Growing gladioli
Attractive gladioli often decorate the flower beds of gardeners. And this is not surprising, because they look attractive both in a flower garden and in a bouquet. In addition, the crops are unpretentious and the cultivation of gladioli does not take much time and effort. It is enough to provide the plants with comfortable conditions, and they will respond with friendly and beautiful flowering.
These flowers are very light-loving, so for them it is worth choosing the most illuminated area, protected from gusts of wind. The soil should be well-drained. It is allowed to plant flowers on a small hill or at an angle to the south. Then the excess water will drain down. Plants prefer light black soil, but you can plant them in sandy loam or loam.
To grow gladioli, choose varieties adapted to your climatic conditions
It is not recommended to plant flowers in the same place for more than 2 years in a row. In this case, the chance of infection by fungi or pests increases.
Start planting work when the soil warms up to + 10 ° C. Depending on the region, this could be the end of April or the beginning of May. Landing order:
- Dig trenches slightly larger than the diameter of the bulbs.
- Place a layer of scab-treated sawdust on the bottom of the grooves.
- Place the bulbs, keeping a 15 cm distance between the large tubers. Reduce the distance between small ones to 7-8 cm.
- Dig in the flowers with moistened soil. Embed large bulbs by 10-15 cm, small ones by 8-10 cm.
- Mulch the soil with a layer of peat.
To make the corms sprout faster, cover them with foil. As a rule, greens appear already in the second week after planting. As soon as this happens, disassemble the greenhouse.
Growing and caring for gladioli
Cultures are pretty unpretentious. But in order to achieve a beautiful and friendly flowering, it is necessary to provide them with comfortable conditions. Care rules:
- Watering. Moisten the flower bed once a week, preferably in the morning or evening. Try to keep moisture away from the leaves of the flowers. In hot weather, increase watering to once every 3-4 days.
- Loosening and weeding. Carry out similar activities after each watering. This will improve air access to the roots and protect the plants from weeds.
- Top dressing. Fertilize gladioli several times per season. Carry out the first feeding with nitrogen fertilizers after the formation of 2-3 leaves. The second is for plants with 5-6 leaves. Use compound fertilizers this time. During the formation of peduncles, feed the cultures with phosphorus-potassium preparations.
A novice gardener can also grow attractive gladioli on his site. The main thing is to adhere to the basic rules of planting and caring for plants.