Preparing gladioli tubers for planting in spring: 6 useful tips

Gladioli are bulbous flowers, so the process of growing them is specific. Work begins in the first month of spring, when planting material is prepared to move into open ground.

Condition assessment and cleaning

Even the hardiest gladioli bulbs can deteriorate over the winter. On the eve of planting, it is necessary to clean the workpieces from the husks and inspect them for defects:

• softness;
• traces of damage;
• extensive rotting;
• exposure to insects;
• bulb sizes (optimal size no more than 5 cm).

Processing spoiled material

Small areas of damage and rot can be repaired. It is enough to cut off the areas with a knife, treat them first with brilliant green, and then sprinkle with crushed activated carbon. Leave the bulbs in this state for 14 hours for the components used to take effect.

Disinfection

On the eve of planting, soak the workpieces in a fungicide solution to protect them from diseases and pests. For these purposes, gardeners use Fundazol, Maxim. Prepare the mixture according to the instructions, then soak the onions in it for 30 minutes.

Some advise using potassium permanganate, but such a disinfectant in practice turns out to be ineffective.

Germination

A few weeks before planting, the treated bulbs are placed in any container and placed in the sun (preferably where there are no drafts). The temperature should be at least +16 degrees.The vernalization method is used to awaken the preparations. The impact is considered sufficient if sprouts up to 5 cm or swollen roots appear on the bulb.

Saving elements that sprouted too early

If the temperature in the room where the gladioli tubers were stored was too high, their roots begin to actively grow. In order not to damage them during the process of transferring them to open ground, the bulbs are transferred to small pots with a special substrate - from it it will be easier to remove them along with a lump of earth when subsequently planted in the flower garden.

Bulb propagation

To separate the tubers and increase their number, planting material prepared in advance is laid out on its side or bottom up and exposed to the sun. When small sprouts appear, the onion is divided so that each resulting piece has one sprout. The separated elements are treated with wood ash and left for 2 weeks.

All that remains is to plant the prepared elements in the flower garden in mid-May and wait for them to grow beautiful flowers.