Spring work with gladioli bulbs. When to take gladioli out of the refrigerator When to take gladioli out of the refrigerator

At the end of winter, gardeners need to prepare gladioli bulbs for planting. For these purposes, they are sorted, the covering dry scales are removed, and treated with products designed to protect against pests and various diseases.

Deadlines

The timing when it is recommended to take out gladioli after winter storage and start germinating them in the spring depends on the planned planting conditions and the growing region. If they are planted outside, then preparation of gladioli for planting in the spring begins no earlier than April.

During the winter, they must be stored in basements where the temperature is maintained from +5 0 C to +10 0 C. If there is no basement, they are left for the winter on the lower shelves of the refrigerator. The timing of when to take gladioli bulbs out of the refrigerator for germination and when to take them out from the basement is no different.

When determining the start date for pre-sowing preparation, keep in mind that they are planted in soil whose temperature is at least +10 0 C. Depending on the region, the soil warms up to this temperature in April or May. Knowing the estimated planting date, you can determine when gladioli begin to germinate. This is done 15-20 days before planting at the designated location.

Attention! When figuring out when to take out gladioli for germination and start cleaning the bulbs to prepare them for planting, flower growers must take into account that the germination rate of large and small bulbs differs.

Preparing the bulbs

Having found out when to start germinating gladioli and planting, you need to understand the features of preparing the bulbs for germination. Flower growers need to prepare them as follows:

• carefully examine the tubers;
• discard all softened, dried out, diseased specimens;
• Clean the bulbs from dry scales.

If there are small damaged areas on large bulbs, you can simply cut them off. The cut site is treated with an antiseptic. Iodine and brilliant green will do. After treatment, the damaged areas are covered with crushed coal. These are the main methods of preparing for planting and germinating gladioli bulbs in the spring.

For flowering and propagation, gladioli bulbs with a diameter of 2-4 cm are best suited. The bottom should be 3-7 mm. Wrinkled tubers covered with brown spots are not used. It will be difficult to prepare them.

Dry scales that cover gladioli tubers must be removed. They interfere with the growth of young shoots. Pests can also overwinter under old scales. Under them, spores of pathogenic microorganisms that cause diseases are often preserved.

Germination

Gardeners should know how to prepare gladioli bulbs for planting after winter. Many people advise germinating them at home. Having taken the gladioli out of a cold place, cleared them of scales, it is necessary to place them in pre-prepared cardboard boxes or other containers with the sprouts facing up. They should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Otherwise they will begin to germinate quickly. The sprouts will be elongated, pale, weak.

Store them in a warm, dry room for 15-20 days; this is the best way to prepare the plants. There is no need to lay them out on a damp cloth. There is also no need to pour water into the containers in which they are kept. Water will cause rot to appear on the bulbs. Gladioli cannot be germinated at high humidity levels because roots begin to develop under these conditions. When transplanted into the ground, they will certainly be damaged. Violation of their integrity leads to slower growth and deterioration of the development process.

Important! Treatment with disinfectant solutions, growth and flowering stimulants is carried out before planting.

This is required for additional disinfection of plants and stimulation of their growth and development. It is impossible to prepare them this way in advance in the fall. The tubers are soaked in the spring.

If the bulbs are large and 2 sprouts sprouted from them during storage, then they can be divided. They are cut with a sharp, disinfected knife so that a sprout and part of the bottom remain on each half. The operation is carried out no later than 10 days before the planned date of transplantation into the ground. The cut area can be sprinkled with crushed coal (pharmacy activated carbon is suitable) or filled with brilliant green. Before planting, you need to make sure that the cut is dry and covered with a cork layer.

If you don’t figure out how to germinate gladioli before transplanting, and immediately send them to the hole after taking them out of the cold cellar, then you shouldn’t count on abundant flowering before. The buds in such flowers grow small.

When you decide to prepare gladioli, keep in mind that root tubercles should appear. If tubercles and sprouts do not appear after 2-3 weeks of germination, then the tuber is not suitable for planting.

