Advice for beginning gardeners: when to dig bulbs of gladiolus

Bulbs of all varieties and species of gladiolus, like the dahlia tubers, do not tolerate frost and die. Therefore, before the first frosts come, you need to take care of your flowers. Many novice gardeners have a question: "When to dig bulbs of gladiolus?" As a rule, gardeners recall the fact that they need to prepare bulbs for the winter when it starts to colder.

Depending on the region and weather conditions, it starts to do this from the second half of September. There are varieties that are digged already with the onset of the first frost.

In any case, regardless of the variety and type of your gladioli, you need to remember and try to take into account the nuance that from the moment of flowering to the moment when the tubers are ripe, it should take at least 30 days. This is the minimum period, if you do this earlier, the corms will not have time to form and most likely will not "overwinter" well. There are situations when you see that the plant begins to ache, then the early excavation of the bulb can save the gladiolus, while the corms themselves should be washed in special "medical" solutions.

When to dig bulbs of gladiolus?

Experienced growers, sharing their secrets of growing gladioli, often mention that first of all you need to dig bulbs of dark varieties (black, purple, brown-cherry) and a variety in lavender-blue shades. And the latter need to dig children, which have grown over the summer.

It is necessary to guess when to dig bulbs of gladioli. Best if it's dry weather. And if at this time there are rains, you will need to wash the bulbs more thoroughly from the ground and dirt.

Than to dig out gladioluses?

In order to dig the gladiolus, you will need a garden fork or a small shovel. Carefully dig a flower and poke it with pitchforks. The plant can not be pulled and swung behind the leaves. So it will be possible to damage the bulb itself and tear off the children that remain in the ground. They retain their germination in the ground for several years in a row and will sprout in a chaotic order, spoiling the appearance of the flowerbed.

Preparation of bulbs for storage

After you dig out the bulbs, you need to remove the stems and rinse them thoroughly. Then the future planting material should be treated against pests. The most common pest that loves gladioli is thrips. It very often during the wintering damages the bulbs. In order to avoid this, you need to cook the cooked tubers 15 minutes into a solution of "Carbophos" or another drug. After this, repeat the procedure for a few minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

How to store bulbs of gladioli in winter?

Dry bulbs should be at least 20 days. Before you send the gladiolus for the winter, all bulbs need to be revised in a special way: remove roots and scales.

It is best to keep the bulbs in a double capron (dark) stocking in a dry, cool place. To do this, the basement, garage, cellar, most importantly, do not allow minus temperature in this room. In other words - the "grandmother's" method.

Well, now you know when to dig bulbs of gladioli and how to store them in winter.