Gladiolus Culture 
Gladiolus bulbs must be stored so air can circulate among them. ‘Therefore when 
your shipment of bulbs arrives, open the bags to allow air to get to them and if not 
ready to plant store in cool basement. 
Select a planting plot as far from trees and buildings as possible. Trees draw 
moisture and buildings reflect heat. 
Prepare your glad bed well. Spade deep and add plenty of decayed cow manure if 
you can get it, otherwise use a complete artificial fertilizer such as Vigoro. Dig a 
trench 7 inches deep and apply a heavy dusting of Vigoro or similar fertilizer in the 
bottom of the trench. Now cover this with two inches of soil, upon which plant your 
bulbs. This will bring the bulbs 5” below the level. If you want to grow show spikes 
space the bulbs 7 to 10 inches; however, you can plant closer if you must, but glads need 
root room to develop good spikes. 
You cannot expect to grow first class spikes without sufficient water. It usually 
rains enough during the first part of the growing season but glads usually need extra 
water during August. A mere sprinkling is harmful, as it draws the roots to the hot 
surface. Soak them down deep once a week. Keep the ground moist way down 
until the flower is cut. 
Glads are primarily cutflowers. Cut when first bloom opens and develop indoors. 
You can enjoy the spike a long time because a good variety will open every bud to the 
tip, in water. Leave four leaves on the piant to develop the bulb for next year. 
THRIP IS THE MAIN INSECT PEST. Thrip is a tiny insect, a mere speck 
which sucks the life juice from the tender flower buds before the spike emerges from 
the plant. The result is a poor spike, or one whose buds fail to open properly, or 
with mottled injured bloom. 
Fortunately thrip do not overwinter outdoors in cold climates. If thrip are pres- 
ent at digging time, there is danger of carrying them into storage with the newly 
dug bulbs, and if the storage is somewhat warm, thrip will overwinter on the bulbs. 
Therefore if you have bulbs on hand or just bought them, disinfect every bulb you 
plant. 
We formerly recommended the Bichloride of Mercury dip but some gardeners had 
trouble obtaining this material. In its place the LYSOL dip is entirely satisfactory 
and’ it is easily obtained. The LYSOL dip is made up by dissolving 4 teaspoonsful of 
LYSOL in 1 gal. of water. Soak bulbs 3 hrs. just before planting and plant bulbs, 
while still wet, the same day, into moist ground. 
NEW IMPROVED CERESAN dip is a fast acting powerful dip and must be 
handled carefully. We do not like to recommend it for general use. The formula is: 
1 oz. N. I. CERESAN, 1 tablespoon Dreft, 3 gal. water. Soak bulbs 15 minutes and 
you MUST plant the bulbs the same day and into ground that is not too dry. 
Since all people do not kill thrip on their bulbs before planting, you may still get 
thrip from other gardens because Thrip can fly and can be carried by the wind. To 
be on the safe side start your spray or dust program when your glads are 4 to 6 
inches high and once each week thereafter up to blooming time. If you prefer 
dusting, use 5% DDT powder in a small dust gun which can make a dust fog. 
END O PEST, a new garden dust, combats sucking and chewing insects (which in- 
cludes thrip), also combats fungus trouble. It may become the all around “dust” for 
the home gardener. 
In our glad fields we use 50% wettahle DDT powder in a power sprayer and find it 
effective For small amounts of 50% DDT spray dissolve 1 oz. of 50% wettable DDT 
powder into 3 gals. water. 
OCTOBER is the usual bulb digging month. Cut the tops off close to the bulb. 
Dry in shallow boxes or screen bottom trays until dry enough to remove the old bulb. 
Then store in cloth bags, shallow boxes or screen bottom trays in coolest place you 
have but they must not freeze. Temperatures 34 to 40 during the winter are ideal. This 
temperature will discourage thrip in storage. If your storage is warmer, dust your 
bulbs with 5% DDT powder, this will keep your bulbs free of thrip. 
All these sprays and dusting materials are poison. 
