How to Grow Gladiolus Bulbs: a complete guide
Gladiolus gandavensis Van Houtte (Latin scientific name: Gladiolus gandavensis Van Houtte), also known as Eight Hundred Hammers, and its common names are water chestnut lotus , iris, gladiolus , and ten kinds of brocade, is a plant of the genus Gladiolus of the Iridaceae family .
Gladiolus plant height is 80-170 cm , and the bulb is oblate or oval. There are 6-9 leaves, scorpion-tail-shaped umbels, and 8-24 flowers. The flowers are huge. Gladiolus likes cool weather, is intolerant to cold, and is afraid of heat. It requires loose, fertile, moist, and well-drained soil. The optimal growth temperature is 20-25℃ during the day and 10-15℃ at night. Gladiolus is a long-day plant , and 16 hours of light per day is optimal. The flower stems of Iris are pulled out from the leaves, and the spike-like inflorescence is 30-75cm long. Each flower spike bears 8-24 flowers, and the corolla diameter is 8-16cm. The flowers gradually open from bottom to top . The corolla tube is enlarged, funnel-shaped, trumpet-shaped, bell-shaped, etc., and is slightly curved upward. Flower colors include red, yellow, purple, white, blue and other single or multi-color varieties. Gladiolus is an important fresh-cut flower that can be used in flower baskets , bouquets, vases, etc., and can be used to decorate flower borders and special flower beds. The dwarf varieties can be grown in pots for viewing . They are bulbous plants of the family Erythaceae. Gladiolus is originally produced in South Africa . The main producing countries are the United States, the Netherlands, Israel and Japan.
Origin of species: The plant is a hybrid, possibly a cross between G. psittacinus Hook. native to southern Africa and Gladiolus cardinalis Curtis , or later mixed with G. oppositiflorus Herb.
Morphological characteristics
Perennial herbs. The bulb is oblate and spherical, 2.5 to 4.5 cm in diameter, covered with brown or yellow-brown membranous coating. The leaves are basal or alternate at the base of the flower stem, sword-shaped, 40 to 60 cm long, 2 to 4 cm wide, sheath-like at the base, apex acuminate, arranged in 2 rows in an inlaid shape, grey-green, with several longitudinal veins and one obvious and prominent midrib. The flower stem is upright, 50-80 cm high, unbranched, with several alternate leaves on the lower part of the flower stem; the terminal spike is 25-35 cm long, with 2 bracts under each flower, membranous, yellow-green, ovate. Or broadly lanceolate, 4 to 5 cm long, 1.8 to 3 cm wide, with an obvious midrib; no pedicel; the flowers are solitary in the bract, symmetrical on both sides, with colors such as red, yellow, white or pink, and a diameter of 6 to 8 cm; the perianth tube is about 2.5 cm long, with a curved base and 6 perianth lobes, arranged in 2 whorls. The inner and outer perianth lobes are oval or elliptical, and the upper three are slightly larger (the outer perianth lobes are 2, Inner perianth lobes 1), the uppermost inner perianth lobes are particularly wide, curved into a helmet shape; stamens 3, upright, adnate to the helmet-shaped inner perianth lobes, about 5.5 cm long, with strip-shaped anthers, Reddish-purple or dark purple, with white filaments, borne on the perianth tube; style about 6 cm long, 3-lobed at the top, stigma slightly flattened, wide and enlarged, with short tomentose; ovary oval, green, 3-chambered, central axis Placenta, many ovules. The capsule is oval or obovate, with the back of the chamber dehiscing when mature; the seeds are flat and winged. The flowering period is from July to September, and the fruiting period is from August to October.
There are following key points worth noting:
Growth habits
Gladiolus is a light-loving, long-day plant that avoids cold and freezes. It prefers a cool climate in summer and cannot tolerate excessive heat. The bulbs germinate at 4 to 5°C and grow best at 20 to 25°C. It likes fertile and deep sandy soil and requires good drainage. It is not suitable to be planted in heavy clay soil prone to waterlogging. Summer growth in Northeast and North China is better than that in Guangzhou and Shanghai. In Shanghai, you can safely spend the winter in the open field, but in the north , you need to dig out the bulbs and put them indoors for the winter.
