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What to do after flowering gladioli: care, pruning
Many novice gardeners are interested in what to do after the blooming gladioli. From the beginning of this period until the bulbs are sent for storage, the flowers must be properly cared for, including pruning. After all, it depends on these events how well the cultures will survive the winter.
How to prune gladioli after flowering?
These flowers are frost-resistant, so they should not be left outdoors in winter. But for the bulbs to tolerate storage well, they must be strong and viable. To do this, you need to properly prepare the plant for the winter period. First of all, this applies to trimming peduncles after flowering.
What to do after blooming gladioli, you can learn from the video
Many gardeners think that it is possible not to prune the flower stalks. This opinion is incorrect, because in this case the plant will spend energy on feeding the stem and the bulbs will come out weak.
It is better to start the procedure in the evening. Then, during a cool night, the cut will have time to drag on a little, and the plant will not have to recover in the heat. Cut the stem and leaves to the same length. For tall varieties, leave a stump of 20 cm, for low-growing varieties, leave 8-10 cm. After that, you need to provide the plant with optimal conditions to prepare for winter.
Care of gladioli after flowering
It should take about 1,5 months from the time of pruning to digging out the bulbs. But keep in mind that you should not wait for the leaves to turn yellow. In this case, the chance of infection of the bulbs with various diseases or pests increases. Rules for caring for gladioli after pruning:
- Watering. At this time, the flower needs less moisture. It is enough to water it every 10-12 days. But if the fall is too hot and dry, then increase the moisture.
- Top dressing. To saturate the bulbs with nutrients, fertilize the flowers 2 times with a break of 14-15 days. For these purposes, use potassium phosphate preparations. You can make your own formula. To do this, mix in 7 liters of water 150 g of wood ash and 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate. Water the flowers with the resulting solution.
- Disease prevention. Treat the crop with any fungicide and insecticide two days before digging. This will improve the plant’s immunity and eliminate all possible diseases.
That’s all the simple rules for caring for a gladiolus after flowering. It is enough to give the plant a minimum of attention, and it will not only endure the winter well, but will also respond next year with strong and powerful stems, as well as friendly flowering.