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For years I could hardly grow anything and I finally determined the reason why. I simply did not have the time to be a responsible gardener. I figured I had the classic black thumb. I knew people who could take plants from a garden center that were going into the dumpster and in no time breath back the breath of life and have them blooming if not that season, then the next.
But I was determined that there was something I could grow and there was. They were called Gladiolus. Glorious, tall, colorful, splendid flowers that grew from small, inexpensive bulbs or really corms and they multiplied coming back year after year, not only being beautiful out in the garden, but making a great cut flower. They made even me look good!
Gladiolus come in a rainbow of colors, even light green ones, but never yet to this date a blue one.
Glads as they are affectionately called by those who grew to love them or love to grow them are grown not from a bulb, but from a corm.
In my zone 6 I do not have to did them up, but when I lived in northern New York, I had to did them up each fall and replant them in the spring. It was during that time I discovered that when I planted one corm I usually “harvested” two in the fall as they multiply.
I do not grow Glads for resale cut flowers, but they make a good profitable crop and if you do grow them for profit then plant them in rows.
I like to put them in the sun because they like it there, but newly purchased corms can be planted in the partial shade and will grow, but those in the sun will grow bigger and better and the Glads will be able to store more energy for next year’s blooms.
Learning my gardening lessons the hard way I discovered that one needs well drained soil for getting great gladiolus flowers as they do not do well in heavy or wet soil. So if that is what you have then try growing them in raised beds where you have loosen the soil to a depth of ten to twelve inches. Use organic fertilizer if your soil tests show you need it.
Start planting your first corms in mid-May and then plant some every two weeks until mid-June and this will give you flowers from July though the end of August. If you happen to buy cultivars that are early, mid-season and late then plant them all in May and you will get flowers though out July and August. Corms that are smaller than ˝ inch will not produce flowers. Choose corms that look like one and a half inch candy kisses and you will get large flowers. Avoid the flat corms, choose the plump one.
As I got to be a better gardener, I still include Gladiolus in my gardens. They make me feel good and look good!
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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