When To Plant Gladiolus

The corms need to be dug, dried, and stored for the winter. After digging the corms, I shake off excess soil and lay the stalks/corms out in a single layer to dry for about 10 days in ashake off any remaining soil and cut the leaf stalks back to within...

Both standard and hardy gladiolus can be planted in spring after all frost danger has passed and soil temperatures have warmed, although hardy gladiolus can also be planted in mid-autumn within their preferred hardiness zone range.

After the temperature begins to warm up and the spring weather is consistent, cover the bulbs completely. The gladiolus thrives best in sandy soil and if you do not live in an area where sand is part of the soil, you must mix it into the dirt.

Suitable for both ground and container planting, gladiolas grow from corms that are similar to bulbs except for the bud that protrudes from the top. Light is not a necessity during this dormancy period.Bring the pots outdoors in the spring when the gladiolus...

They were much too thick, so the plants were thinned and the children took some of the seedlings home to plant in their gardens.These tough little plants are very easy to grow, so they were perfect for a child's first gardening experience.

Choose a large firm bulb with many root buds at the base. Forthwith--a year of bulbs, corms, and rhizomes. For more details about using Tulips in your landscape, read Lori Geistlinger's article, "Allium courtesy of Dave's Garden member Melissa_OhioPaperwhites,...

A generous layer of mulch helps protect celery and other fibrous-rooted biennial vegetables How to Overwinter Biennial Vegetables There are several ways to help biennial vegetables make it through winter so they can come into their blooming glory in spring.

Sink ‘Em! Another option is to submerge perennial weed roots in a bucket of water for at least a month until they turn into sloppy goo, which can then be poured over your compost.

About once a month, take off your mower's grass bag or insert your mulching attachment and leave the clippings on the grass. Grass clippings are readily taken down into the soil by earthworms and other soil fauna, and also add a small supplement of nitrogen...

All can be reinforced with iron rebar stakes, which are far superior to wood stakes because they never rot. Extra reinforcement is not needed for block retaining walls less than 18 inches (45cm) high.

I always grow one robust double row of sweet corn, which needs high levels of soil nutrients to produce well. The remains of reseeding flowers and herbs can be given their own space in the garden 4.

How to Ripen Peppers Peppers – both sweet/bell and chili – can be exceptionally prodigious once they get into their stride. This may seem like bizarre advice, but by making a plant work harder it will concentrate more of its efforts on fruit production...

Branches infected with silver leaf will have a tell-tale dark stain at the centre. These branches begin to droop when they're heavy with fruit, and are liable to break. Branches that rub together will cause wounds, so they should be removed.

Even thorough scrubbing fails to remove all traces of chilli pepper's spicy capsaicin; as you might imagine, a careless rub of the eye during a momentary lapse of concentration can be painful.

You can speed things along by adding a splosh of water to the top of the pot before it's left to soak. Allow plants to soak up the water they need to avoid wastage Use a Timer An automatic irrigation system, connected to a timer, will take the strain...

Now prepare to unearth your spuds – a joyous moment indeed! Container-grown spuds can be upturned and the compost torn apart to reveal the tubers. The seeds are exactly the same as those sold for spring planting, only these ones have been held back...

Apples and other trees are already full of young fruits, which will grow on to give a delicious crop towards the end of the growing season. Start by cutting away any misshapen, damaged or scarred fruits.

As well as tomatoes and cabbage family crops, particular whitefly favorites include peppers, eggplant, strawberries, cucumbers, pumpkin, okra and sweet potato. The trouble with homemade sprays is that their effectiveness varies dramatically, and they...

Using row covers can keep the chill at bay and extend your harvests into fall 6. It will also avoid the annoyance of fruits splitting, which happens when they have dried out too much then receive a sudden deluge of water.

It's important to follow the instructions on the label very carefully. To make a cabbage collar, simply slit a circle of thick cardboard to the middle then place it around a brassica plant's stem at the soil line.

Transplant cabbages when they have at least three or four adult leaves Transplanting Cabbage The seedlings are ready to transplant about six weeks after sowing, by which time they should have grown at least three to four adult leaves.

Well-considered seating is the answer. As well as the usual patio set of table and chairs, consider installing a bench in a part of the garden from where you can enjoy a good vantage point over your labors – for instance, at the end of a path looking...

Unharvested daikons make a good winter cover crop because the big roots drill deep holes into the soil, which are then enriched by the rotting radishes. Health-Boosting Daikon Radishes In China there is an old saying that “when the radishes are in season,...

Like a fine wine, chutney matures with age as all the ingredients meld into a delicious symphony of flavors. It uses 900g (2lb) of the fruits together with a large onion and a cooking apple.

By any name, they are a top storage crop to grow in the fall garden. Midsummer is the best time to plant rutabagas, which need 10 to 12 weeks of growing time before the first fall frost.

The seed heads are definitely ready once they have dried out and can be flaked off into a bag for cleaning and sorting. Scrape out the seeds from ripe chili peppers then dry them before storing Saving Pepper & Tomato Seeds The seeds of tomatoes and peppers...

Corms crack and get mushy once frozen and soggy corms will mold and rot.If the area has become overgrown or shaded by a tree or hedge, there will be no blooms on gladiolus since the plant needs full sun to bloom.