Page 22 CROSSROAD GARDENS 
RANDOM THOUGHTS WHILE PLANTING 
Hundreds of thousands of words have been written about different methods of planting, 
but here are some quirks we growers have learned by experience that may help someone who 
reads these notes. 
Many people do not plant deep enough, a large bulb should be 5 to 7 inches below 
ground level; after a furrow has been made with dirt thrown up on each side it appears that 
you are planting deep enough but actually if you level off the loose dirt on top of the 
ground you will find your bulb only 3 or 4 inches below ground LEVEL. Get ’em down 
deeper and it will hold the temperature down in the middle of the day helping to prevent 
crooks, also this added support will eliminate at lot of staking. 
Planting in a staggered row will allow for more bulbs in the same length of furrow and by 
fairly close planting like this (3 to 4 inches apart) the plants will support one an other. 
If you use barnyard manure put it on the fall before planting and let the winter weather 
soak it into the ground. Too much barnyard manure causes scabby bulbs and weak stems. 
If you use commercial fertilizer in the trench get it below your bulbs not above it and 
mix it into the ground so thoroughly you can’t see it, otherwise it may burn the new tender 
roots as they sprout. 
WARNING! 
To those who use the napthalene flakes fumigation method of Thrip control. 
Do not use over 1 oz. (4 level tablespoons) of flakes to 100 large bulbs. 
Do not place the bulbs in receptacle hermetrically sealed as this will cause them to per- 
spire and the moisture would start growth. 
Do not leave flakes with the bulbs longer than 3 weeks. 
Do not start treatment any later than one month after the bulbs have been thoroughly 
cured in the fall. If treatment is in progress as the bulbs are coming out of the dormant 
period the treatment will retard and perhaps permanantly ruin growth. 
Do not leave a vestage of the flakes with the bulbs after treatment and air them out 
thoroughly. 
Do not forget to use this as early in the storage period as the bulbs are thoroughly cured. 
Do not forget that the temperature during treatment must be 60° to 70° to be effective. 
DO GLADIOLUS CHANGE COLOR? 
The old, old story about someone having a collection of Gladiolus that all turned yel- 
low or salmon or some other color never seems to die down. So we will explain what hap- 
pens to make it appear that the varieties have changed color. 
In the first place all Gladiolus authorities the world over agree that it is impossible for a 
whole collection of Glads to change color. 
