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If the rose is considered the queen of garden flowers, then the gladiolus is, if not a king, then at least a duke. Today, a huge number of varieties of this royal plant are known, ranging from snow-white to velvety-dark, almost black, shade. If you properly plant gladioli and carefully care for them, they will become a real decoration of the garden plot. Today’s article is devoted to the peculiarities of the preparation of gladioli in the conditions of the Urals.
Prepare
Preparation of plants for planting begins in autumn, when corms are dug out of the soil. Store corms of gladioli in the cellar. Gladiolus belongs to the category of perennial plants, but in the harsh conditions of the Urals it is grown according to the same algorithm as annual garden flowers. The main condition for successful planting and further cultivation of gladioli is properly organized storage of material for planting.
About 3 weeks before planting, the corms are reviewed and sorted. To facilitate the germination process, it is necessary to clean the bulb from scales. Tubers with visible signs of disease should be discarded immediately. If the diameter of the tuber exceeds 8 cm, it should be cut without touching the sprouts. This manipulation contributes to the rejuvenation of planting material, since old tubers are prone to degeneration. If you use purchased bulbs, then pay attention to the size of the bottom. The smaller the bottom, the younger the planting material.
In addition to the rejuvenation procedure, it is necessary to clean the mother tuber from the “children”. You need to separate the “kids” with great care so as not to damage the tuber.
How to germinate tubers
A month before planting, the tubers are cleaned of scales and laid out in one layer in boxes. They are placed on the windowsill. A well-lit, dry place makes it possible to obtain good sprouts without roots. Predominantly undamaged tubers germinate. If the lesions are small, they are cut, and the sections are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or brilliant green. Vernalized plants start flowering earlier by two weeks.
To reduce the risk of disease, you need to treat corms with chemical compounds.
- Solutions of Fufanon or Decis – from diseases such as thrips or whitefly. The etching time is 30 minutes.
- Soaking in a 0,7% solution of potassium permanganate or in foundationazole – from bacterial and fungal infections. The duration of soaking is 20 minutes – half an hour.
How to choose a landing site
Planting and caring for gladioli in the Urals requires skill and patience. Gladiolus is beautiful, but rather capricious. In order for luxurious stems to please you with their beauty, you will have to work hard. Gladiolus is a complex culture that requires careful care. First of all, you need to choose the right place for planting tubers. Plants love fertile, well loosened soil and good lighting. If you plant the bulbs in a shaded place, the plant will bloom 1,5-2 weeks later, and sometimes it will not bloom at all.
It is necessary that the area where the plants are planted is well ventilated, otherwise they may get sick. Yes, and planting material with the wrong choice of landing site will turn out to be unsatisfactory. At the same time, strong gusts of wind should not be allowed. A strong wind depresses the plant. In addition, it can cause flower stalks to break off.
The best soil options for gladioli are:
- Chernozems.
- loam
- Supesi.
If we are dealing with clay soils, then they need to be planted at a shallower depth. You can not use the same site for gladioli two years in a row. It will be possible to return back to the same site in at least four years. Gladiolus should not be planted where asters or phlox were planted before, since these plants have approximately the same list of diseases.
During the autumn digging of a site intended for planting gladioli, mineral fertilizers must be applied. Their number, based on a square meter of area, is as follows.
- Superphosphate – 50 years
- Potassium sulfate – 20-30 g.
In addition, humus is used to fertilize the soil. Fertilizers are applied in the spring in the same amount.
The distance between plants during planting is 15-20 cm, between rows – 30 cm. Planting depth is.
- For large tubers – 8-12 cm.
- For heavy soils – 6 -10 cm.
- For light soils – up to 15 cm.
We plant gladioli
It is important to correctly determine the time of planting plants in the ground. The optimal landing depth is 20 cm. In this case, the temperature should be from 8 to 10 degrees. The landing time is from mid-April to early May. Even if frosts occur, they cannot harm the planted bulb. The order of disembarkation is as follows:
- The tubers are planted in the sand.
