Gladiolus: beautiful varieties and care tips from Florium.ua

Gladiolus - a beautiful decoration for autumn gardens

Gladiolus are very unusual, vibrant, and very beautiful flowers. They are unlike other plants, possessing individuality and their own character. Gladiolus have been cultivated in gardens for many, many years. They are one of the oldest flowers on the planet. And today, they remain fashionable. Another advantage of gladiolus is that they typically bloom at the end of summer or in autumn, when other plants have already finished flowering. On the website https://florium.ua/ you can find very beautiful varieties and gladiolus types and purchase them for your garden.

Africa is considered the native land of gladiolus, although in modern landscape design, these plants are used worldwide. Around 90 species of this plant are popular, from which numerous varieties have been developed. Mostly, gladiolus are tall flowers. Average height - one meter. The flower color can be the most diverse: white, red, peach, orange, yellow, lilac, pink, magenta, burgundy. There are many purple varieties. Bi-colored varieties look interesting. You can view the gladiolus catalog on the website https://florium.ua/ru/gladiolus.

Many gardeners want to buy gladiolus for their gardens. These plants are used to decorate flowerbeds, borders, and flower arrangements. They are often cultivated for floristry, as gladiolus look stunning in bouquets. The flowers are large, arranged in spikes, the size of one spike can reach 80 cm, and it can be adorned with 24 flowers!

Gladiolus flowers pair well with low-growing gardenias, but not with tall varieties. Gladiolus are often planted without other flowers, as they look best alone. Gladiolus are not planted as solitary plants, as they have a very specific appearance. It is better to plant gladiolus in groups. Pay attention to the size and color of the variety. Low and tall gladiolus planted randomly will look unharmonious. It is better to plant tall varieties on one flowerbed and low varieties on another. You can experiment with color. Combine varieties to create contrast. For example, plant red and white gladiolus together or dark purple with light lavender varieties.

Gladiolus photos

Choosing location and soil. It is better to choose a sunny spot for planting gladiolus. Early varieties can grow in partial shade, while later ones should be planted in full sun. Choosing soil is not a problem. Gladiolus grow well in all garden soils. They do poorly in very heavy soils, but easily adapt to sandy loam. They bloom better on slightly acidic soils.

When to plant gladiolus? It is better to start in early April. We recommend preparing the soil in autumn and adding fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium salt, compost).

Gladiolus planting. Before planting, bulbs should be sorted, selecting only healthy planting material. Pay attention to the skin, which must be carefully removed one week before planting. Bulbs are treated with potassium permanganate, then placed in a bright area and wait for sprouting. Only after this can bulbs be planted in open ground. Regarding bulb depth, gardeners may have different opinions. Some recommend planting at 10 cm or deeper, while others prefer shallower planting. Here, you should consider the size of the bulbs. It is best to plant large bulbs at a depth of 10 cm.

Gladiolus cultivation. Pay attention to watering. Gladiolus do not tolerate dry soil, and they must be watered regularly. During summer, water them once a day in the morning or evening. If the summer is cool, watering once a week is sufficient. Don't forget to loosen the soil by 5 cm after watering. Flowerbeds must be weeded. In early season, use nitrogen-based fertilizers, later add phosphorus and potassium. Liquid organic fertilizers can be used once every three weeks. An important point is preparing for winter. Bulbs are dug up, washed, and dried, then placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator until spring.

Knowing these rules, you will be able to decorate your garden with gladiolus in autumn.

Gladiolus communis photo:

Gladiolus: popular varieties

Gladiolus are divided into many varieties and types. We will tell you about five of the most popular varieties that are cultivated in our gardens and parks.

Gladiolus communis. The most popular variety used in landscape design. Plant height ranges from 60 to 100 cm. The flower spike is about 20 cm, consisting of 4-12 flowers. Flower color is usually light, can be pale pink or purple, flower width - about 4 cm, though other varieties exist. Leaves are narrow, sword-shaped, dark green.

Gladiolus palustris. In nature, these gladiolus often grow on meadows, but in our gardens they are frequently used to decorate areas near rivers, artificial ponds, lakes, or simply planted in flowerbeds. This is a low plant, average height about 50 cm. The stem is weak, adorned with about five flowers, flower size - 3 cm. Flower color is usually dark purple.

Gladiolus Kochii has a short, but sturdy stem, height - 35-65 cm. Flowers are gathered in a short spike, usually four flowers, occasionally eight. Color is usually purple, dark purple.

Gladiolus ponticus. A very beautiful variety of gladiolus. It is the most commonly found in gardens, as the flowers are large and immediately catch attention. Flower size - 6 cm wide. Today, many varieties exist, impressing with flower color. You can find red varieties, purple, dark burgundy, magenta, carmine, and pink. Flowers are also arranged in spikes, but not densely. Spike length - 20 cm, consisting of 10 flowers.

Gladiolus peltatus. An unusual variety of gladiolus, distinguished from other varieties by its flowers. In nature, the plant grows up to 50 cm, in gardens with proper care - up to 80 cm. It tolerates drought, as it usually grows on warm meadows. The spike is dense and short, may consist of 14 flowers. Petals are large, oval. Color is usually magenta, lilac-pink.

These are the most popular varieties, divided into beautiful types. You will surely be able to choose beautiful flowers for your flowerbed. In Ukraine, these flowers are very popular, they adapt well and thrive under our conditions. You can buy gladiolus in Kyiv and other cities, as these flowers grow well across our entire territory. The only drawback is that bulbs must be dug up for winter storage. Today, it is very easy to buy gladiolus bulbs by mail, and later plant them on your plot.

A few tips on planting and care

Growing gladiolus is not difficult, although this flower is not absolutely undemanding. If you have never designed a flowerbed or worked with decorative plants, you can try growing gladiolus. The main thing is to spend a little time on care, plant the bulbs correctly, and later prepare the plant for winter.