Description of Byzantine gladiolus and rules for planting and care in open ground

In harsh climatic conditions, people have learned to grow a variety of plants, but representatives of exotic countries cannot survive the winter cold. Still, don't despair. Despite their exotic appearance, some flowers turn out to be unpretentious. One of these wonderful plants is the Byzantine gladiolus. An exquisite flower will be appropriate in any garden.

Description of the plant

Graceful representatives of the Byzantinus family rarely grow above 60 cm. In some gardens you can find giants whose height reaches 120 cm. The stem of this elegant beauty is decorated with a row of 10-20 crimson, funnel-shaped, large flowers. Exquisite gramophones are decorated with white touches.

Elegant flowers alternate with narrow purple buds and are collected in groups of 5-8 pieces. The pointed leaves of the Mediterranean guest are collected in a fancy fan. The length of each sword-shaped leaf reaches 35 cm. The width of the leaf plate does not exceed 1 cm.

Features of Byzantine gladiolus

The Byzantine beauty is an unpretentious flower. It can easily withstand temperature changes in a harsh continental climate. It is not afraid of minor frosts either, so the plant feels good even in the flower beds of Ural and Siberian gardeners.

Selection and preparation of bulbs before planting

4 weeks before planting, the bulbs are removed from storage, inspected, and damaged and diseased specimens are removed. Healthy bulbs have a glossy surface and elasticity. Large specimens with a diameter of 7-8 cm can be cut in half. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the buds located on the surface of the bulb. In this way, the seed material is renewed.

Tubers with minor defects are tidied up by cutting out the affected areas. The procedure is conveniently carried out using a sharp knife. The wounds are treated with brilliant green or sprinkled with crushed coal. Then the bulbs are freed from the husks. After processing, the seed is laid out on a flat, dry surface. In this case, you need to ensure that the buds on the bulbs are located at the top.

The place for germinating tubers should be warm and protected from direct sunlight. In comfortable conditions, the first shoots will appear in a week. Before planting, the seed should be soaked in a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate or kept for a couple of hours in a 0.3 solution of potassium permanganate.

Miniature onions require special care - children that grow during the growing season on the surface of a young tuber. The babies are removed from storage a month before planting and placed in a warm place for 2 weeks. Then they are laid out on a damp napkin placed on a saucer. Place the dishes in a bag and put them in the refrigerator. In a few days, sprouts will appear on the bulbs. In this form, miniature corms can be planted in the ground.

How to plant a flower correctly?

In order to grow gladiolus in open ground, it is necessary to plant the bulbs according to all the rules of agricultural technology.

Landing dates

Despite the fact that the plant is considered frost-resistant, the flower is not able to withstand extreme cold. Therefore, autumn planting of gladiolus is possible only in warm climates. The plant is planted in early October. In this case, the bulbs will have time to take root before the first cold weather. For the winter, the flowerbed is covered with spandbond.

In areas with harsh climatic conditions, gladioli are planted in the spring, after the onset of stable warmth. This time usually falls in mid-May. For the normal development of seedlings, it is important that the air temperature does not fall below 10 degrees.

Site selection and preparation

A sunny, easily ventilated area is suitable for planting Byzantines. It is advisable to plant a flower garden on a small hill. Gladiolus is demanding on lighting and will not bloom fully even in semi-shaded places. The plant prefers light, sandy soil.Lime and humus are added to this soil. Clay soil is heavy for the Byzantine, so sand is added to it. Manure is not brought into the planting hole.

The location of the flower bed must be changed annually. This maneuver helps to avoid diseases. You should not plant gladioli where phlox or asters grow. These crops are susceptible to the same diseases. Cucumbers or garlic can be good predecessors for Mediterranean beauties.

In the eastern part of the garden, gladioli bloom earlier.

Planting gladioli

2-3 weeks before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil in the garden bed. To do this, for 1 sq. m. of soil add a couple of handfuls of ash and 15 g of superphosphate. Before planting, the seed is soaked in a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate. The prepared bulbs are placed in the ground. The depth of the hole depends on the size of the corm and the type of soil. If the soil is light, the bulb is planted to a depth of 10-12 cm. In clay soil, seed should not be placed to a depth of more than 8 cm. A depth of 4-5 cm is sufficient for planting children.

A layer of sand is poured into the bottom of each hole. A small layer of sand is poured on top of the planted corm and the remaining space is filled with humus. Gladioli are large plants, so the distance between flowers should be at least 20 cm. The distance between rows should be 30 cm.

The main mistakes when planting gladioli:

1. Strong penetration of seed. In this case, a large bulb will grow, but you may not wait for flowering.
2. Thickening of plantings. Closely planted plants interfere with air circulation. In damp, rainy weather, this can lead to a fungal infection.

Features of plant care

Gladioli are demanding to care for.They need to be fed and tied to a support in time. The tall plant can hardly support its own weight and often breaks.

Watering rules

Before the flowering period, it is enough to water gladioli 2 times a week. Flowering plants need to be moistened as the soil dries. The seedlings are watered abundantly because the roots of the plants go deep into the soil. If there is insufficient watering, the leaves and buds of the plant wither.

Loosening and weeding

The soil under gladioli must be loosened and weeded after each watering. The procedure must be done regularly, otherwise the tall beauties will fade ahead of time.

Fertilizer application

When applying fertilizing, do not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers. Excess organic matter can lead to green, leafy growth and poor flowering. In addition, excess nitrogen can provoke an outbreak of fungal diseases. If such fertilizing is nevertheless introduced, then the nutrition is supplemented with preparations containing copper. Fertilizers with a high phosphorus content should be used with caution. Experienced gardeners recommend using a mixture of 10 g of ammonium nitrate and the same amount of potassium salt. To achieve a good result, it is advisable to apply complex fertilizer to the soil.

Feed gladioli 3 times:

1. When 3-4 leaves appear on the plant.
2. There are 5-6 leaves in phase.
3. Before flowering.

It is better to apply fertilizer in the form of an aqueous solution. This way the seedlings will better absorb nutrients.

Methods of controlling diseases and pests

The worst enemies of gladioli are thrips. Small pests are dangerous to plants at any time of the year. During the growing season, thrips destroy the buds, and in winter they attack the bulbs. As a result, the tubers lose their elasticity and dry out.Insecticides are used to combat diseases. Karbofos or Fitoverm effectively control pests.

In order to avoid troubles, you need to take care of protecting planting material in advance. To do this, the corms are soaked in an insecticide solution. The same planting agent is sprayed during the growing season. For sustainable results, the procedure is performed twice a month. Final processing is done before digging up the bulbs. Often the plant is affected by bacterial scab. In this case, 3% iron sulfate will come to the rescue. Most often, gladioli are affected by fusarium. Fungicides will help get rid of the fungus.

Cleaning and storing Byzantine gladiolus

After the flowering period ends, the bulbs are dug up. It is better to remove tubers using a fork - this way the planting material can be dug up without damage. The stems of the plants are trimmed, leaving a stump 2 cm long. The bulbs are inspected, young specimens are separated, laid out on a dry surface and dried for 3-4 weeks.

Miniature bulbs - babies - grow on young tubers. They are folded separately and dried well. After 3-4 weeks, the planting material is stored in a cool place. It is recommended to store tubers in a basement or underground. In a city apartment, the bulbs can be stored in the bottom of the refrigerator. Planting material must be wrapped in paper and checked periodically. The main thing is that the bulbs do not freeze or get wet.