Propagation and Cultivation
Planting method
Usually after one year of cultivation of Gladiolus, one cue ball will produce 1-2 commercial balls and many daughter balls. After grading, the bulbs with a circumference of more than 8 cm will be directly sold into the market, and the daughter balls with a circumference of less than 8 cm will be directly sold into the market. Re-cultivation is carried out in 3 levels. Generally, the circumference of the large ball is 4-8 cm, the circumference of the neutron ball is 2-4 cm, and the circumference of the small ball is less than 2 cm. Different levels of cultivation are divided into pieces. The smaller the bulb, the better it can maintain the genetic characteristics of the variety, but the cultivation period will be longer. Because the bulbs are large and have the ability to bloom, the nutrient consumption is too large, and the quality of the commercial bulbs produced is poor. Therefore, it is best to use neutron balls to breed commercial balls in cultivation. It is worth noting that the bigger the commercial ball, the better. It is better to produce fresh-cut flowers with round, full and hard balls. The fresh-cut flowers produced by tall and flat balls with soft balls are not of high quality.
Medium balls and large balls are planted using a ditching spot method. The ditch depth is about 3 times the diameter of the ball, and the distance between the plants can be flexibly controlled according to the diameter of the ball. The small balls are spread by trenching, and the sub-balls are mostly spread by direct spreading. Apply sufficient base fertilizer before sowing, but be careful not to let the fertilizer come into direct contact with the bulbs. Pay attention to water management after sowing, and do not dry or water the bulbs before they emerge. In order to increase the yield of fresh cut flowers per unit area, the row spacing should be minimized without affecting the ability to pick flowers.
Cut ball breeding
For some rare varieties that want to quickly expand their reproduction coefficient, you can cut the plump and plump commercial balls into 2-4 pieces. Each piece must have a partial root disk and complete and substantial buds for seed ball propagation. To prevent the bulbs from rotting, the cut surface should be smeared with charcoal powder or plant ash and planted immediately.
Tissue Culture Propagation
Tissue culture propagation can update and rejuvenate conventional cultivated varieties. Because of the long-term vegetative propagation of Gladiolus, variety mixing and degradation are quite serious, so tissue culture must be carried out regularly to detoxify and rejuvenate. Petals and lateral buds can be used as explants. After disinfection and inoculation, it can be cultured at 25°C and 2000 ℃, and seedlings can be obtained through induction, subculture and rooting culture. Continue to cultivate the seedlings to obtain test tube bulbs. After the test tube bulbs are tempered and planted for two years, they will grow into mother balls, which are non-toxic bulbs.
There is no unified method for classifying Gladiolus internationally , but most classifications are based on habits, growth period, flower shape, flower diameter, flower color, etc. Since gladioli is mostly used as cut flowers on the market, most varieties have large flowers, many florets, and tall plants. While these varieties with large flowers and tall plants are used in gardens , they are prone to lodging when planted in flower beds. Therefore, for garden application, the selection principles of gladioli varieties are that the flowers should be small rather than large, the plants should be short rather than tall, and the stems should be hard rather than soft. The selection during the growth period is mainly dry flowering and medium flowering. The size of the bulb will also affect the height of the plant, the thickness of the stem, the length of the flower spike, and the number of florets. Compared with larger bulbs, smaller bulbs will have slightly shorter plants, slightly thinner stalks, and smaller florets. The number is also smaller. Therefore, choosing a bulb with a circumference of 6-8 cm or 8-10 cm can avoid the problem of the plant being too tall and the flower spikes being too long and prone to lodging.
