How to Winterize Gladiolus Bulbs

[@janoetlinger4667]

Hey there thank you so much that helps me I am in Wisconsin and it makes sense for me. It's nice to save it for the Winter. 👍

[@danturnerguitar]

thankyou, took awhile to find a video with someone who actually does what she is teaching thus realy knows what they are doing, thumbs up

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

+Dan Turner Glad you found it helpful!

[@danturnerguitar]

Have you dug your's up again this year? i planted 50 this year and all of them have doubled and some have tripled and covered in corns, next year i was thinking of putting the 100bulbs out and put the corns in pots in my greenhouse?

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

+Dan Turner Yes, I dug mine up again. Wow, that's a lot of bulbs! Try it out and let me know how it goes.

[@dlebreton7888]

If you find your soil depleting, cover your soil with garden cloth and spread mulch on top. Make sure you cut a space for the plant to grow through. This also keeps the ground moist longer.

[@abbyiyer2011]

Thanks for your video. It was very informative. I grew glads first time ever and i atleast know now what precaution to take.

[@bwghall1]

would like to see you on the vid as well Missy. some of my glads reached 8 foot high this year, planted 6 inches deep. I am in southwest UK, well watered in our heatwave. some of them had crimped petals very attractive, not seen that before .

[@jcapist]

Thank you very much. You explained everything plus when this or that happens then do this or that. Excellent tutorial :) My problem is finding a sunny area for all my bulbs, some of which must be planted this fall. For the glads. there is a whole winter to decide where my new garden will be :)

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Have fun!

[@judithjohnson2111]

Being my 1st season growing glads I really appreciate your video. Now I know what to do next. My only concern is my basement is semi warm, so Im hoping they'll make it. Not too sure if I can find somewhere else to store them. Loved them so much. Grown in a container in full sun. Watered daily.Love them so much.👍

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

My grandmother had a heated basement, so she stored hers in her garage. They over winter just fine for her. Some will also put out in a garden shed in straw if you have that available to you as well. Good luck!

[@seasons0123]

MN... Yeah!! Thanks for the video!

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@dlstowe3860]

I also live in Minnesota. This Spring was my first plant of Glads. Mine need staking, they are really tall and top heavy. Question, what is the protective powder that is sprinkled over the bulbs when they are stored? I also need to stake them to keep them from falling over. Any suggestions on what to use to stake them?

[@patt1564]

I sprinkled cinnamon on my bulbs this spring because they felt a little mushy. Worked great 👍🏼

[@pragmatic111]

Thank you finally someone in my zone!!!!

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Unfortunately, I know what you mean. Glad I could help!

[@TomCatFromMA]

Add water before digging in hard soil. It will help a lot. Also, pulling up the bulb from hard, dry soil like she did will damage some of the fine roots. I use a large garden spade shovel to get under the bulb with one stroke. Then I shake the soil off the bulb and loosen it with my hands. The way she is using the hand tool might easily damage the bulb. If you don't agree, don't @ me.

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Adding water to this soil would do more harm then good I am afraid. It becomes very sticky and I wouldn't be able to remove it from the bulb. But, thanks for sharing!

[@heatherthompson515]

Can you cover planter pots grown in ? I live in Ohio planter pot they are in is weather large and is very hard to move for storage

[@CKArts.studio6]

Thanks so much. Great information. Almost every bulb I pull up has 2 bulbs growing. Twins : ) I'd like to multiply my Glads. This was my first season growing them and I planted quite a few but only 1 flowered! They were not in a sunny location and I plan on planting them in another location next spring. Any thoughts on why they might not have flowered? I planted from bulbs that I bought. Thanks.

[@MelindasClosetFinds]

Glads need full sun to flower. The ones I planted in partial shade this year did not flower for me either even though I had good bulb growth. So, I am guessing that low sun is the reason in your case, too. All the bulbs I bought from the store have flowered for me the first year I plant them. If you are still not seeing flowers poke your finger in the ground about an inch and check for moist soil. Bulbs need more water than most perennials I grow. Flowering occurs in August for me, which is the driest time of the year so I constantly check to see if I need to water them. Another tip is to make sure you are fertilizing at the right times. I use 10-10-10 when I plant in the spring. I use liquid miracle grow when the leaves begin to grow and separate from the stalk. And I fertilize a third time when I see the start of flower stalks. Hope this helps and good luck!

