Do gladioli multiply easily?

I have had several glads in a strip of border for 3 years now and they don't seem to be increasing. Do the bulbs produce 'babies' like daffs and tulips every year or will I only get the one (big) flower-stalk from each one per season? Should I dig them up for the winter? (I haven't so far.) Any glad. lovers out there? - Lindy

 

They will "split" occasionally, like daffs. And produce [quite possibly "Lots of"] little bulblets around the base corm, these can be planted, but will take about 3 years before they flower.

"Should I dig them up for the winter?"

Yes, a cold winter can kill them (we haven;t had one recently, of course ...), and the wet might not be good for them either.

 

Hi Lindy. I seem to remember this guy from years ago who used to increase numbers by digging them up when they had died back and taking off the little corms that are attatched. I guess he overwintered them somewhere before planting them back out in spring in their own bed. He would then just look after them as any other plant, watering/feeding etc. The ONE thing that seemed to be important was NOT to let them flower for a couple of years in order to build up the corm. Like I said, this is from memory, so if I'm wrong, hopefully someone can help you more on this. Cheers...freddy.

 

Thank you, kristen and freddy. I shall dig up the glads when they have finished and died back and over-winter them under cover. When you say don't let the new bulbs flower, does that mean they will only produce leaves or will they produce a flower stalk which has to be pinched out?

 

One off the worst pests in my allotment,is gladioli cormlets sprouting, they come up everywhere, and have done so for years.

I buy the large corms in Lidl's most years,sometimes I lift and some years I let them take their chances.

I find wet soil is the biggest killer!

Lovely but still a pest!

 

Thanks for the tip, MB! I'll get down to my local Lidl's for supplies of bulbs etc - cheaper than garden centres!

 

Hi Lindy. The chances are that in the first year there wont be a flower, but should there be, it should be removed. Same in year two. I'm unsure as to how long you should do this before letting them flower. Cheers...freddy.

 

"I'm unsure as to how long you should do this before letting them flower"

if you just want them to flower in a border then it probably doesn't matter too much if they start flowering when they are a bit weedy. However, flowering takes energy, and there will be less energy going into building up the corm for next year.

I think its more a question of "size of corm" than "how long". Some will get ****** in a shorter time, and if you grade them by the corm size, when you lift them, the big ones will be ready to flower, and the little ones need longer in the nursery bed.