386 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



at each planting to suit your own requirements. This much, how- 

 ever, is certain: Gladioli can be made to bring good returns if 

 grown under glass and the florist who doesn't do this is not taking 

 advantage of what has been accomplished in their development. 



FLOWERING GLADIOLI IN POTS 



Gladioli cannot only be started and grown on in pots to be 

 planted out on benches later, but they can also be successfully 

 flowered in pots. A l^-in- bulb is too large for a 4-in. pot. On 

 the other hand, putting one into a 5-in. pot means taking up a 

 lot of space. A better way is to plant three bulbs in a 6-in. pot. 

 This is better than starting them in 4- or 3^-in. pots and repotting 

 later as it avoids disturbing the roots. To the smaller grower in 

 particular, pot culture will appeal as he usually is crowded for 

 space and can place the plants in pots whenever there happens to 



be room. Or, if by early 

 Spring he finds that a bench or 

 part of one can be had, he can 

 still plant the stock out even 

 from the large pots, for it re- 

 quires less care and labor to 

 attend to them when planted 

 out. If you prefer pot culture, 

 get the bulbs down at least an 

 inch or so below the rims of 

 the pots so as to afford space 

 for watering. 



VARIETIES AND CULTURAL 



NOTES 



To try and name six or 

 twelve of the best florist vari- 

 eties of Gladioli is, to my mind, 

 impossible. There are far too 

 many "best" ones to recommend 

 just a few or to mention all of 

 them. Of the sorts of today 

 perhaps none is more exten- 

 sively used for forcing than 

 America, yet for extra-early 

 April flowering I would prefer 

 the Primulinus hybrids; while 

 Fig. 171. GLADIOLUS "MRS. FRANCIS somewhat smaller in size they 

 KING." Coming into flower a little later are amO ng the easiest forcers, 

 than America, this is one of the best _ , . . -, . i 



of the standard garden varieties For^an earlier pink than 



