A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 digging up gladiolas

I am going to dig up my gladiolas today (not hardy here in the north). Do I let the bulbs dry out and store in a box in the basement?

According to Bill here they can just be stored in a paper bag.

I have a question about these bulbs as well. What zones will the glad bulbs survive in outside? We do get freezing temps here and snow. zone 8.

I'm in zone 6b/7a and mine usually survive in the ground with a good layer of mulch. Good winter drainage is also necessary.

Mine are doing great here in zone 7a and the poor things are planted in clay. They went from the original 9 I think to 13 in one year. And they were very healthy.

So then I should be ok in 7? They are in a spot with good drainage and they are also up against the house. I was planning on mulching them very well!

i'm in 6b and i'm supposed to pull them. i never have...i just put down a good, thick layer of leaves in the fall (at least 6 inches worth) and they've always come back...even the year we had a ton of snow and colder than normal weather.

I gave mine three inches of leaf mulch and they were in great shape this year so I think you are going to be fine Triss.

Well that is a relief. I really do not like to dig up and store stuff cuz I just do not have the space for it. To be able to keep them once I move them and mulch is a perfect solution for me!

When can I move mine?? I have them in three different places and would like to group them together should I just wait untill next spring or dig them up and store them and replant later??
Very mild winters here with occasional snow and Ice may last two day when is the best time to move or store to replant??

you can move them at any time, now. they're done blooming and have had plenty of time to store energy in the bulbs for next years blooms.

you can either leave the green stuff on or trim/remove it...personally, i leave it on all my bulbs until it's completely dead/brown. which means i clean them off in the spring we've colder weather here and i just like to give them the most opportunity to store energy for the next growing season...

thank you Joclyn!!!

Question on glads: Mine are 2 weeks post-blooming and there are large pod things growing from the stem where the blooms were. About an inch or so high and 1/2" thick. Do I do anything with these? I'm pulling up my bulbs, storing for winter, and if these "pods" are significant, I don't want to screw anything up

it's possible that there are seeds in the pods. i remember seeing another post (somewhere around here) where it was mentioned. i don't think there's a lot of success with glad seeds tho. not sure about it.

i had one pod forming and i left it on the plant instead of deadheading...then i forgot about it and when i was going through the beds again, i cut it off...

couldn't hurt to let the pod continue to form and when it's drying out, to take it and try doing something with the seeds in the spring.

Thanks, Joclyn Since there are about 10 of them, I peeled one out and opened it up. Yes, there are tiny double rows of seeds from bottom to top in three 'compartments.' As you suggest, I'm going to let them dry on the stem. And I'll tie a ribbon around it so I don't forget and 'cut it off!'

I remember reading that it takes like 5 or 7 years for a seed to become a bulb? Could have been in a dream, alongside dancing moles under coffee snow...

The question is: Do I have the right virtue to nurse seed(s) in a pot whose alarm is set for 2011...

I didn't mean to hijack the thread. Thanks to the posts on when and how to pull and store glads for winter, I've learned a lot

that long huh? I plan to try amryllis seeds when I get settled they take 5 years. I'm a nut for these kinds of projects.

Today, I pulled up my glads (about 16). I've been reading that the "old" corms should be removed. Well, how do I tell what's old or new?

I have pics. Do you need to see 'em?

Most of the pictures on the web I saw were not actual corms but renderings (drawings). It was hard to imagine what I should be doing with these until I dug them. It's sorta clear now!

Is this a knife job or can I break these things off by hand c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y?



More pics at: http://snipurl.com/x7fd

try by hand first and if that doesn't work use the knife and pry carefully.

Thank you, Tkhooper I'll give that a try. I feel lucky that my glads doubled. If this happens every year, I'll be going into the stake business haa!

Thanks again for your reply

All of mine didn't double but about half of them did. I had 9 the first year and 13 the second year. I think putting down a heavy 3 inch leaf mulch is what gave the bulb the energy to reproduce like that. But that is just a guess.

I'm in 6b, but on the edge of 6a....I've never dug mine up and although I have some mulch it's not very thick and they make it through the winter just fine.