REASONS FOR PLANTING GLADIOLI EARLY 
An expert grower tells how to pro¬ 
duce perfect flowers and large bulbs 
I N the past 15 years an amazing amount of artistic grace and 
beauty has been bred into the gladiolus by means of the 
primulinus species and hybrids. Because of these great 
improvements there are now many types and varieties of the 
gladiolus, with almost every conceivable color and shade. For 
that reason they combine gracefully with other flowers in 
indoor arrangements. 
For success with the gladiolus—to get the most beautiful 
and the greatest number of blooms, and to resist diseases and 
insect pests, as well as developing strong bulbs for the suc¬ 
ceeding year—I suggest the following points: 
1—Plant early. 
2—Water and cultivate frequently. 
3—Lift the bulbs at the proper time and cure them thoroughly. 
4—Store the bulbs carefully during the Winter, and 
5—Read some of the immense amount of literature now available. 
Many gladiolus species in their native home, South and 
Central Africa, not being subject to freezing temperatures, 
have 12 months in which to complete their cycle of develop¬ 
ment. In Pacific Grove, Calif., there is the great advantage of 
a 12 months’ period and in many places on the Pacific Coast 
seven months are available, but in New England there is only 
about five months of good growing weather. Therefore one 
should plant early for the longest possible period of develop¬ 
ment—in April if the soil is somewhat warm, or at least in 
early May. 
The great amount of moisture in the ground in early 
Spring enables the plants to form large, strong roots which in 
turn make vigorous disease-resisting plants, which grow well 
during the dry, warm Summer months and develop splendid 
bulbs for replanting the following year. 
It is true that good blooms may be had from strong bulbs 
even when planting is done late in May, in June or even in 
July, but strong bulbs will not be matured for planting the 
following year. Those who wish the very best flowers with the 
least possible trouble should plant the largest, strongest bulbs 
they can obtain. 
Generally speaking, gladioli are of greater value as cut 
flowers for the home than for bedding purposes, and therefore 
I like to advise planting in triple, staggered nursery rows. 
Light, sandy loam, slightly acid, is the ideal soil, but almost 
any soil will give reasonably good results. Large bulbs may be 
planted four inches deep and five or six inches apart, and small 
bulbs two or three inches deep and three or four inches apart. 
In heavier soil it is wise to plant three inches deep. For large 
planting I advise large, medium and small bulbs and many 
varieties so as to have blooms from late June throughout July, 
August, September and until frost kills the plants in October. 
Large bulbs of many early blooming varieties will bloom 
in six or eight weeks after planting, whereas large bulbs of 
late blooming varieties will grow seven or eight weeks before 
they bloom. Also large bulbs, one to two inches in diameter, 
will bloom three to six weeks earlier than medium and very 
small size bulbs. From the thousands of named varieties now 
available from which to choose and by planting bulbs of all 
sizes one may have a continuous supply of gladioli for cut 
flowers for a period of about 100 days. The gladiolus loves 
sun; for best results one should choose a location where the 
sun shines throughout the day. 
The gladiolus likes much water. If the soil becomes too dry 
one should apply water abundantly at occasional intervals 
(weekly perhaps) rather than a small amount frequently. It 
is important to cultivate frequently. After a rain storm a crust 
forms on the surface of the soil. As soon as this crust is dry 
the ground should be cultivated, so that air may enter the 
ground and so as to produce a dust mulch. 
In the Fall the days become shorter and cooler, the leaves 
wither and the gladioli cease growing. In New England frost 
kills the leaves late in September or early in October. When 
the plants cease growing the bulbs should be harvested. 
Excellent results have been obtained by lifting the bulbs in 
September and October as the plants mature and by curing 
them carefully and most thoroughly. The bulbs are lifted on 
dry, windy, sunny days, dried on burlaps until sundown and 
put in a barn each night to keep them dry and free from frost. 
This curing process in the sun is repeated for five to ten days 
until the bulbs are comparatively dry and can be stored with¬ 
out fear of moulding. In the still shorter and cooler October 
days the drying and curing process for proper Winter storage 
may require ten or even 15 days. 
As recently as ten years ago the amount of available litera¬ 
ture on the gladiolus was surprisingly meagre. More recently 
several books have been published and the annual publications 
of the American, New England, British and Canadian gladi- 
r-- — 
THE GLADIOLUS MISS NEW ZEALAND 
A new variety which indicates its origin by its name. The color is 
■salmon or apricot, with a peach color blotch. 
olus societies are mines of information and inspiration. The 
1935 Year Book of the New England Gladiolus Society called 
“The Gladiolus,” contains a valuable gladiolus bibliography 
of 12 pages compiled by Dorothy S. Manks, librarian of the 
Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 
The longer I grow the gladiolus, with its ever-increasing 
bewilderment of new and graceful forms—monstrous exhibi¬ 
tion, large, medium and small decorative, midget, laciniated, 
rosebud, butterfly, and otherwise—the more I feel that this 
flower, which can be grown at comparatively small cost and 
effort, should be recommended for propagation by novices 
and amateurs who want pleasing results, even though they are 
not expert horticulturists. 
“Sunnymede,” Sharon, Mass. —William E. Clark. 
Reprinted from HORTICULTURE, April 15, 1935 
