8 
HEBERLING'S GLADIOLUS 
NOTES 
Soil and Fertilizer 
Any good garden soil is ideal. Glads do well on most any soil if they are planted 
in the open garden where there is plenty of sunshine and a reasonable amount of 
moisture. Soil should be well drained. If your soil is not strong, you may apply 
manure and turn under in the fall, or you may work well rotted manure into the soil 
in the spring. If manure is not available you may use pulverized sheep or cow manure 
by putting into the bottom of your planting trench, then covering with an inch of soil, 
then planting your bulbs. Vigoro is also good. Two or three applications of commer¬ 
cial fertilizer may be made on the surface along the rows during the growing season 
and before the plants bloom. Any fertilizer should be kept from direct contact with 
the bulb or foliage. If you wish to grow immense spikes you must fertilize heavily 
but your plants must also have at least an inch of water every three or four days. 
Heavy fertilizing with insufficient water will make your spikes a disappointment. 
Treating Bulbs 
We treat all of our stock before planting with Corrosive Sublimate. One ounce 
to ten gallons of water. Soak bulbs or bulblets over night in wood container. This 
treatment is a preventative against scab and rot and also is said to be a sure killer 
of thrip. We have never had thrip. 
Planting 
Work soil to a depth of eight inches, or ten inches will be better. For large 
bulbs they should be covered with not less than four inches of soil and many cover them 
with six inches. The deeper planting helps keep them upright when blooming. Smaller 
bulbs should be planted more shallow but not less than two inches. You may regulate 
your distance apart in the row by the space you have. Plant rows anywhere from 
twelve inches to two feet apart in garden, depending on space. Plant in rows from 
two to six inches apart, depending on space and number of bulbs. They do well 
planted close together, making fine spikes but require more water. Also you should 
have richer soil or more fertilizer to get large spikes if planted close. You may, of 
course, plant in beds, spacing the bulbs about six inches each way. 
Bulblets 
In planting the rare kinds it is quite common to remove a part of the hard shell 
first, then keep in moist cloth or damp sand until bulblets sprout, then plant, covering 
with about two inches of fine soil. They should not be allowed to dry out during this 
process of germination. Temperature about 70° F. The commercial varieties are 
generally put in cloth bags and soaked in water for a day or two or three, then taken 
out for a day and then put back to soak. This process may be repeated several times 
until bulblets sprout, then plant. 
Digging and Storage 
With us our early stock is taken up in late September and from that time on we 
are busy digging until about November first. The bulbs should be taken up within 
six weeks to two months after blooming but before the tops begin to get brown. Even 
if tops are green, bulbs should be taken up before the ground freezes deeply. After 
digging cut off tops close to bulb and put in screen bottomed tray to cure. They should 
have plenty of ventilation while curing and must not be put in containers more than 
three or four inches deep. Stir them every few days and keep in dry, well ventilated 
place. In two or three weeks they will be cured so that old bulbs may be removed from 
the bottoms. With a few more days to dry they may then be placed in storage. 
Bulbs should be dry and free from moisture when placed in storage. The storage 
temperature is best at 40 to 45 degrees F. However, they do very well at 50 degrees 
F. if you cannot keep it cooler. Your storage room should be dry, cool and ventilated 
and as near uniform as possible as to temperature. It is well to look at your bulbs 
every two or three weeks and see what the condition is, if they are showing signs of 
too much moisture or looking mouldy, dry them out and give better ventilation. Keep 
them in small containers and spread thin. 
If you have had thrip, use Naptheline flakes in stored bulbs but not too heavy 
nor for more than ten days at a time. When your shipment of bulbs arrives unpack 
at once and open bags, letting in the air. If they appear moist allow them to dry 
before storing. 
"The Cream of the Stock Goes to the Early Buyers" 
