Gladiolus care guide

Pets and children

How often to water Gladiolus

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Every 3 days

From sprouting to bloom, water well once the topsoil dries, as a guide; drying out as the spike forms makes the flowers small.

Autumn (Oct–Nov)

Every 7 days

After bloom, water about when the soil dries, then stop and lift the corms once the leaves die back.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Every month

Lifted corms are stored dry and need no water; a pot with corms left in is kept almost dry, moistened at most about once a month.

Light and placement for Gladiolus

Outdoors in sun all day, as a guide; in poor light the stems grow thin and floppy with fewer flowers, and as it grows tall, stake early where wind is strong.

Overwintering Gladiolus

Overwintering guide: 3°C (37°F) or above

Not frost hardy: lift the corms around November when the leaves die, dry them in shade, remove the old corm, and keep them in a mesh bag, dry and frost-free at about 5–10°C, until spring.

Fertilizing and repotting Gladiolus

Fertilizer

Slow-release fertilizer in the soil at planting, then liquid feed about every two weeks from sprouting until the spike shows; light feeding after bloom until the leaves die fattens the corm.

When to repot

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Common problems with Gladiolus

• Without a stake, the heavy spike blows over and snaps.
• Left in the pot over winter, the corms freeze or rot.
• In the same soil year after year, the corms shrink and disease sets in.

Tips for growing Gladiolus

• Plant from March to June about 5–10 cm deep, staggering plantings a few weeks apart for a longer season.
• Once the lowest buds open, the spike can be cut for the vase and keeps opening.
• Keep only the new corm on top when lifting; the tiny cormels planted separately flower in a few years.

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