Propagation and Cultivation
Usually after one year of cultivation of Gladiolus, one cue ball will produce 1-2 commercial balls and many daughter balls. After grading, the bulbs with a circumference of more than 8 cm will be directly sold into the market, and the daughter balls with a circumference of less than 8 cm will be directly sold into the market. Re-cultivation is carried out in 3 levels. Generally, the circumference of the large ball is 4-8 cm, the circumference of the neutron ball is 2-4 cm, and the circumference of the small ball is less than 2 cm. Different levels of cultivation are divided into pieces. The smaller the bulb, the better it can maintain the genetic characteristics of the variety, but the cultivation period will be longer. Because the bulbs are large and have the ability to bloom, the nutrient consumption is too large, and the quality of the commercial bulbs produced is poor. Therefore, it is best to use neutron balls to breed commercial balls in cultivation. It is worth noting that the bigger the commercial ball, the better. It is better to produce fresh-cut flowers with round, full and hard balls. The fresh-cut flowers produced by tall and flat balls with soft balls are not of high quality.
Medium balls and large balls are planted using a ditching spot method. The ditch depth is about 3 times the diameter of the ball, and the distance between the plants can be flexibly controlled according to the diameter of the ball. The small balls are spread by trenching, and the sub-balls are mostly spread by direct spreading. Apply sufficient base fertilizer before sowing, but be careful not to let the fertilizer come into direct contact with the bulbs. Pay attention to water management after sowing, and do not dry or water the bulbs before they emerge. In order to increase the yield of fresh cut flowers per unit area, the row spacing should be minimized without affecting the ability to pick flowers.
Cut ball breeding
For some rare varieties that want to quickly expand their reproduction coefficient, you can cut the plump and plump commercial balls into 2-4 pieces. Each piece must have a partial root disk and complete and substantial buds for seed ball propagation. To prevent the bulbs from rotting, the cut surface should be smeared with charcoal powder or plant ash and planted immediately.
Tissue Culture Propagation
Tissue culture propagation can update and rejuvenate conventional cultivated varieties. Because of the long-term vegetative propagation of Gladiolus, variety mixing and degradation are quite serious, so tissue culture must be carried out regularly to detoxify and rejuvenate. Petals and lateral buds can be used as explants. After disinfection and inoculation, it can be cultured at 25°C and 2000 ℃, and seedlings can be obtained through induction, subculture and rooting culture. Continue to cultivate the seedlings to obtain test tube bulbs. After the test tube bulbs are tempered and planted for two years, they will grow into mother balls, which are non-toxic bulbs.
Variety selection
Cultivation
There is no unified method for classifying Gladiolus internationally , but most classifications are based on habits, growth period, flower shape, flower diameter, flower color, etc. Since gladioli is mostly used as cut flowers on the market, most varieties have large flowers, many florets, and tall plants. While these varieties with large flowers and tall plants are used in gardens , they are prone to lodging when planted in flower beds. Therefore, for garden application, the selection principles of gladioli varieties are that the flowers should be small rather than large, the plants should be short rather than tall, and the stems should be hard rather than soft. The selection during the growth period is mainly dry flowering and medium flowering. The size of the bulb will also affect the height of the plant, the thickness of the stem, the length of the flower spike, and the number of florets. Compared with larger bulbs, smaller bulbs will have slightly shorter plants, slightly thinner stalks, and smaller florets. The number is also smaller. Therefore, choosing a bulb with a circumference of 6-8 cm or 8-10 cm can avoid the problem of the plant being too tall and the flower spikes being too long and prone to lodging.
Field management
For cultivating gladioli, you should choose sandy loam that is sunny, has good drainage, and contains a lot of humus. Although it can grow and bloom in clay soil , the regeneration bulbs are poorly developed and there are few small bulbs formed under the large bulbs. Sufficient base fertilizer should be applied to the soil before planting. , the type of base fertilizer should be rich in phosphorus and potassium. The planting depth varies according to the soil properties and bulb size, generally 5 to 10 cm, the plant-to-row spacing is 15 to 25 cm, and top dressing is applied three times during the growth period. The first time is after the two leaves unfold, to promote the growth of buds, stems and leaves; the second time is when the four leaf stems are elongated and pregnant with buds, to promote strong flower branches and large flowers; the third time is after flowering, to promote the development of new bulbs. . Sunlight during the growth period is beneficial to the differentiation and development of flower buds. If there is a drought in summer, sufficient irrigation should be provided. At the same time, attention should be paid to drainage and irrigation during the rainy season.