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

+Caren Kaziyev Sorry about the using my other KZbin account Melindas Closet Finds to answer your question. I was on my mobile and forgot to logout/login when I get the notification.

[@lilyrye5651]

I have 10 bulbs that I planted in my front garden my front garden is shaded all day and only gets the full direct sun when the sun is starting to go down so around 4pm until the sun goes down and they are flowering now :) So all depends where they are planted if they have indirect sunlight all day and some direct sunlight for at least 3 hours a day and they should still Flower. And I also planted them later than I usually do so that’s why I’m getting flower now and not in August

[@suewolfe3898]

I live in South Carolina. We rarely get snow but the temps sometimes can get down into the 20’s. Do I need to pull my bulbs too? Or just trim off the tops and leave them in the ground?

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

You can get by trimming off the tops and leaving them in the ground. If you are in the northwestern part of South Carolina, you will want to put a layer of mulch over them to keep them from freezing.

[@siobahnwittenhaur2812]

I forgot to add that is with the gladiolus still attached! They were still blooming! Sniff, sniff

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

I would have cut the blooms off as to not waste the bulbs energy and quickly repot them in soil in a pot so they could continue growing until you could put them back in the garden where they came from. Hoping you were able to save some!

[@nerdfornature]

This year I planted several gladiolus in a flower bed by my house. But they got infected with something which made the stems rot. The flowers didn’t last long at all. I’m thinking that since the area doesn’t have great drainage and I planted them close together, they didn’t have enough space and couldn’t get enough nutrients.😔

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Yes, bulbs can rot if there isn't proper drainage. You could try planting in pots instead of directly into your flower bed.

[@joannemills4194]

Is it best to knock off the soil or hose off and air dry

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

For me, knocking off the soil works best. If the soil is muddy and sticks to the bulbs when you pull them out, hose off and let them air dry.

[@janetoliver4266]

Thanks good gardening tip

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Most welcome

[@danharlow3378]

Mine have a disease where the plants die before they bloom it’s a fungus I believe but how do I take care of it

[@abhrarajbanshi8932]

I live in tropical place(India) it's temp in summer is around 45 and up .do I need to dig the onions up or I can just keep them and keep feeding them till next season?

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

+sima Rajbanshi You do not have to dig the bulbs up. I would dig them up after three years to separate the bulbs and replant so your gladiolus garden doesn't get too overcrowded and choke itself out.

[@abhrarajbanshi8932]

I see thanx a lot. another question do I do the same with ameralis?

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

+sima Rajbanshi amaryllis bulbs are grown year round in pots where I live. Being you are in a frost free zone, you should be okay leaving them to grow outdoors. I do know amaryllis do not need much growing space so I wouldn't worry about digging them up unless they stop flowering.

[@abhrarajbanshi8932]

thanx a lot

[@tptrading_23]

Thank you so much for sharing 🤗

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@ourbest123]

I am live in zone 5, I just pulled up my calla lily rhizomes - 1. do I break the small bulbs off the big one now or in the spring 2. should I remove the roots before storage ? thanks, diane

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

I break the small bulbs off in the spring before planting. I have removed the roots before storing, but this year, I left them on.

[@cocolu815]

Thank you for the video. Any suggestions with thrips? Last year mine were attacked by thrips. Can the bulbs be saved or should they be tossed? I;ve heard conflicting stories. If they can be saved what do you suggest I put on bulbs to keep from happening again.. and or for new bulbs how should I prepare to avoid nasty thrips Thanks

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Dianna P sorry, I can't help there as I never dealt with thrips before. I do hear that they are resistant to some insecticides now. Hope all went well for you this year.

[@alheckm]

If the climate is warm enough to leave the bulbs in the ground during winter, do I need to prune them or trim the stem right above the ground? Or will the green stalk die during winter? Thanks for the video!

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

+Al Heckman they may die back naturally during the winter or stay green year round depending how warm you are. I would just trim off the dead stems as you see them. You will still need to dig up the bulbs every few years and replant so they don't get overcrowded.

[@artman-cheyennenew1276]

I live in Kentucky, do I have to dig them up, or will they come back next year? I know my mom used to say that when they got "root knotted", you had to separate the bulbs for them to continue blooming. This is my first year in planting them.

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Not sure, as I don't know what growing zone you live in specifically. I live in growing zone 4b so I have to dig them up or they would freeze and rot over winter.

