Packing up the garden for the winter, gladioli, ginger lilly and strawberries

Hi All

Although the weather is still a little mild my summer plants have all well and truly come to an end, and I'm wondering what's best to do to make the most of them again next year.

Gladioli, I've got dozens of them (mainly in pots) and all grew fantastically this year, should I cut them right back, remove the bulb to dry out, leave them in the soil or what ???

Ginger Lilly, I was advised to put my potted lily into the garage last year to protect it from the cold, but maybe because of a lack of water, it died right back to the tuba, fortunately it came back this summer but very very slowly along with a late developing off-spring, the main column is about 3foot high and the baby about 1foot. While I know they'll need the indoor protection, should I keep it mildly watered and fed to keep up its growth from this year, else it'll never to get to the stage of developing a flower ???

Finally for my Strawberries, I started off with 18 bought planters this summer and they all gave a reasonable crop, as autumn came a couple have rotted and died, however I've managed to pot-on about 30+ trailer babies. Should I leave these outside over the winter, put them in my very cramped and very small greenhouse or store them in my very spacious garage and just keep them watered every few weeks ????

Thank you very much for any advise posted on any of the above
Regards
John

 

Gladioli : cut the foliage off and leave the bulb to dry out in a frost free place. Keep the mice away. When dry remove the old bulb (from the bottom) and the little bulblets (plant in drills, separately)

 

Thanks for the advise on the Gladioli, so guess once they've dried out they can be stored until next year ?? Is it best to store them just in dry free air or in a pot of soil of any sort ???

Thanks again

 

I leave my strawberries out all year long and they are fine. When I take runners I tend to leave them in the soil and just ditch the parent plants.

I agree, it is very mild this year.

 

Thanks for the advise lollipop, my parent strawberries are only this years crop, so i'd expect another season or two from them, but hoping i'll reap about 90% of the babies for next June, fingers crossed. I'll leave them out but may put some blanketing material over them if it frosts or even snows. Do you leave yours in pots or in the main soil bed ??

 

I thought strawberry plants were good for 3 years before you needed to replace them?

 

I did too to be honest, i'll aim for another season or two with the parent crop and remove them once they start to under-perform. Is there any thought that over encouraging runners will harm the parent plants performace the following season ??

 

They are best in their second year, but there isn`t anything to stop you taking runners up to then. I meant that I ditch when they are past their best. I don`t actually encourage them as such I just have a look now and then and stick a hairpin around any runners that look like likely candidates as and when.
Mine are left in the soil, I don`t have them in pots usually, although this year I tried it and they all died-don`t know why but I`ll do it the old way in future. Every garden is it`s own little world isn`t it.

They are in a relatively sheltered spot but not covered or anything.

 

Hi John
I don`t dig up any of the plants you mentioned , i cut the dying stems off mulch them well and thats it , and as soon as the weather starts to improve away they go, :hehe:

 

I never take my strawberries in they are left out all year.

 

Re Gladioli I've got them all growing in the borders. As this is the first year for them I'm doing a little experiment-I've lifted half of them and drying them by hanging them up in the shed, the others half are staying in the ground and letting the green bits wither away. Will see which give a better display next year.

I don't mind if I lose the ones in the ground as they cost £1.00 for a big bag from good old Wilky's but I don't think I will. A friend does the same and her's return year after year, and spread.

 

Are you drying some to plant out again next year Aaron? Or are they for sharing? LOL

 

" I don't mind if I lose the ones in the ground as they cost £1.00 for a big bag from good old Wilky's but I don't think I will."

Depends how cold the winter is I reckon ... a serious wet winter may not help either, I suppose.

 

I've picked a whole heap of the bulblets off them so if you want some, shout :wink: But I've heard they take ages to regrow and I'm not the most patient of people so I don't know what I'll do with them.

I'll replant the original bulbs in Spring. The ones I have left in situ are very sheltered and in a drier part of the garden. They are also the ones that did better-the ones I planted in the damper areas didn't flower so well-probably why! :dh:

 

Just put them in a pot and forget about them for a bit. They`ll come up.

I don`t have gladioli but am considering them for next year. Which kind are they Aaron?