Cultivation points
1. Soil Preparation and Fertilization
The soil for planting gladiolus should be sandy loam. The soil layer should be deep, loose, and well-drained. Water accumulation should be avoided. It is made into a high border with a height of 20 centimeters and a width of 1 to 1.5 meters. Fertilization should take into account both nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Since gladiolus is a shallow-rooted plant , fertilizer should be applied shallowly. For top dressing, apply thin manure and urea once at the second true leaf stage (after flower bud differentiation) and ear emergence stage, and apply potassium fertilizer once in the mid-term. In the later stage, pay attention to nitrogen control to prevent the plant from growing too long and causing lodging. For plots where bulb production is the main focus, potassium fertilizer should be applied mainly.
2. Bulb selection and handling
After determining the cultivar, you should pay attention to choosing bulbs. When selecting, be sure to avoid mixing varieties and choose bulbs that are free from diseases and insect pests and have no damaged buds. Before planting, soak the graded bulbs in water for 15 minutes, and then use 0. Soak in 1% mercury chloride or 80 times formalin for half an hour for disinfection, take it out and rinse it before planting.
3. Planting Period
Under natural conditions, it is usually planted from April to May when the ground temperature is around 10C. If annual production is required, it should be determined according to different flowering periods. Under conditions where temperature and light are guaranteed, those that are required to be on the market before New Year's Day should be sown in early September, those that are on the market during the Spring Festival can be sown in late September, and those that are supplied with cut flowers in early spring can be sown from late November to late December. Those that bloom from late May to early June can be germinated in early February and planted in the open field in early April. Those that bloom during National Day can be sown from early June to mid-July.
4. Break the eyes
The bulbs will stay dormant for about 3 months under low temperature conditions. If they need to be planted in advance, they can be treated at a high temperature of 35℃ for 15 to 20 days, and then treated at a low temperature of 2C to 3C for 20 days to break the dormancy. However, the bulbs should be kept dry during this period. Excessive humidity may cause the bulbs to rot.
5. Planting specifications
It varies with the plant type of the variety. Large plant types are 20 cm square, while small and medium plant types are 10-15 cm square. The planting depth is generally 3 cm to 10 cm. To prevent lodging, when planting bulbs, place two layers of 20 cm square nylon mesh on the planting bed in advance. Later, as the plants grow taller, use pillars to pull and tighten them layer by layer to prevent the plants from lodging and the flower stems from bending.
Gladiolus needs sufficient water during its growth period, but it is not tolerant of water logging. During the maintenance period, you should water enough, but not too much. Gladiolus is intolerant of standing water, so drainage work should be done to ensure smooth water flow. Water supply methods such as sprinkler irrigation, flood irrigation, and drip irrigation can be used. Sprinkler irrigation can provide water more evenly during the seedling stage of Gladiolus, which is beneficial to the growth of the plant. However, it is not suitable after entering the flowering stage because sprinkler irrigation will increase the weight of the flower and easily cause lodging. Flood irrigation is to supply water through the furrow and irrigate the planting area to achieve the effect of watering thoroughly. During flood irrigation, the water supply standard is to not flood the furrow surface. When the furrow surface first appears water-stained, stop irrigation immediately and clear the furrow in time. excess water inside. After each flood irrigation, the borderland can generally maintain sufficient moisture for 4-5 days. After multiple flood irrigations, the soil will become compacted and must be ploughed to loosen the soil. Although flood irrigation can provide sufficient moisture to the soil, this irrigation method can easily cause a waste of water resources. Drip irrigation can effectively control soil moisture according to the different water requirements of gladioli at different stages of growth, and can also save water.