Pre-planting treatment

How to prepare gladioli bulbs for planting in spring? After inspection and rejection, flower tubers are soaked in disinfectant solutions.

They can also be placed in a pink potassium permanganate solution for 1-2 hours. Instead of potassium permanganate, you can use Maxim or a strong solution of table salt. After processing, the tubers are thoroughly rinsed and dried. Wet gladioli cannot be kept in a closed container.

Attention! When damaged by thrips, treatment with garlic juice is highly effective.

100 g of garlic is diluted in 1 liter of water. Gladioli are placed in the solution for 2-3 hours. Soaking in garlic solution often delays flowering by 10 days.

• 0.2 g boric acid;
• 0.3 g vitriol;
• 0.1 g cobalt nitrate.

These elements are diluted in a liter of water. Soak gladioli in this solution overnight (10–12 hours). If you prepare them according to this recipe, you will be able to get large flowers and significantly increase the number of buds.

Sodium humate is used as a growth stimulant, which is recommended to prepare gladioli seedlings for planting (make a 0.2% solution). Soak the onions for 3 hours. You can take a ready-made Epin solution, add 2.5 ml to 5 liters of water. Gladioli can be kept in it for up to 10 hours.

When figuring out how to prepare gladioli for planting in the spring, many people find a recipe for soaking them in a solution of copper sulfate and potassium permanganate. With its help, you can disinfect the bulbs and prevent copper deficiency in plants. 1 g of potassium permanganate and 5 g of copper sulfate are diluted in a liter of water. Peeled tubers are soaked for an hour.

Children also need to be prepared for disembarkation. But the solutions for soaking them are made less concentrated.

Possible problems

Beginning flower growers do not know what to do with gladioli bulbs in the spring. They cannot correctly calculate when to prepare their planting. In this case, it is necessary to focus on average standards. If you plant flowers a little later, there will be no tragedy. The flowering period will simply shift.

If storage conditions are violated, flowers may begin to sprout earlier than planned. You can often hear from beginning gardeners the question of what to do if gladioli sprouted in February. This situation is possible if they were stored at temperatures above +10°C and humidity above 70%.

Usually a long sprout is visible on the tubers. In this case, the roots are not yet formed. Many people advise planting such a gladiolus in a flower pot. But if you immediately plant it in the ground, it will not bloom; the lack of sunlight, which is observed in early spring, will affect it.

Experienced flower growers advise doing the following:

• gladioli are dried by laying them out in a warm place;
• after drying, the bulbs are sent to a dry place where the temperature does not exceed 5°C;
• 2-3 weeks before planting, they prepare gladioli for further planting.

Warning! If the bulbs could not be saved, then next year it is advisable to prepare another storage place.

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Correctly selected timing of planting gladioli in open ground is the key to their healthy and long flowering. It is for this purpose that you need to take the gladioli bulbs out of the refrigerator or cellar for germination in time; you also need to know how to prepare gladioli for planting in open ground.

Time to take out gladioli bulbs for germination

The optimal period when you need to germinate gladioli before planting in the ground is considered to be the beginning or middle of April. It is difficult to say the exact date, since different climate zones have different weather conditions. One thing is certain: this plant needs a month to return to normal after winter.

I plant gladioli tubers when the soil warms up to +8-10 degrees at a depth of 10-12 cm. Gladioli bulbs in the soil should not be afraid of early spring frosts.

Germination of gladioli before planting in the ground: preparation

It is very important to properly prepare gladioli for hibernation, but it is equally important to prepare the plant before planting in the spring. After taking the flower bulbs out of storage, do the following:

Peel each onion from scales (as practice has shown, peeled bulbs germinate several days earlier than unpeeled ones) and place them in a low container (box) in a moderately cool place where diffused rather than direct light falls. The tubers should be laid out in one layer with the petioles facing up.

Necessarily inspect each bulb for damage or defeat. The bulbs may have black or brown spots. If the gladiolus tuber is not severely affected, then you can try to “cure” it. Take a sharp knife and cut out the formation to the living area. Then take any antiseptic (brilliant, iodine) and moderately treat the entire wound. The plant should now gradually begin to return to normal. After 2 weeks, the “wound” should heal and the plant can be planted in open ground.

