Learn about Gladioli

Gladioli are very versatile plant and are equally at home in most gardens from the contemporary to the traditional. Gladioli bulbs can provide an unrivalled range of colours from the nearly blue right through to pinks, reds, whites and many other colours. In fact the range is so broad that you will find any colour to suit your garden planting scheme. Gladioli are more often thought of as cut flowers, however they are also very suited for growing in herbaceous borders (adding excellent colour and texture), containers and as bedding (plant corms over a number of weeks to get continued flowering). Many types of gladioli bulbs are available on our site, from the traditional cut flower types through to dwarf varieties such as butterfly gladioli and old favourites such as Gladioli Byzantinus and Atom.

Cultivation:

Prepare the soil prior to planting by adding some well rotted manure or compost, on heavier soils add a couple of handfuls of grit under each corm before planting to improve drainage. Plant the corms 15cm deep and 10cm to 15cm apart. To stagger flowering plant the corms at 10cm, 15cm and 20cm deep so that they will flower over several days. Alternatively you can plant some corms every week from March to May to provide flowers through out the summer.

Flowering:

Some of the taller varieties may need to be supported as they grow to ensure that they do not fall over in windy conditions. Gladioli plants do prefer to be grown in the warmer parts of the garden and can cope with full sun conditions although that will reduce the flowering length.

Gladioli in pots

The best varieties for pot growing are the hardy nanus varieties although the butterfly and primulinus types are also suitable. When growing in pots ensure that you put plenty of crocks in the pot to provide good drainage. Corms can of course be planted touching each other if required. When using pots remember to select a pot that will remain stable when the gladioli are flowering

Over wintering:

If necessary lift the corms in the autumn after flowering has finished and upturn them to dry and drain. A new corm would have formed so remove the old one with a knife. Store the corms in a dry frost free greenhouse or similar. Replant them again in March.

Buy Gladioli here