Cultivation and management
(1) In production, bulbs are mainly planted. In spring, they are graded according to the size of the bulbs, and mixed with 70% thiophanate methyl powder 800 times or carbendazim 1000 times and captan 1500 times and soaked for 30 minutes, and then soaked for 20 Germination is accelerated at ~25°C and can be planted in about 1 week. For varieties with severe virus infection and obvious degradation, stem tip detoxification can be used to rejuvenate the plants.
(2) Conventional cultivation of Gladiolus refers to cultivation under natural conditions, and bulbs with a diameter of more than 2.5 cm are generally selected. There are two planting methods: ridge planting and border planting, with a planting depth of 5 to 10 cm. When gladiolus produces its second leaf, it is the time when the flower buds are differentiating. It is particularly sensitive to environmental factors. If it encounters low temperature and low light, the number of "blind flowers" will increase.
Generally, during land preparation, 6 to 9 kilograms of nitrogen, 6 to 12 kilograms of phosphorus, and 7 to 12 kilograms of potassium are applied per mu. Top dressing is required three times throughout the growing season, that is, once when 2 to 3 leaves are drawn, when the inflorescence is drawn out from the leaves, and once after 15 days of flowering.
(3) For gladiolus cultivation, bulb dormancy needs to be broken first. After the bulbs are harvested, under natural conditions, from late autumn to early winter, dormancy can be broken only after being affected by low temperatures. To promote cultivation, dormancy must be broken manually. That is, after harvesting the bulbs, they are first treated with a high temperature of 35°C for 15 to 20 days, and then treated with a low temperature of 2 to 3°C for 20 days, and then transplanted to allow normal germination and growth.
If flowers are required from January to February, they should be planted from October to November; if they are planted in December, they should bloom from March to May. That is, it takes 100 to 120 days from planting to flowering. The plant-to-row spacing for cultivation is 15cm × 15cm or 25cm × 7cm, and 40 to 60 bulbs are planted per square meter. After planting, the temperature should be maintained at 20 to 25°C during the day and around 15°C at night.
(4) Gladiolus can also be cultivated in a delayed manner. After the bulbs are harvested, they are stored in a dry cold storage at 3 to 5°C, and then planted in the greenhouse from July to August of the following year. The management work is the same as that for cultivation.
(5) Cut flowers can be harvested 60 to 100 days after planting, and the specific time depends on the variety. When 1 to 5 small flowers at the lower part of the inflorescence are translucent, it is the right time for harvesting. They are usually picked together with 2 to 3 leaves. Be careful not to damage the leaves left on the lower stems in order to continue to supply nutrients to the new bulbs and sub-bulbs. The harvested flowers should be packaged in different grades, placed in a storage warehouse at around 4°C, and shipped to consumers within 3 to 7 days. If the storage or transportation time is too long, the quality will decrease.
Type introduction
Parent Species
Melancholy Gladiolus is also known as Garden-leaved Gladiolus. The bulb is medium-sized and spherical. The plant height is 45 cm. The leaves are slightly cylindrical. The inflorescence is sparse. There are 3 to 4 flowers in 2. They open sideways. The flowers are yellow-white with purple color. Or brown brush-like fine lines and spots. The petals are reversed and fragrant.
Crimson Gladiolus: Also known as Red Gladiolus, the bulb is large and spherical, with a plant height of 90-120cm, a cylindrical stem, 6-7 flowers, small bell-shaped flowers, crimson, with large white spots.
Parrot Gladiolus: Large oblate spherical ball, purple, about 1m tall, with 10 to 12 flowers that open sideways, large yellow flowers with dark purple spots or purple halos.
Gladiolus multiflora: The bulb is medium spherical, the plant height is 45-60cm, and it has more than 20 flowers. The flowers are large and white.
Primrose Gladiolus: The bulb is larger and globular, the plant is short, with 3 to 5 flowers, oriented sideways, and the flowers are violet purple with a slight blush.
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