A Guide te Succes with 
BULBS cud TUBERS 
for Summer Bloom 
Summer flowering bulbs and tubers rank with 
the late flowering annuals 
and perennials in keeping your garden colorful long after spring has gone. 
pen, sunny spots, and tuberous begonias 
Plant lots of glads and dahlias in the o 
in the shade, and you will have color 
in 
your garden all summer long as well 
as plenty of gorgeous flowers for cutting. 
GLADIOLUS GROWING 
Gladiolus will grow in any good garden soil, 
but prefer a sandy loam. They will do well 
in the flower borders with other plants if grown 
in clumps for mass color splashes. If grown for 
cut flowers they can be handled most easily in 
rows. 
Fertilize and work soil in advance and start 
setting corms about time of last killing frost. If 
corms are planted serially, at intervals of two 
weeks or less, succession of bloom through sum- 
mer will be sure. 
When bloom season is past; foliage may be 
allowed to die down or plants may be pulled 
up and hung in well-ventilated and shady place 
to finish ripening. When foliage is dry, corms 
may be cut free, cleaned and stored until 
spring. During storage inspect occasionally 
and dust with sulphur if mildew shows. 
Thrip is the most serious enemy of Gladiolus. 
Before planting in spring, soak corms a short 
time in a solution of 1 tablespoonful of lysol 
to a gallon of water to destroy thrip infection. 
As soon as plants are six inches tall, start week- 
end routine of DDT spray or dust to control 
thrip. When storing corms in fall, put them into 
paper bags after they have been ripened and 
cleaned; add a tablespoonful of naphthalene 
or moth ball powder to 100 corms for from a 
month or six weeks to get rid of thrip that 
may have moved into them. This will help insure 
starting next season with healthy corms and will 
prevent winter damage while in storage. Dis- 
card damaged corms and replace from seed 
store. 
In cleaning corms you can save cormlets that 
have formed at base, and plant them to increase 
your stock of each variety. 
If there is a Gladiolus Society in your area, 
join it. There is no better way to make friendly 
personal contact with others who like to ex- 
change information and tips on hobby growing 
of Gladiolus. 
CRISPA TYPE TUBEROUS BEGONIA 
DAHLIA GROWING 
Dahlias are to the late summer and _ fall 
garden what Daffodils are as color creators for 
the spring garden. Wide range of color, type, 
height and blooming time make it possible for 
you to use them in many a place in the garden 
and to assure yourself bloom from late summer 
on until the first frosts. The ANNUAL DAHLIAS, 
so-called, are easily grown from seed. Start 
them either indoors and set out when frost is 
past, or sow in the open when things have 
warmed, and get slightly later bloom. They 
are good border material for long season of 
bloom and for cut flowers. 
Other types of Dahlias are grown from 
TUBERS or CUTTINGS. Tubers do best for an 
inexperienced grower, although a desirable 
variety can be multiplied by propagation from 
cuttings. Deep-worked and well-drained, sunny 
location is desirable. Set tubers as soon as 
frost danger is past. Tall-growing types should 
be staked to prevent breaking in wind or from 
weight of bloom. Establish routine dusting to 
keep insects or fungus pests controlled during 
growing and blooming season. As long as 
weather is mild, leave in ground. Lift tuber 
clusters in late November—earlier if rain and 
cold endanger them. Store in light, airy place 
where temperature will not drop to freezing. 
Inspect occasionally and dust with sulphur if 
mildew protection is needed. In spring, clean 
and divide, making sure that there will be at 
least one eye to each tuber; or start them in 
peat or sand and detach new shoots and root 
them as cuttings, to be set out in the garden 
later. 
Join a Dahlia Society for contact and ex- 
change of ideas with other fans. There is no 
better way to familiarize yourself with the 
various types and continual new additions to 
the growing list of Dahlias available for all 
manner of uses in your borders and flower gar- 
den developments. 
Storing GLADIOLUS 
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TUBEROUS BEGONIA TIPS 
Tuberous-rooted Begonias like well-drained, 
shady, fertile locations. About March 1 to six 
weeks before last killing frost in your area, 
start tubers indoors, in moist peat; set them 
into pots when leaves begin showing. When 
danger of frost is past, slip from pots into 
bed, spacing 12 to 18 inches apart for mass 
bloom effect. After 10 days top dress bed with 
dried cow manure and repeat in midsummer. 
When commercial fertilizer is used, moisten 
ground both before and after application. 
Stake and tie tall plants to prevent lopping- 
Pots or hanging basket care similar to bed, but 
requires more regular and careful watering as 
evaporation is greater. Routine of snail baiting, 
dusting with fungicides and insecticides will 
take care of pests. 
Lift tubers before frost, wash and store them, 
leaving short portions of stem attached until, 
after 10 days or so, they will come off easily. 
When tubers are completely dry, store in trays 
or in shallow boxes in clean, dry sand and keep 
in temperatures between 45 and 50 degrees F, 
until time for replanting next spring. Damaged 
tubers can be cut clear and wounds sterilized 
with sulphur or Semesan. Tubers can be 
divided, like potatoes with an eye to each 
division, and planted, each cutting producing 
a new plant. Be sure tubers are completely dry 
before storing. This is the best insurance you 
can have against rot. Dust with sulphur if 
mildew or rot appears during winter. 
Storing DAHLIAS 
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OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERS STILL ADD MUCH BEAUTY TO MODERN GARDENS 
37 