For the prevention of fungal diseases Before planting gladiolus tubers in open ground, it is advisable to soak them first for 1-2 hours in a warm dark pink solution of manganese or in a solution of copper sulfate (proportions: 5 g of copper sulfate per 1 liter of hot water, cool the solution). Then the bulbs are kept for 5-6 hours (one night before planting) in a solution of microelements or in an infusion of wood ash.

Remember that baby gladiolus (small “nuts”) have a very hard shell and may not germinate without prolonged soaking!

Gladiolus (from the Latin Gladíolus), or swordweed, belongs to perennial corms from the Iris family. Gladioli are native to Africa and the Mediterranean. This beautifully flowering plant has become widespread in most regions of our country. In total, at least 230 species are united in the genus.

How to store it correctly

Bulbs are dug up at the end of October or beginning of November. The timing may vary depending on weather and climatic conditions, but in any case, the bulbs should be removed from the ground before the soil freezes. Plants should be pulled out of the ground very carefully. Gladioli dug up in the autumn need to be prepared for storage as correctly as possible.

To store gladiolus bulbs throughout the winter, cellars and ordinary household refrigerators can be used. Other storage methods can also be used.

When to remove from the refrigerator

Most often, gardeners store planting material in the refrigerator. This method is very reliable and allows you to control the quality of the bulbs throughout the entire storage period. Flower bulbs should be taken out of the refrigerator in the spring about a month or a month and a half before planting in open ground. As a rule, 30-40 days is quite a sufficient period for germination, allowing the formation of powerful sprouts using the supply of nutrients.

How to store gladioli (video)

Requirements for planting material

In order for the germination of gladiolus bulbs to be as effective and problem-free as possible, it is necessary to strictly follow the technology of this process, and the bulbs themselves must meet the requirements for high-quality planting material.

Features of germination

Of particular importance are the size indicators of the bottom of the gladiolus bulb. An insufficiently large bottom may indicate immaturity of the planting material. The standard diameter of a high-quality bulb can vary from 5 to 7 cm. Bulbs reaching sizes of 9-10 cm are quite rare.

The germination process is optional but it allows you to get earlier and more abundant flowering of gladioli. The prepared bulbs should be laid out in one layer in cardboard boxes and placed in a warm place with diffused but high-quality lighting. It is not advisable to sprinkle planting material at the germination stage with wet sawdust.

A couple of days before planting in open ground, it is recommended to place the sprouted bulbs on a moistened cloth, which will speed up the appearance of roots and improve rooting in the ground after planting.

Timing for planting in open ground

As a rule, gladioli are planted from the last ten days of April until mid-May, but you should always pay attention to weather conditions and also focus on the climate in the growing region. If there is a threat of return frosts, then it is advisable to cover the planting with non-woven material.

When planting, you should adhere to the following basic recommendations:

• it is necessary to choose the brightest and sunniest place on a site with light sandy loam, humus-rich soil;
• It is undesirable to grow gladioli in the same area for several years in a row, which is due to the accumulation of pathogenic microflora in the soil and the risk of diseases of this flowering plant;
• close proximity to garden crops belonging to the Cruciferous family, including cabbage, turnips, radishes, horseradish and mustard greens, is very harmful for gladioli;
• the depth of planting depends entirely on the size of the planting material, as well as the type of soil on the site: on light soils, it is allowed to bury the bulbs, focusing on four diameters, and in the presence of heavy soil, planting is carried out with the least depth;
• The standard planting pattern for gladioli is most often approximately 15 x 15 cm or 10 x 20 cm.

Mulching of plantings gives very good results. Such an event has a beneficial effect on soil moisture levels and also reduces the need for regular weeding. Peat, chopped straw, sawdust or pine needles can be used as mulch.

The quality of the resulting planting material largely depends on how correctly and timely the basic plant care measures are carried out.

