GARDEN LIFE
Glorious gladioli
Kiran Narain

THE word gladiolus is derived from the Latin word gladius (sword) because of its sword-like foliage. The gladioli is native to South Africa and grows profusely in the Cape of Good Hope.

In the United States, the best selling bulb is the gladiolus with an estimated annual sale of more than 370 million corms. No such statistics is available throughout India. However, the gladioli is supposed to be the most cultivated bulbous plant for cut-flower trade.

In order to develop properly, gladioli need to be deeply dug (at least 50cm) into well-drained soil containing plenty of sand as well as decomposed organic manure, leaf mould. They also require a good amount of sun.

Before you purchase the bulbs (or corms), be sure that they are disease-free and of a known, good variety as the quality of the flower depends chiefly on the variety. There are various varieties to choose from: California, Debonair, Friendship, Picardy and True Love (pink and salmon); Mansoer and Oscar (blood red); Maria Goretti, Snow Princess and White Friendship (white); psitachinus hybrid in crimson and orange which are hardy and propagate fast.

In India, gladioli are usually planted in the hills in the north from February to May and in the plains from June to December at regular intervals.

Whenever you are buying bulbs in person, you can usually tell the good ones form the bad ones —they’ll be noticeably heavy in relation to their size, firm and without soft spots, bruises or blemishes. Select corms at least 12cm in circumference (4cm diameter), plant them with their pointed sides facing upwards, 15cm deep and 15cm apart in rows. Keep the corms a week before the planting season in moist soil till they sprout and then plant in the required site. When planting in heavy soil, put a small quantity of sand underneath each corm. It takes about 15 days for the bulbs to sprout and another three months for the plants to bloom.

The stately flower spikes, which range from 1 foot in height to 5 feet for the large flowered types, come in every colour of the rainbow. Early staking is advisable, especially with large flowering varieties. Deep planting (about 15 to 20 cm) can help the plants stay straight without stakes. When plants are about 20cm tall, hold them erect by ‘mounding’ or putting mud around the stems halfway (about 5").

A weekly dose of liquid manure can be given as soon as the flower spikes appear. This should be given only when the soil is wet. Do not allow the flowers to go to seed as then the corms get robbed of their vitality. Cut off the stalks after the flower fades. Reduce the supply of water gradually till the leaves dry up and then stop watering. Two months after flowering, the bulbs are ready to be lifted. Lift them with leaves and hang them or spread in a cool, airy place to dry.

When dry, clean the corms, leaving a layer or two of the fibrous covering on and store in a gunny bag or dry sand in a cool and dry place. The small cormlets that grow with the bigger corm take about two years to flower.

Gladioli are susceptible to two fungal diseases-Botrytis Rot and Fusarium Rot. The former results in large stains on the leaves, whereas the later affects the corms. Both diseases can be controlled by preventive use of Bavistin and destruction of the affected stocks. One millilitre of Bavistin in a litre of water is enough for the corms to be dipped in and dried before storing or planting.

As the gladioli do not wither fast, they are ideal for bouquets and arrangements.