Only if you plant the gladiolus bulbs correctly can the small tubers develop into strong plants with magnificent flower stalks. The planting depth is also important so that the shoots are not blown over by the first wind.
How to plant gladioli correctly?
To plant gladioli correctly, you should plant the bulbs from mid-May to June (in mild regions from the end of April), insert the bulbs with the germination point upwards, maintain a planting distance of 10 to 15 cm and a planting depth of twice the onion diameter.
Planting gladiolus bulbs
Since gladioli are not hardy, the bulbs are only placed in the ground when night frosts are no longer expected. The optimal planting time is around mid-May to June, in mild regions even from the end of April.
When planting, follow these steps:
- Remove the soil from weeds and loosen it well.
- Work some mature compost and horn shavings (€52.00 on Amazon) into the soil.
- Dig planting hole.
- If the soil is loamy or clayey, add some sand to the small pit as drainage.
- Place the onions in the soil with the vegetation point (germination point) facing upwards.
- Cover gladiolus bulbs with garden soil.
How deep do you plant?
If you want gladioli to bloom very early, you can let the germination point protrude from the soil. However, the onion cannot grow in as well and usually needs additional support to prevent it from tipping over.
The optimal planting depth is twice the bulb diameter. If you don't want to miss out on early flowering, you can grow the bulbs indoors.
The correct planting distance
To ensure that gladioli are shown to their best advantage, you should plant them in small groups. But don't place the bulbs too closely so that the gladioli have enough space to develop. A planting distance of 10 to 15 centimeters is ideal. This depends on the growth height of the gladiolus and is usually noted on the plant packaging.
Tip
When buying gladiolus bulbs, make sure that they are large, firm and have not sprouted yet. Since the bulbs have no soil available, they have to use up part of their nutrient supply, grow poorly and often no longer bloom.