It is very important to cut the flower correctly so that at least four leaves remain, completely covering the rest of the peduncle. Flowers need to be cut with a pair of blossoming lower flowers, inserting a clean and sharp knife deeper into the rosette of leaves. It is recommended to make an oblique cut first on one side of the peduncle, then on the other.

Preparing gladiolus bulbs for winter storage (video)

Compliance with the timing and technology of planting and care activities will ensure the health and beautiful flowering of gladioli.

The following depends on when to take gladioli out of the refrigerator or basement for germination:

• flowering time;
• flower size;
• the size of the future mole bulb.

In the fall, we carefully place the corms for storage. As a rule, the dormant state of gladiolus lasts up to 6 months. With the onset of spring days, gladiolus wakes up and begins to show signs of life.

All the corms dug up in the fall were put into one box or bag and sent for storage. However, experienced gardeners store the bulbs in pieces and this makes spring calibration easier.

Question “When do I take gladioli bulbs out of the refrigerator?” cannot have a definite answer, since not all bulbs simultaneously end the dormant period. In large corms that have already bloomed last year, biochemical processes take place much faster than in bulbs of the second harvest, and even more so in children. Therefore, first you need to get the babies, then the larger bulbs, and only lastly the largest ones.

Germination time

Germination of gladioli in the spring, at what time it should be carried out, depends on the region of cultivation. Planting of corms is carried out, as a rule, when the soil temperature at the depth of contact with the bulb rises to 8 - 10ᵒ C. If this time falls in mid-May, then preparation of gladioli bulbs for planting, germination, should begin in mid-April.

Germination procedure

Having taken the corms out of the refrigerator or basement, they must be inspected, sorted out, diseased and covered with fungus removed, and then placed in a warmer place than in the basement, but without access to light. This way it is kept and the bulb is heated for 4 - 5 days. During this time, it adapts, and biochemical processes begin to undergo.

If you are going to germinate gladiolus, when to put it up for germination does not depend on which method you will use to do it.

For dry germination, just put the bulbs in a box, in one layer, and place them on a bright and warm windowsill.

Wet germination is more cumbersome, but also more effective. To do this, you need to prepare a tray, pour sawdust into it, thoroughly moisten it with warm water and place the corms on top. A layer of dry sawdust is poured over the bulbs so that the bulbs are visible. The pallet is placed on a warm and bright window sill. There is no need to cover the bulbs, but they must be sprayed daily with a spray bottle so that the bottom layer of sawdust is sufficiently moist.

When germination, it is necessary to monitor the root tubercles. If rapid growth is observed, the temperature and humidity must be lowered. The roots, at the beginning of their development, are very fragile, and if there are a lot of bulbs, if planted carelessly, they will break off.

An ideally germinated bulb is one that has produced a peduncle of about 8 cm and a ring of swollen root tubercles.

Bulb processing

Experienced gardeners process them before placing the bulbs for germination. Preparing gladioli for planting in the spring also involves soaking the bulbs in a warm solution of microelements. To do this, take water at a temperature of 20 - 25ᵒ C, dissolve in it 0.3 g of copper sulfate, 0.2 g of boric acid, 0.1 g of cobalt nitrate and 0.2 g of potassium permanganate. All these chemicals dissolve in a liter of water.

The effectiveness of such soakings has long been adopted by professionals who grow gladioli for cutting. The peduncle from such bulbs turns out to be unusually large, the size of the flowers increases, and the number of buds reaches 20.

If it is not possible to carry out such soaking, then a suspension of furnace ash is made at a rate of 1:10, or soaking in potassium permanganate or boric acid is limited.

You can treat the bulbs with a solution of succinic acid 1 g per 10 liters of water. Bulbs are usually soaked for 10 - 12 hours.

If you become the owner of several bulbs of a very valuable variety, then plant them early in individual containers in greenhouses or film shelters. Next, transshipment is carried out into open ground without destroying the earthen coma.

If the corms are very large, they can be cut into several parts, according to the number of eyes. In this case, the cut area is smeared with a solution of brilliant green, or sprinkled with stove ash.