How to properly plant and care for gladioli in pots
Nature itself has laid in man a love for plants and flowers. People are fascinated by planting and caring for potted gladioli, admiring the magnificent flowers, inhaling the floral scent, watching their growth and development. Even indoors, a person tends to surround himself with beautiful living plants. The gladiolus flower belongs to garden crops due to its voluminous and long root. But breeders were able to develop special varieties of gladioli suitable for cultivation, both at home and outdoors.
Rules for planting gladioli in pots
How to plant gladioli in a pot:
- The choice of the landing capacity. These should be roomy pots, flowerpots, pots or containers with a diameter of 20 to 30 cm and a depth of 30-40 cm.
- Drainage is required. Excess moisture is harmful to gladioli, therefore drainage material at the base of the container and special holes in the bottom of the pot are prerequisites for a beautiful and powerful flower.
- Soil base. For planting and caring for potted gladioli, an airy and structured soil is suitable. For high-quality plant growth, the earth must be nutritious and moisture-consuming.
- Planting material. For planting, choose only whole, healthy bulbs, suitable varieties with a stem height not exceeding 50 cm (miniature or small-flowered).
- Drop off time. The time range for planting gladioli is quite wide - from late March to mid-May.
Gladioli are planted in pots in March, and disembarkation closer to summer is not prohibited - in mid-April and early May. The bulb is deepened into the planting soil by 10 or 12 cm, while the distance between them should not exceed 5-6 cm. After 2 or 3 weeks you will be able to enjoy the first shoots. The ideal place for pots with gladioli is where it is calm, sunny and warm, where rainwater should not get on the plants. To better understand the technology, watch the video of planting gladioli in pots.
Growing gladioli at home and on the street
Gladiolus belongs to the iris family, there are about 5000 varieties in the world, various in shape, appearance and color. A distinctive feature of gladioli is a long flowering period and a long life after cutting.
Can gladioli be planted in pots? Yes, this flower is great for landscaping balconies and loggias, flower pots can be displayed on paths in the garden and in the summer cottage, lush bloom can transform an apartment and a private house. For every amateur gardener or professional florist, growing gladioli will be an interesting and exciting experience, and if you follow all the rules, you can achieve an amazing effect - long-term and lush flowering until autumn.
Continuous flowering of gladioli is maintained by planting additional seed rhizomes every 2 weeks in pots, planters or containers. This method is ideal for undersized gladiolus varieties.
Gladiolus flower care without mistakes
Growing gladioli in pots suitable for dwarf, miniature, small-flowered and medium-flowered varieties of gladioli. This allows a person to decorate his house and balcony, to breed beautiful gladioli in the country and in a flower bed, to plant flowers in hanging pots and floor vases. The decorative properties of gladioli are preserved provided that the soil is sufficiently moist, excess moisture can destroy the plant. Watering at home should be done 3 times a week. On hot days outside, you need to water the flowers twice a day - in the morning and evening. It will be useful to sprinkle the soil with mulch, which retains moisture well and protects against mold.
Proper feeding is the key to a long and beautiful flowering of gladioli.
For this, mineral mixtures based on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, organic fertilizers and substances to stimulate growth are suitable. The first feeding can be done at the stage of appearance of the third leaf, the second time fertilization is applied when the sixth leaf grows. Further, it is advisable to fertilize during the formation of inflorescences.
Outdoor potted gladioli - requirements:
- Training... Experts recommend soaking the seed material before planting in a solution of potassium permanganate with a concentration of 0.1% for half an hour.
- Landing. The rules for planting in street conditions remain unchanged: a container sufficient in width and depth for planting, drainage drainage to the bottom, fertile and loose soil. Planting is allowed to a depth of 10-12 cm from the end of March to the end of May, with a small interval between the gladiolus bulbs.
- Watering. The soil in containers dries faster than open ground, so the soil in a pot or flowerpot should be well moistened, but without excess moisture. Therefore, watering plants should be based on the ambient conditions and air humidity. The root system of gladioli needs systematic loosening of the soil, the formation of a crust negatively affects the development of the plant and the quality of flowers.
- Top dressing. Fertilize gladioli should be under the root and outside the root system. Mineral fertilizers are applied 4 times - on the 3rd leaflet, on the 6th leaflet, the next - during budding and at the beginning of flowering. Organic substances are introduced if necessary, growth stimulants are introduced twice a summer season - these can be Zircon and Epin preparations.
- Protection. Diseases often attack potted gladioli when planting and caring for them. Prevention and careful observation of the flower will avoid the death of gladiolus from pests.
- Loosening. Unique flower gladiolus loves light and airy soil. When a crust forms on the surface, the process of decay can begin, as a result, the plant will die or lose its spectacular appearance. It is necessary to loosen the soil around the stem around the perimeter of the pot.
Due to the external similarity of gladiolus leaves with swords, its second name is a sword. These delicate and graceful flowers are versatile - they can be grown outdoors in the street or in the garden, as well as indoors on a windowsill, balcony or loggia. The incredible bloom of gladioli can be preserved throughout the summer until the very cold, provided they are taken care of in good faith and without error.