Gladiolus Culture in a Nutshell 
When bulbs are received, open package and bags at once to admit air and store in 
cool dry cellar. Correct temperature for bulb storage about 40 degrees fahrenheit. 
The proper time to plant is when the ground is somewhat warmed up which is 
usually about the time trees begin to leaf. Naturally, this condition varies according to 
the locality, we find we can start bulblets around April 10th, and bulbs a week or so 
later. The best places to plant bulbs are spots in your garden which get lots of 
sunlight and away from trees, shrubs, etc., which tend to take all the moisture from 
the ground. 
Gladiolus will grow in any kind of soil, but there must be good drainage. They can 
take a large amount of moisture but, under no circumstances, will they thrive in con- 
tinually “wet” spots. 
We recommend the “dipping” or “disinfecting” of bulbs prior to planting, regard- 
less of whether they are your own grown stock or new purchases. This is a safe-guard 
to kill thrips and also any possible disease on the bulbs. 
Effective disinfectants which we have used to advantage are Lysol, Bichloride of 
Mercury or Ceresan. Temperature of the liquid should be around 70 degrees. Treating 
of bulbs should be done just prior to planting. 
Using the Bichloride of Mercury (Corrosive Sublimate) SOAK from 12-16 hours 
in a solution’ of one ounce to seven gallons of water. Use only wooden, glass or crockery 
containers. This is very effective BUT it definitely holds up growth for about a week. 
Lysol dip: 1 tablespoon of Lysol to 1 gallon of water, SOAKING the bulbs four to 
eight hours. We find this very good for both thrips and diseases. 
Ceresan: This is a dangerous poison so be careful. Use an ounce of the new im- 
proved ceresan to about two gallons of water with an ounce of Spreader added Mix 
the spreader and the ceresan thoroughly in a small amount of water first. Bulbs should 
not be left in this mixture any more than thirty minutes. This treatment particularly 
good for disease, 
If thrips are detected once the plants are well up, two methods are used extensively. 
Either spraying or dusting. Spraying is a lot of work and we have found that dusting 
is just as good. 5% D.D.T. powder will do the trick. If you have found this unsatisfactory, 
then spraying can be done by using either 50% D.D.T. Foliage Spray or Tartar Emetic. 
If using Tartar Emetic, the proper solution is 3 gallons of water, 4!/2 teaspoons of Tartar 
Emetic and 1 cup of brown sugar. If sugar is not available, then use corn syrup or 
molasses. 
Cultivation or stirring of soil is a great factor. This should be done often to keep 
the soil loose and eliminate all the weeds. 
When cutting blooms, do not cut too close to ground. Always leave at least 3 
leaves on the plant and more if you can. We ourselves have made it a practice of 
leaving five and this is much better for the bulbs. Morning is the best time to cut. 
After blooming, bulbs mature in four to six weeks and can then be dug. Tops 
should be cut off close to the bulb and the bulbs spread out in low boxes where air can 
move around them. Dry as quickly as you can and in about three to four weeks, the 
old bulb should come off easily. Be sure to burn the old dried out bulbs and roots, do 
not leave them lying around. 
__ Bulbs should now be in good shape, kept in the proper temperature, until planting 
time rolls around again. 
Caution: Lysol, N. I. Ceresan and Bichloride of Mercury are POISON. Handle and 
store with care. 
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