Gladiolus Care and Culture 
BULBLET GROWING: Small lots of valuable bulblets may be peeled or cracked with a quicker and 
surer start to be expected. Larger lots that m‘ght need start’ng help can be aided by being soaked over night and 
put in the sun in a cloth bag during the day, every day for a week or so. If you have peeled the bulblets we would 
advise treating them as if they were bulbs in Lysol or New Improved Ceresan. 
CARE: After plant’ng, cultivate once a week and keep free from weeds in the row and between the plants. 
Cultivation at first may be fairly deep but when the bud begins to show, cultivation should not be deeper than % to 
1 inch so the feeder roots near the surface will not be injured. Hilling up should begin when the plants are about 
a foot high. Th's will aid in keeping the spikes erect in windy weather. When spikes are up to a foot or more, heavy 
watering should begin if there is no rain. 
FOR EXHIBITION BLOOMS: To give these an extra boost, fertilizer may be side dressed when the 
plants are nearly in the bud stage. Scatter about a handful each three feet along the side of the row about three 
inches from the plant just before a rain or watering and cultivate well. 
SPRAY OR DUST: From the time the plants are six inches hgh they should be sprayed or dusted for 
thrip. Thr’p may have been planted with your bulbs, having lived over in storage or been brought in on bulbs you 
bought from a dealer or exchanged with another Glad friend. They may blow in from a neighbor’s patch or be 
carr'ed on clothing to your patch. In fact, they are supposed to be able to fly at one stage of their existence a 
maximum distance of % mile. The only way to be safe is to spray or dust at 7-day intervals, beginning when they 
are 6 inches high and continuing until they open the first bloom. A spray that has been widely used and considered 
effective is made up of 1 ounce of Tartar Emetic (4% teaspoonfuls), 2 ounces of brown sugar, 3 gallons of water. 
(3 tablespoons of molasses or corn syrup may be used instead of sugar.) Do not use a spreader with this as it is 
supposed to form drops of concentrated poison on the leaves. 
DDT: We find DDT very effective for thrip control. Either dust or spray is effective if it is not less than 
5% strength. We use and offer for sale 5% DDT dust with tale at the rate of 30 lbs. to the acre each time over. 
We use a power machine but a hand duster that will make a fog of dust around the plants is just as good. But 
REMEMBER to kill the thrip the dust must touch the insect as it is a contact poison. As they are normally within 
the sheath, one dusting will not clean them out. Three to five applications at 7-10 day intervals will be necessary. 
We have 5% DDT dust with tale and can supply you at any time. We are as near as your post office. 
Many prefer a liquid spray and we have DEENATE 50 W. which is a wettable powder which can be diluted 
from the 50% strength to 5% by adding water. 1% lbs. to 100 gallons of water or 4 level teaspoons to 3 gallons 
of water. 
The best part of us'‘ng DDT dust or spray is that there is no danger to the plant by using too strong a solution. 
The active ingredient is harmful only to insects. A toxic condition may be produced in humans by inhaling too much 
of the dust or spray but it has no permanent effect and ordinary care is sufficient to insure no harm to the person 
making the application. 
WiIREWORMS: Wireworms can now be controlled by the use of Benzine Hexachloride in one of its com- 
positions. Probably the eas‘est to use is Chlordane and we will be glad to supply it if you are in need. We had a 
bad infestation of wireworms this year and succeeded in getting them under control after a course of treatment. 
When cutting flower spikes be sure to leave 4 to 6 leaves on the plant to properly cure the bulb. A small, 
sharp knife slid down the stem on each side between the stalk and the leaves and then a slanting cut across the 
bottom will do this very nicely. Spikes are best cut in the morn’ng when one or two blooms are open. 
DIGGING: Bulbs can be dug 30 days after the flower is gone or before freezing weather sets in. The tops 
should be cut off after the bulbs are lifted as close as possible to the bulb. Pruning shears do this very nicely. 
If stalks turn brown prematurely the bulb is probably diseased and should be destroyed with all the foliage. 
STORING: Bulbs may be stored in flat boxes to dry and cure. They should not be more than 4 inches deep 
so they will dry well. If wooden boxes with wire bottoms are used, curing will be hastened if bulbs are washed 
with a fine spray. Care must be used to not tear the husks with the force of the water. Bulbs will be much easier 
to clean and there will be little dirt in the bulblets. As soon as the bulbs are dry and in the storage (about three 
weeks after digging) they should be treated with either Napthalene Flakes or 5% DDT dust with talc. DDT dust 
may be left on all winter but Napthalene should never’ be left more than 3-4 weeks as the flakes will burn the root 
knobs if left on. DDT dust is safe and sure and does not need to be removed. 
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