Gladiolus flowers are common. But in order to grow them in a summer cottage, certain knowledge is needed. The name gladiolus in Hebrew means "sword", so it is often called a fencer. How to breed beautiful gladioli in their flowerbeds in central Russia and what stages you need to go through to get a beautiful autumn bouquet, you need to consider in more detail.

When planting gladioli in open ground in the suburbs

In the suburbs, gladioli are planted from April 25 to mid-May. It all depends on the weather and soil warming. A guide for planting can serve as the appearance of small leaves on a birch or planting potato tubers. In order for flowers to please you for a long period, you can stretch the planting of gladioli in time. That is, to plant not all at once, but with an interval of 10 days. It should be borne in mind that, depending on the variety, the flowering period may be different.

Important! Planting of skewer tubers must be carried out in open ground to a depth of 10–15 cmwhen it warms up to +10°WITH.

When gladioli bloom in the suburbs

The flowering of gladioli in all areas begins in late July and continues until early October.

When it comes depends:

• from grade. The blooming season ranges from 70 to 96 days from the day of planting;
• landing geography, that is, climatic features of the territory of growth. If in the southern regions of the country, planting is carried out 15 days earlier than in the suburbs, then flowering will be early;
• landing time. Early planting (in mid-April) leads to early flowering. But in this case, there is a danger of spring freezing. With late planting (in June), you can not wait for flowering.

The cultivation of gladioli in the open field in the suburbs

The climate of the Moscow Region is not characterized by harsh winters and rainy summers.

Therefore, it is necessary to dwell on varieties that are more adapted to such climatic conditions:

1. "Malika" - a variety named after Malika Sabirova. The stem height is up to 160 cm. The flowers are located on a spike-shaped peduncle 70 cm high in the amount of 10 pcs. Their diameter is 18 cm, the color is salmon pink.
2. Blue Frost - a variety with a stem height of up to 1.3 m. The flowers are pale blue, with a diameter of up to 15 cm. In inflorescences, 7-8 buds are simultaneously blooming.
3. "Nighttime Kiev" - a large-flowered variety, unpretentious to growing conditions. Stem height up to 150 cm. Flowers of dark purple color.
4. "Prague" - a variety with salmon-lilac flowers with a diameter of 13–15 cm. Stem height 130–150 cm. At the same time, up to 8 buds bloom. On one peduncle, they grow up to 25 pieces.
5. "Gents" - the variety is the summer-flowering ancestor of modern hybrid varieties. Stem height 180 cm. Red flowers with a light stripe on the petals.

Planting material must be constantly updated. Therefore, large tubers are planted in flower beds, and small tubers in the place for growing children. Full-bloomed bulbs capable of flowering will already grow from them next year. Plants grown from tuber buds are more adapted to growth in a given area, and are more resistant to diseases.

Did you know? Gladiolus is odorless. There is a two-color type acid acidon, a characteristic feature of which is a fragrant odor comparable to the smell of jasmine or violet.

Preparing planting material

To prepare the fennel bulbs for planting in open ground, it is necessary to stage by stage:

1. Get the bulbs a month before planting from the storage location (refrigerator, cellar, etc.).
2. To clear of scales and to inspect for the presence of diseases. If the tubers have spots or areas of decay, they are discarded.
3. Put planting material in a bright place for germination.
4. After the appearance of sprouts with a height of 3 cm, the larger of them should be left, and the smaller ones should be broken off (in the case when there is more than one sprout on one bulb).
5. Before planting, treat the planting material with a growth stimulant and preparations against fungi and pests (foundationazole, phytosporin, etc.). To do this, dilute the existing preparation according to the instructions and soak tubers in it for 30 minutes.
6. Dry the planting material for about 3 days and proceed with planting.

Site selection and soil preparation

Gladioli are best planted in sunny areas with drained soil. Then the flowers will be big. In the shade, flowering is weak, or even completely absent. The plant prefers slightly acidic soil, so you can lower the acidity of the soil, if necessary, with dolomite flour or chalk. They are made at the rate of 0.450 g per m². If the soil is clay, then during digging add sand and humus so that the earth crumbles.

Important! You can process the planting material of gladioli before planting with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, soaking the bulb in it for 5 minutes.

Landing areas are best changed every year. This will serve as a prophylaxis against various diseases and improve the development of the plant. Skewers grow better in areas after vegetable crops. The place before planting must be dug up and possible weeds removed. During this treatment, fertilizers are applied to the infertile soil (30 g of potassium chloride and 80 g of superphosphate per 1 m²).

