Gladioli

[dot.haukes]

I have planted 30 gladioli summer bulbs today, in the past I have found that they grow fine to about 18 inches but then no flowers, is there any reason for this ? is it perhaps about when they are planted, or are there more genetic reasons?

[Clanad]

Do you fertilize them with a high nitrogen fertilizer? Or, are they planred near a lawn area that has been fertilzed with nitrogen dominant fertilizer? Glads don't like nitrogen since it will produce the effect you describe by producing growth but no blooms. They should be fertilized with bone meal or anyother higher phospate fertilizer...

[Ice.Maiden]

I think glads are bienniel Dot, so it's probably no wonder that they don't flower during their first season. You could try feeding them, but I'm sure that they'll do well next year.

[Clanad]

With due respects.. glads should bloom the first year and each year thereafter... In fact in warm climates, the new year's corm will be on top of last years and, if not lifted and sorted they will work themselves out of the ground. Here, in the western U.S (just up the road from Chris Ledoux's place, by the way) we need to plant them each year since they won't overwinter with temperatures below about 35 to 40 degrees F...

[Ice.Maiden]

Thanks for that Clanad. I was just answering Dot because of teh gladioli we had in our own garden. The first year, a few came up and flowered, but didn't the second. Some didn't flower - but DID the second - and so on. We have a gardener who simply cut them down after flowering, and the ones that were due to bloom the next time came up bigger and better than ever. We didn't do anything particular with them, and had some gorgous blooms for about 10 years, until we decided to grass over that area instead.