The attractive flowers of the gladiolus set colorful accents in the garden and are also popular cut flowers for the vase. Since the attractive flowering plants are quite sensitive to frost, it is important to get the bulbs into the ground at the right time.
Gladioli are only planted when no more frost is to be expected
Autumn or spring, when to plant?
Gladioli are among the sun worshipers and like it extremely warm. They are therefore usually planted in spring, when there is no longer any threat of ground frost. In regions where there is still a risk of cold periods in April and May, you should therefore only plant the onions in June.
extend flowering time
Unfortunately, the flowering splendor of the gladioli is over after about two weeks. With a simple trick, however, the flowering period can be significantly extended so that you can enjoy the beauty of the gladiolus flowers for many weeks.
First of all, there are different types of gladioli that also bloom at different times. Choose early, mid, and late flowering strains, which will then open buds one at a time.
Plant a few gladioli bulbs every week from spring through June. Depending on when it was planted, the flowers will develop and you can expect new shoots over and over again for many weeks.
Wild forms of gladiolus
The wild forms of the gladiolus include, for example, the Siegwurz varieties. These are much more robust than cultivated gladioli. You can therefore plant the bulbs of these slightly more tender and smaller-growing wild gladioli in autumn without any worries.
tips
In harsh areas you can also grow the bulbs indoors so that the gladioli bloom at the desired time. Place the bulbs in potting soil, thick side down, and water regularly. Soon the gladioli will sprout.