Gladioli after flowering: how to care and what to do next?

Gladioli are magical flowers that we are so used to in the fall. It is with them that schoolchildren often rush to the Day of Knowledge. And for many inexperienced flower growers, it remains a mystery what to do with these plants after they have faded. In fact, it is necessary to carry out a set of activities, which ones, we will describe in our article.

The flowering period of gladioli directly depends on the variety. In addition, the planting time is of great importance, as well as the peculiarities of the climate in a certain area. Early varieties delight gardeners with bright and beautiful flowers towards the end of July. Late August and early September are mid-early to mid-late flowering times. Finally, the late varieties are completely autumnal and produce flower stalks in September and October.

The flowering period very much depends on how early the gladioli were planted. If this procedure is carried out too late, the gardener may not wait for flowers in this season. In addition, weather conditions are of great importance. In some cases, it will take a lot of effort. However, how to care for gladioli after flowering is absolutely independent of its timing. The set of measures is the same in all cases.

Gladioli are most often grown outdoors in a garden or country house. After they have faded, the grower needs to decide what to do next. The plants will have to be tended before the bulbs are harvested. After the flowers themselves fall, the peduncles do not look too neat and tidy. Cutting off the stems is the right solution. Their height should be a maximum of 30 centimeters from ground level. After the procedure, the area will look more well-groomed. It will also help prepare the bulbs themselves for winter.

It is not difficult to cut the peduncle correctly for the winter. However, a certain scheme should still be followed. First of all, you need to cut off the flowering shoot. A sharp knife or pruner should be used. This is done in the evening, because at night, when it is cool outside, the cut will tighten better. The stump from the peduncle should be about 4 centimeters. Leaves are cut to one level. If we are talking about large-flowered varieties, it should be at least 20 centimeters. In the case of miniature varieties, it is enough to leave 10 centimeters.

With the onset of autumn, watering is required only for late-flowering varieties of gladioli. It is held when the weather is warm and sunny. Water must be warmed up and defended in advance. For 1 square meter, 2 buckets are enough, perhaps a little less. You need to saturate the ground by a quarter of a meter. In addition to watering, you will need to loosen the ground at the same time. Weeds are also removed, and gladioli are earthed. However, after mid-September, watering stops, and the plants begin to prepare for winter.

After the flower stalks and foliage are cut, the plant throws all its strength into the formation of the bulb.For to get the maximum amount of nutrients, the stem height should be more than 20 centimeters... Top dressing is carried out at the very beginning of September. At the same time, it serves as a disinfection. Gardeners recommend using potassium permanganate. For 1 square meter of land, 5 grams of the composition dissolved in a bucket of water will be enough.

Besides, in the autumn, it is necessary to prepare the site itself, where the flower garden will be located in the spring... To begin with, weeds are removed, after which the soil is dug up. It will need to be deoxidized, for this it is enough to add peat with sand or lime or dolomite flour. If the soil is sandy, the sand is replaced with humus. Fresh manure should be discarded, as it can cause the spread of the fungus. In the fall, fertilizers based on potassium and phosphorus should be applied to the soil.

An important point is tillage. It becomes the prevention of various diseases. You need to pay attention to the timely removal of weeds and digging. Loosening improves air access to the roots. For in order to disinfect the soil in the fall, during digging, it should be watered with a 2% solution of copper sulfate... You can replace it with Tiazon. Before planting flowers, the soil should be watered with Fitosporin solution. Potassium permanganate does not hurt either. After that, sand is added to the grooves, and tubers are already planted on it. They should also be sprinkled with sand first and only after that with soil.

You can dig up the bulbs already 21 days after the flower stalks have been cut. However, it is best to take your time and start the procedure in 4-6 weeks. This is not difficult for early flowering varieties. As for late-flowering varieties, you should focus on climatic conditions. This period allows both the new bulb and the babies to fully form. Most often, digging is done towards the end of September. This is true for most regions of our country. It is better to refuse to use a shovel, forks are much more suitable. The procedure should be carried out in dry weather.

I must say that the children are not attached to the bulb too securely. In this regard, the digging should be done very carefully so that they do not remain in the garden. Children are able to quite comfortably survive the winter in the open field, and as early as next year to climb in the most unexpected places. It is required to get the onion together with a clod of earth, and then gently shake it off over any container. Most often, there are quite a lot of children on it. The stem is cut almost completely; it is permissible to leave only 1 centimeter.

After the bulbs have been dug up, they should be prepared for storage. First of all, a visual inspection is carried out. In the course of it, it becomes clear whether the tubers are finally ripe. Ripening gives a darkening of the scales of the bulb. In this case, the babies are very easily separated. Care for both tubers and children is the same. Florists note that in the case when rainy weather prevails, brownish spots may appear on the leaves. This is a signal for earlier digging. If you ignore this fact, the bulbs can be attacked by rot or botrytis. A pitchfork is used for the procedure. They protect the bulbs from damage. The tubers are taken with the soil and cleaned by hand. Inspection is carried out and damaged copies are necessarily thrown away. These include those who did not have time to mature, too small, as well as those that are affected by diseases and pests.

As for drying, the bulbs are laid out exclusively in the shade. In the sun, they are able to wither quickly enough. The most comfortable room temperature. The bulbs are dried for at least 14 days, after which they are laid out for storage and kept in a cool dry place. The storage temperature should be maximum +5 degrees. You should also take care of low humidity, otherwise the tubers may begin to germinate ahead of time.

If you leave gladioli in the soil all winter, they can freeze. Therefore, you should definitely dig them out. Experts recommend carrying out the procedure no earlier than 3 weeks after the plant has faded. It is better to postpone the process altogether, then there will be more time for ripening. Florists advise replacing the shovel with a pitchfork. In addition, there is an opinion that it is necessary to dig up gladioli after the potatoes have been harvested, but even before the cabbage is removed.

Leaves and stems are recommended to be cut from flowers that are still in the open field. The fact is that when removed from it, it is quite easy to damage them. If the digging is carried out inaccurately, there is a risk of losing children. When children are not needed, they should also be removed from the ground so that the next year they do not interfere with the planted crops and do not oppress them. If the stem is broken off rather than cut off, there is a serious risk of damaging the bulb. Therefore, this is strongly discouraged. For the roots to separate better, you should wait 5-7 days. It is best to store bulbs in materials that breathe. This can be, for example, dry straw, laid out in a cardboard box or a wooden box. Storing the bulbs in the refrigerator is not the worst option. To do this, you can select the bottom shelf or a separate drawer.

Florists say that caring for gladioli after they have faded is not so difficult. Summing up, it can be noted that the main activities are timely pruning of flower stalks, feeding, ensuring the ripening of the bulb, digging, inspection, cleaning, processing and drying. Correct storage organization is also an important point. The implementation of these simple measures will allow you to get healthy planting material. Already next season, the garden will be decorated with bright and beautiful flowers that will delight the eye.

For information on how to properly care for gladioli after flowering, see the next video.