Landing

Landing can be done in rows. If there are several, it is better to plant the plants in a checkerboard pattern. Bulbs are placed at a distance of 15–20 cm from each other, and the rows are arranged between each other with an interval of 25–30 cm. Planting depth is about 15 cm. Also, in open ground skewers can be planted with bouquets. To do this, dig a hole with a diameter of about 30 cm. Put the bulbs along the circumference at a distance of 10-15 cm.After the gladioli bloom, place a flower support in the center of the circle and tie up the whole bouquet around it. With a group arrangement of flowers, it is necessary to plant bulbs of the same sizeotherwise large stems can drown smaller plants. It is necessary to deepen the landing on three diameters of the bulbs. Therefore, the larger the planting material, the deeper it needs to be planted.

Did you know? New varieties of gladioli are subject to registration by breeders. Today there are more than 70 thousand such varieties.

After choosing the planting method, it is necessary to make recesses, pour 1 bucket per 1 m² of water on them, lay out the planting material with the sprouts up and sprinkle with earth. Some gardeners recommend sanding the bottom of the recesses. To decorate supports for skewers, plant curly or stunted plants (phloxes, dahlias, marigolds) near them.

Watering and feeding

After planting, you must properly care for the flowers. To avoid decay, watering plants should be carried out not under the stem itself, but at a distance of 10–20 cm from it. To do this, make small furrows in the aisles so that the water in them is delayed. Since the onion is deep, so there is no need to spare water. Irrigation rate of at least 15 liters per m². Its frequency depends on weather conditions, on average once every two weeks.In order for the moisture to linger as long as possible, and the roots of the plant breathe, the earth around the skewers must be loosened 3-4 times a season. In plant care, root mulching is also used. It helps to avoid the additional hassle of loosening the soil and removing weeds. For this, after the appearance of young leaves of the plant, the soil is loosened and covered with peat, pine needles or cones, etc. Top dressing plays an important role in the growth of flowers.

It must be carried out in stages depending on the development of the plant:

1. During the formation of the stem. It is carried out after the appearance of green shoots above the surface of the earth. During this period, fertilizers with a nitrogen content are applied.
2. After the appearance of several leaves make phosphate fertilizers.
3. During budding the plant needs potash and phosphorus fertilizers.
4. For better bulb formation Feeding from phosphates and potassium is carried out immediately after flowering.

If the soil for planting is well fertilized with humus, then top dressing is not necessary. Fertilizers should be applied in diluted form per 1 m² of 10 liters of solution. Its concentration should comply with the instructions of the drug.

Video: how to fertilize gladioli

Winter preparations

Digging tubers for the winter is carried out after flowering. For a month, the plants are dried, and after a sharp knife, the stems are cut, leaving a stump of about 3 cm. The roots and the old bulb are removed, but can be left until spring. Large bulbs with children that have formed around are stored together until spring in a cardboard box or in a fabric bag, placed in a refrigerator or cellar.

Video: preparing gladioli for winter

How to cut and store gladioli properly

Skazhniki can for a long time delight with bouquets in vases. But for this they must be cut correctly. With a sharp knife, cut off half of the stem at a distance of 5 cm from the ground, and break off the remaining half.

Important! Each variety of gladioli must be stored and planted separately. They tend to become dusty and lose their original color.

In this process, you must follow the tips:

1. Firstlyit is better to cut gladioli in the morning.
2. Secondly, it is necessary to cut flower stalks in the initial and middle flowering period. Three lower buds are ready to bloom - the flower is suitable for a bouquet.
3. Thirdly, the vase should be selected high (not less than 30 cm) and volumetric. The stems in the tank should be in water as much as possible. Then the bouquet will not overturn it, and the flowers will have enough moisture to stay fresh for a long time.
4. Fourthif the water temperature in the vase is +20 ... + 25 ° С, flower buds will begin to bloom on the peduncles.
5. FifthlySuch a bouquet can stand for about two weeks. But for this it is necessary to change the water every day and cut the stems by 0.5 cm. You can put an aspirin tablet on the bottom of the vase, which will prolong the freshness of the bouquet.

It is possible and necessary to grow gladioli in the open ground in the suburbs of Moscow. It is necessary to choose a variety that can grow normally in a given climatic zone and, following the above tips, get a beautiful flowering.