- They are crushed with wood ash.
- Again a layer of sand.
- The resulting “sandwich” is shed with a weak, slightly warmed solution of potassium permanganate.
- Soil layer.
This creates more favorable conditions for the growth of gladioli even in the most difficult soil conditions. In addition, it is very easy to extract planting material in the fall.
Features of care
Care for plants planted in the soil is as follows:
- Regular watering is required. For flowering plants, enhanced watering is practiced. If you deprive a flowering plant of water, then the flower stalks will simply wither, without pleasing the riot of colors.
- Loosening the soil about 1 time in 10 days and hilling the plants.
- Plant nutrition. A month later, nitrogen fertilizers are applied, per 1 m2 30 g, then another superphosphate with potassium sulfate (25 and 10 g, respectively). Top dressing is stopped in mid-August.
- Regular weeding.
- Timely removal of dried flowers so that they do not draw nutrients onto themselves.
- So that weeds do not grow so intensively, soil mulching helps.
- Tying to a support or hilling to a height of 10 cm. Particular attention should be paid to flower stalks that have deviated from the vertical after rain. Stem saturated with moisture, breaks easily.
- If you cut flowers for a bouquet, you must leave at least four leaves so that the tubers develop normally.
- Timely culling of plants with visible signs of disease.
In general, there is enough care. As befits a self-respecting crowned lady, the gladiolus is capricious, whimsical and simply loves to be unlived, groomed and cherished. The question involuntarily arises: do you need it? To take care of plants almost all year round only to cut them ruthlessly, at least on September 1st? The answer is positive.
- Firstly, without gladioli, the site is boring.
- Secondly, planting these flowers and caring for them is not easy, but insanely interesting.
- Thirdly, if you do everything according to the rules, the result will be simply stunning.
The best varieties for growing in the Urals
The Urals are distinguished by severe winters and cool, humid summers. Unfortunately, not all varieties can tolerate the conditions of a sharply continental climate. Consider the varieties that are best suited for the Urals.
Oscar
An unusually beautiful variety with rich bright red flowers. The flowers are large and triangular in shape. The height of the plant reaches 120 cm. The inflorescence is 50 cm long. The diameter of the blossoming flower is 12-14 cm. The leaves are long, thin, pointed. Peduncles are resistant, but in strong winds it is recommended to tie the plants to supports.
If the summer is dry, the variety requires enhanced watering. Tubers are planted in prepared soil in April. Planting depth is 10-15 cm. To extend the flowering time of gladioli, it is recommended to plant plants in stages, with an interval of 14 days.
After digging, the tubers are dried in a room for several days, and then transferred to the basement, where they are stored until spring. It is important that the room for storing planting material is cool, but does not freeze.
Washington
Cold-resistant plant with unusually beautiful, pinkish flowers. The conditions for growing and caring for these gladioli are the same as for the Oscar variety.
Black Magic
A magnificent plant with ruby-red flowers, like fine wine. The diameter of the blossoming flower is 15 cm. The height of the plant is 100 cm.
Tiled
Perennial undersized plant, whose height is 40-70 cm. Gladiolus flowers are bluish-purple in color. It is used not only as a garden plant, but also as a medicinal plant. The infusion is used for allergic reactions, nephrolithiasis, and also as a wound healing and vitamin remedy.
Byzantine
A low-growing plant with a stem height of 45-60 cm. The width of the flowers is 5-6 cm. The flowers have a purple or crimson hue, with a white stripe in the center. Gladiolus “Byzantine” refers to winter-hardy varieties. Plants are quite unpretentious, grow on a variety of cultivated soils, but most of all they love sandy loam with organic fertilizers. When planting in clay soil, sand should be added to the hole.
Cardinal
The height of the plant is about 90 cm. The length of the inflorescence is 54 cm, with 14 large flowers of a light cherry shade with a yellow stripe. The flowering time of these gladioli is September.
Conclusion
As you can see, even in the conditions of a difficult Ural climate, these regal flowers can be grown on the site. You just need to try.
