Gladiolus are not only impressive garden decorations, they are also extremely popular as vase flowers, and not just because of their meaning. Thanks to their long stems, they can be arranged extremely attractively in large containers and impress with their colorful individual flowers. But how should these beauties be cared for so that they stay fresh in the vase for as long as possible?
How do gladioli stay fresh for a long time in a vase?
To keep gladioli in a vase fresh for as long as possible, they should not be cut when fully bloomed, use fresh, room temperature water, clean the vase every day and change the water, avoid fresh flowers, trim the stems occasionally and avoid direct sunlight.
Cutting gladiolus flowers
Gladiolus are one of those flowers that should not be cut when they are fully bloomed. Do not cut the stem too deeply, because this plant residue also nourishes the roots and ensures that they can store enough nutrients for the new growing season.
And into the vase
After cutting, place the flowers in the vase as quickly as possible so that the plant's pathways are not blocked by the reaction with air. Always use fresh, room temperature tap water. Before arranging the flowers in the vase, you should remove the foliage from the lower third of the stem. Then care for the gladioli as follows:
- Clean the vase daily and replace the water.
- As with all bulbous plants, you should avoid fresh flowers for gladioli, as this shortens the duration of the blooms.
- Even home remedies such as a copper coin or sugar no longer keep the gladioli fit, but rather have the opposite effect.
- Cut gladioli freshly occasionally with a knife.
- Do not place the bouquet in the sun.
- Cut off spent bells immediately so that the top flowers also open.
Don't cut all the flowers for the vase
Since the flower, like all other parts of the plant, ensures that the gladiolus stores important nutrients in the bulb for the next garden season, you should not cut all the flower shoots of the gladiolus that have been planted. Even if the bulb appears intact after cutting, it could be that next year it will only sprout weakly and not produce any flowers.
Tip
It is often advisable to cut flower stems at an angle to increase the absorption area for water. Avoid this with gladioli, as this measure also causes the gladioli to wilt more quickly.
