Bulfural Hints 
Packages of bulbs must be opened as soon as received and the 
bulbs stored in a cool, dry place until planting time. 
PLANTING DATES. Any time from early Spring until the first of 
July. The blooming season can be prolonged until frost if planted 
at intervals of every three weeks. | 
WHERE TO PLANT. Glads should be planted in open, sunny 
places, away from buildings and trees. They are primarily cut 
flowers and should be planted in rows such as a vegetable garden. 
SOIL. Glads will grow in any kind of soil but do best in a sandy 
loam. The soil must be well drained. It pays to spade deeply. 
FERTILIZING. The amount to use will depend upon the fertility of 
_your soil. Any good commercial fertilizer will give good results 
or you can ask your dealer for the fertilizer commonly used on 
potatoes in your locality. Most growers prefer to place the fertilizer 
in the bottom of the trench as the bulbs are planted. Care must 
be taken to see that the fertilizer is mixed with the soil and then 
about 2 inches of soil placed over the mixture. The bulbs should 
then be set in the row, leaving the 2 inches of soil between them 
and the fertilizer. 
PLANTING. Plant from 3 to 6 inches deep. Small bulbs should 
be planted about 3 inches deep and larger sizes up to 6 inches 
deep. If you have a heavy clay soil 4 to 5 inches will be deep 
enough. The bulbs should be set not closer than 4 inches apart 
in the rows and the soil must be firmed well after planting. 
WATERING. Glads need plenty of moisture. To produce top bloom 
they should have | to 1% inches of water per week. Whenever 
the natural rainfall fails to supply this quantity be sure to put it 
on in the form of irrigation. It is best to water just once or twice 
a week, soaking the soil well, so that the roots are not pushing 
upward to the surface of the ground. 
CUTTING BLOOMS. Glads are the most popular cut flower grown 
today. To enjoy them at their best the spikes should be cut when 
_ the first floret is in full bloom. They should be placed in water at 
once and taken indoors to develop slowly. You can enjoy a spike 
a long time as a good variety will open every bud to the tip, in 
water. If the water in the vase is changed daily and about an inch 
of the stem is cut off (slantwise) each day, many varieties will 
keep for as long as a week. When cutting the spike always leave 
4 leaves on the plant to develop the bulb for next year. 
DIGGING. Bulbs should not be dug until about 8 weeks after 
blooming. This is in order to mature the bulbs. A good sign is to 
watch the foliage and when it begins to turn brown, dig at once. 
After the tops are cut off, close to the bulb, dry the bulbs in the 
air in trays or boxes. It is best not to allow the sun to shine 
directly on them while drying. After 2 or 3 weeks of drying the 
old bulb and roots can then be removed. DO NOT remove the 
husks as this protects the bulb during storage. 
STORAGE. After drying, the bulbs should be stored in screen 
bottom trays or boxes in the coolest place available. They must not 
be exposed to freezing temperatures. The ideal storage temperature 
is 38 to 45 degrees. Bulbs should not be placed too deeply in the 
boxes as they need air while in storage. 
Glads are easy to grow and anyone, even a beginner, can grow 
‘the finest show flowers! 
