44 



HENDERSON'S GARDEN GUIDE AND RECORD. 



Gladiolus 



^'he new bulb 

 forming, 

 ^he old bulb 

 drying up. 

 'he bulblets. 



Oarden Culture of Gladiolus 



Gladiolus for years have been popular garden plants, being easy to grow, thriving in 

 almost any soil and climate, and are sure to produce their splendid flowers which are of 

 unrivalled effectiveness in the garden. Moreover they are valued as cut flowers. The 

 spikes of flowers cut when the lower flowers are opening will all develop and last a full week 

 in water. The modern Gladiolus are triumphs of the hybridizer's art, new types and a 

 legion of new varieties having been evolved that far surpass in size and form of flower — and 

 varied coloring — the favorites so prized a few years ago. The plants are also stronger, 

 and larger growers. 



The Gladiolus is a bulbous plant, that is, it is perpetuated by a "bulb" (botanically a 

 "corm") which forms underground between the plant and its roots like an Onion. After 

 developing its roots, foliage and flowers it produces above it a new bulb to which it transfers 

 its functions of storing up in embryo and holding in reserve the next year's roots, foliage and 

 flowers. The new bulb after ripening off is taken up and stored away like a Potato — for 

 the next season's planting, thus continuing the annual cycle of the parent Gladiolus bulb. 



GLADIOLUS BULBS vary in shape 

 and size according to the variety, some 

 sorts form large flat bulbs 3 inches or more 

 in diameter, others make smaller "fat" 

 bulbs. 



The culture of Gladiolus in the garden 

 is very simple for they grow, thrive and 

 bloom in all ordinarily good garden soils 

 in any sunny, airy location; deep moist 

 sandy loam is especially suitable, stiff 

 clayey soil the least desirable but can be 

 made more congenial by filling in the fur- 

 rows with sandy loam or leaf mould — or 

 both combined. A liberal application of 

 well rotted manure, well pulverized, should 

 be dug in and thoroughly incorporated 

 with the soil. (Fresh stable manure must 

 be avoided.) If the ground can be ma- 

 nured and dug the fall before, so much 

 the better. Then a complete commercial 

 fertilizer — such as "Henderson's Garden 

 Fertilizer" — should also be added in the 

 spring — strew it evenly over the surface 

 at the rate of 10 pounds for 300 square feet and rake it after the ground is dug. 



The bulbs may be planted (top up) as early in the spring as the ground is fit to work. 

 Those planted in April will commence blooming in Julj% and by successive plantings every 

 2 weeks into the middle of the summer, a continuous succession of flowers may be enjoyed 

 until frost. If the weather and ground is very dry, water liberally, particularlj^ when the 

 Gladiolus are developing their buds and flowers. 



The bulbs should be planted from 2 to 4 inches deep; in light soils 4 inches 

 deep, in heavy soils 2 inches, in medium heavy soils 3 inches deep. In groups or 

 beds the bulbs should be planted 4 to 6 inches apart. A good way to secure a long season 

 of bloom in a bed is to plant the bulbs 8 inches apart and then 2 weeks later fill in be- 

 tween with another lot of bulbs. If grown in rows the single rows should be 12 inches apart 

 or in double rovv-s 18 inches apart. 



After the plants have ripened in the fall, the bulbs should be taken up for winter storage. 

 To do this, loosen the earth with a digging fork or spade, lift the bulbs by their tops, lay 

 them on the ground to ripen and dry off, after which the tops should be cut off close to the 

 bulbs and the old roots and any of the old bulb that remains should be pulled off, then 

 store away in trays placed in a cool dry place, but do not permit the bulbs to freeze. 



Gladiolus bulblets — botanically " cormels" — are the little bulbs that are produced at 

 the base of the parent bulb. These may be removed from the parent bulb and if kept in 

 paper bags in a cool place where they will not dry out, these if planted in the spring in drills 

 like peas — and afterwards treated like the flowering bulbs — will in 2 years form bulbs 

 of flowering size, reproducing the flowers of the parent which seeds do not often do. 