[@siobahnwittenhaur2812]

Today is Father's Day 21 June 2020 and I live in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. unfortunately I had to pull up my gladiolas today, simply because they are going to be spraying pesticide, putting in mulch and putting in new bushes where I live on Monday morning! Help, what do I do with my Crome's! Right now I have them inside of a white plastic trash bag.

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Yes, you probably could.

[@johnmoreland8706]

What varieties are those glads I’m in St.Louis.... I like the florist type

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

I received from a friend, so I don’t know the variety. Sorry.

[@jwildonger2158]

This was my first time aswell planting gladiolus .If the plants bloom and then die off . Is it ok to to cut brown off if there's still some green stalks on plant then remove at a later date. Or is it best to remove all at once.

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

I just remove all foliage at once. But, if you want to cut the spent stalks off, I think it would be okay.

[@annlaplant50]

How do you split a glade bulb in the spring when you want to replant them

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

I snap the bulb apart. Usually, they are dry enough that they are easy to split apart. If they are not easy to split apart, I just plant them together in the same hole again that year.

[@margaritanegron4882]

Hi, I have some glad bulbs that i never planted . they have been kept dry, will i be able to save them in a box and plant them next year?

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

I would give it a try and see how they do.

[@ourbest123]

should I remove the roots for winter storage on my glad bulbs?

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

I remove roots before I store my bulbs.

[@JohannesJunkJournalLife]

I LIVE IN RI. I HAVE NOT DUG THEM UP IN THE LAST 3 YEARS I HAVE BEEN IN THE HOME. DO I REALLY NEED TO DO THIS? MOST OF THEM FLOWERED.

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

+JOHANNE'S DETECTING Depending on which part of Rhode Island you live in you are either Hardiness zone 6 or 7. Most gladiolus bulbs are winter hardy to zone 7. Also, you said you haven't dug them up for three years and they keep growing. So, the only reason I see for you to dig them up would be to divide them and replant with proper spacing so you get more flowers.

[@maryejohnson8458]

I bought some glad bulbs that I didn't plant this summer. Some are sprouting, others not. How do I know if they are still usable for next spring?

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

If they are shriveled up or squishy, they will not keep until next spring. I would plant the sprouted ones in pots and transplant outside next spring. Otherwise, make sure to sprinkle some water on them if they start to shrivel but not too much that they will start to rot.

[@flyingfish1849]

If you are doing 100 glads you need a garden fork! Also your soil looks so hard.., can you space in some rotted leaves or mulch?

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

My soil is hard because I live in a region close the bedrock so we have clay more than soil. You can try to amend the soil as you suggested, but that would have to build up over years of time to get the soil content to where you want it to be. I do own a garden fork, I just didn't use it in the video so I could keep the camera close the ground. Otherwise, I would be too far away from the camera to make sure I was getting everything filmed correctly.

[@PamedPet]

Hello Missy, do you only keep one layer deep of the corns?? So do not pile on top of each other? no newspaper or anything else to keep dry?

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Yes, I keep one layer in a cardboard flat that I stick on a shelf in my basement. No, I don't want to pile them on top of each other if I can help it. I don't use anything else to keep them dry.

[@pamela011]

Missy this is my first time saving my bulbs (they're getting to expensive to let die now!) Can I store in a box, 1 layer deep, with small wood chippings and my dahlia corms? I have a built in cold room that I keep my preserves in and plan to put them in there. Thank you for the video! Very great explanations!

[@libertisimangunsong1641]

Thank you for vidio

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

You are welcome

[@lilimartz]

Do i really have to take them out of the ground or i can cover the bulbs during winter with a huge plastic will that be safe ??

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

It all depends on what hardiness zone you live in. For me, the bulbs would freeze and rot away if I left them in the ground over winter.

[@eaglelight108]

My glads bloom until freeze up

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

Mine will do that too some years. I just cut the blooms off when I know we are getting close to a hard freeze so they put more energy into the bulb instead of the flower.

[@kdcm6690]

She needs to understand how camera's focus!

[@MissyRGFHomestead]

No I need to get a camera that can focus. The camera I am using was actually sold in the toy section of Walmart and I got it when I was a kid. It just has a record, stop, and on/off button. It does have a little bit of a zoom button but that is it. But, I am always amazed at what it can do! Also, when I am using old cameras like this, it also shows how limited the pixels were when taking photos and filming. Interestingly, I made these videos for myself as a reference and decided to share them with others in case it would help other people. Maybe I will redo some of these videos some day. But until then, I hope people find them informative.