When to dig up gladioli, how to store

When to dig up gladioli? What associations do you have when you mention these proud flowers? We'll probably be right when we say that almost everyone thought about September 1, a big bouquet for the first teacher! Gladioli have become a classic attribute of the Day of Knowledge.
Often, gardeners who are starting this difficult path have many questions about the correct storage of the flower bulb and digging it up for the winter. Let's answer all these seemingly difficult questions together.

When to dig out gladioli, should you do it?

When to dig up gladioli

We must say right away that the gladiolus flower bulbs are very delicate, so the need for digging before the winter season is great in winter. They will freeze easily, losing the ability to grow. A cold environment weakens the "immunity" of the bulb, so it can easily "get sick".
Also, pests spread quickly in moist soil, which can destroy valuable flower bulbs.

When to dig up gladioli, how to do it right

When to dig up gladioli, how to properly

We found out that when the question arises: "to dig or not?" We answer unequivocally - yes, absolutely! Now we propose to figure out how to do it correctly. First you need to choose a warm, sunny day. This will help dry the bulbs quickly.
When digging, stick the shovel as deep as possible to prevent damage to the material. We recommend spreading a film or cloth before starting the soil with the bulbs. This will make it easier for you to find all the kids.
After you have dug up all the bulbs, under no circumstances remove the husks from them! Exceptions are defective bulbs. It is almost impossible to save such material qualitatively until spring. For this reason, it must be destroyed. Valuable bulbs may be an exception. Try to save them by cutting off the damaged areas and working off the cut with a solution of greenery. But be sure to keep such diseased material away from undamaged material!
Used bulbs must be disposed of. For young, healthy plants, cut off the leaves and stems, leaving a stalk less than two centimeters long. The roots of adult bulbs are also subject to complete pruning, but on children they need to be shortened a little and completely cut off only in the spring before planting.

When to dig up gladioli bulbs: features

With that, "how to dig", decided. We now propose to answer the question: "when is it necessary to do this?" To do this, it is important to remember the flowering period of the flower and the period of its cutting, since the material ripens about thirty to forty after the flower blooms or it was cut. So, if you cut the flower on 03.08, then the bulbs should be dug up on 03.09.
If there are many gladiolus flowers on your site, then we recommend highlighting a separate notebook. It is necessary to mark the time when each plant began to bloom. Based on your notes, it will no longer be difficult to determine when to dig up each of the flowers.
It so happens that gardeners leave the flower, and do not cut it. Then the time for the formation of the bulb will increase by fifteen to twenty days. Thus, the planting material will need to be dug out no earlier than forty-five to fifty days from the beginning of flowering.
Gardeners with experience in Russia have already identified a pattern: gladioli, on average, under favorable weather conditions, begin to bloom in the second half of August. And the period when you need to start digging out ripe bulbs starts in the third week of September.
But don't worry if you dig up the bulbs ahead of time. There are times when the corm is not fully ripe, but has already been dug up. Then you do not have to look for separately lying children in the ground. Digging up early will not affect a healthy bulb in any way. If her children are not fully formed, you can determine this by gray or light gray color. Whereas fully matured material will not have the color of the soil.
As we mentioned earlier, the material should be excavated on a warm, dry day. It is important to ensure that the early representatives of this beautiful species are first dug up, and only then the later ones. To avoid confusion, we recommend growing each of the varieties separately from each other.
If you follow our recommendations, you will correctly save valuable plant species and get a beautiful flower bed in your garden!

Do gladioli dig up for the winter, how to disinfect after that

Do gladioli dig up for the winter, how to disinfect

After digging, the gladiolus bulbs need protection, so it is necessary to properly disinfect them. To do this, soak them first in a foundation solution. The mixture should be very weak at 0.1%. After, place the heads in a mixture of potassium permanganate and water. The mixture should be 0.3%. Keep the bulbs in each of the two liquids for 30 minutes. This will help to raise the "immunity" of our pets.
It is important to dry each bulb with good quality before storing. They are usually dried in a well-ventilated, dry, warm room for two months. During this period, it is important to periodically examine gladioli, identifying patients in time and isolating them from healthy ones.
It so happens that thrips grow in the bulbs. Then all the material must be placed in a bag along with a special product designed to remove all insects and tie it well. So, the onions will lie for about thirty minutes. Then, the gladiolus must be rinsed again in hot water and put back to dry.

When to dig up gladioli and how to store it in winter?

Whether to dig up gladioli, how to store

After drying, it is important to separate the adult bulbs from the babies. A good way to protect gladioli during the winter is with prepared cloves of garlic. Place a few pieces near the planting material, this will reliably protect against various diseases and from parasites.
It is important that the bulbs are not locked up during wintering, are not exposed to moisture changes and are well ventilated. For this, experienced gardeners advise using mesh bags. In them, the bulbs will be provided with constant air circulation. The best temperature for storing gladioli is +2 C.
If mold appears on the bulbs during the winter, wipe them with vodka and air dry. Do not worry if you process gladioli on time, the mold will not affect their safety and further properties.

When to dig up gladioli, how to store