them in another paper and place them in the refrigerator again, but in a cooler place. In relatively warm climatic zones, gladioli can be taken out to an insulated balcony or loggia for the winter by putting the corms in boxes or boxes and placing them on a wooden stand. When it gets cold, you can wrap the boxes with a blanket or an old coat.
If you still have to store the corms indoors, try to arrange them in one layer so that they do not touch each other. The corms, of course, will greatly decrease in volume over the winter and dry out, but if you soak them in a growth stimulator before planting and then take good care of the gladioli in the garden, then it is likely that they will bloom no worse than other gladioli.
