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jahzara0o

Gladiolus flower shriveled before full bloom

jahzara0o
9 years ago

Hello,

I tried doing an online search on problems with Glads, but couldn't find much related to my issue.

My glads seemed to be coming up wonderfully; then a leaf started turning yellow for seemingly no reason. I cut it off, another one turned yellow... The buds for the flowers started to open, now all the small, partially opened buds have shriveled.

They are planted in a container with Forget Me Nots surrounding them. The Forget Me Nots have a few black leaves, but otherwise are doing relatively well. They've flowered and seem to be thriving, even through times where I didn't water as diligently as I should; they bounced back well. I haven't cut off the black leaves because the container is small and they're about 2 inches below the lip of the container. Plus, there are many of them, all clumped together. I know I need to cut the dead leaves off...

I've been keeping them watered and out of direct sun, and it still doesn't seem to saving the Glads... Wondering if there's anything I can do to save them and if not, at least to know what was wrong with them.

Comments (14)

  • duluthinbloomz4
    9 years ago

    It's a virus of some type - leaf yellowing and blasted/mottled florets. In the scheme of things, glad corms are relatively inexpensive - you can't do much about salvaging them this year or expect much in trying to save them over for next. I'd start over with fresh corms with fresh potting medium if not planted directly in the ground.

    As for the forget-me-nots; once they bloom out and seeds are forming along the racemes, the "mother plant" will start to turn black and dead looking. You can't stop it, it's natural, it's what they do. Easy to collect the seeds and spread them on the ground - very shortly you'd have a new crop of plants sprouting. They are biennials that take two years to complete their natural cycle - first year you get leaves, stems, and roots; second year you get blooming. Once you get them started, you'll always have them coming and going and spreading themselves all over.

  • jahzara0o
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Oh really? D= That sucks...
    My Forget Me Nots are flowered, and this is only the first year. Are there maybe different varieties that flower the first year?

    Also, I have daffodil corms under the dirt with Glads. My hope was that they'd come up in the spring and then once they died off, the glads would come up. Are they infected too? Do I have to get rid of them?

  • morz8 - Washington Coast
    9 years ago

    Without a photo, it's hard to say what your glads problem might be but thrips are a common problem with gladiola in the Pacific Northwest, possibly compare thrip damage to what you are seeing in your container. I don't grow glads myself but I don't know anyone who does grow them here who has not experienced thrips at some point. Good news is they are typically host specific and won't trouble your other bulbs.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Gladiola thrip

  • duluthinbloomz4
    9 years ago

    Thrips, though, show a different kind of damage than the yellowing of foliage as mentioned.

    I don't grow glads all the time since they have to be dug and stored here (with marginal results in my experience) and it was always easier to start with fresh corms when I wanted them.

    But the OP is growing in a pot which he/she says is "small" - how small is small... with glads and forget-me-nots on top and daffodils underneath. With any over watering for the benefit of the forget-me-nots both the daffodil bulbs and glad corms could be mush.

  • jean001a
    9 years ago

    We need pictures please

  • jahzara0o
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I don't think they're thrips cause I didn't see any insects on the plant.

    Here's an image of the yellowing I'm talking about. 1 leaf seems to get the bulk of it. It turns competely to a straw like appearance and texture.
    The other leaves I've noticed are also starting. It seems to start at the tips.

    I uploaded the first image and included a link to both that image as well as an image just of the flower heads. Wasn't sure how big the image file option will get the picture on here..

    http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h248/metallic_alchemist/DSCF9595.jpg

    http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h248/metallic_alchemist/DSCF9596.jpg

    I don't know if it's relevant, but thinking in terms of the virus and looking into virus' in bulbs, I'm wondering now if that might not be the issue I've had with my tulips as well. I have a rectangular box dedicated to tulips and for the past couple years now, they grow crooked, leaves yellow and streak, the pedals ruffle and streak as well.. I thought it was tulip fire but the fungicide I tried didn't change anything. Kind of wondering if it had to do with not fertilizing cause, being a novice, it's only just this year that I realized I need to fertilize! And only just this year that I've started.. I debating on if I want to grow the tulips another season to see if the fertilization will help or not, but now with this virus deal...

    This post was edited by Jahzara on Thu, Jul 31, 14 at 23:36

  • duluthinbloomz4
    9 years ago

    I can see the picture imbedded in your post, but I can't seem to access photobucket with your links.

    Bulbs don't need much in the way of fertilizer; the bulb/corm itself takes care of what it needs. Some people do use Bulb Booster or bone meal when first putting them in the ground, but not all have the same requirements - i.e. tulips have different needs than daffodils and glads. Too much fertilizing and you can burn them out. (Which is why I've never bothered.)

    Now that I see the foliage, it doesn't look all that bad for almost August - what the corms might look like is another story. Later on in the fall, I'd suggest you lift them up and inspect them. Then, truth be told, I'd toss them out and start fresh next season. Anyone who has gardened has had failures and will continue to have failures despite best efforts. Poke around and see what the daffodils look like, too, since that pot doesn't look deep enough to plant them at a 6" depth, at the very least.

    Are all your plantings in containers on a patio or balcony?

  • jean001a
    9 years ago

    I don't see anything that indicates virus is present.

    When it comes to your tulips, once the bulbs have tulip fire they won't be cured with fungicide. The way you describe their appearance, I suggest you toss those tulip bulbs in the trash.

    The glads look like they had bloomed, then shriveled, which would be normal. Or they may have run short of water. Your pots are on the small side.

  • jahzara0o
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hmm, okay, so not getting enough water?
    I was kind of experimenting with the small container stuffed with all those plants.
    I'll for sure lift them and start a new, transplant my Forget Me Nots elsewhere. I'll also discard my tulips.
    The pot they're in is actually one of the deepest I have and it's really helped them stand tall. I've actually grown them in really shallow, small containers before and they got enough water, but tipped over.
    But either way, I'll discard them. The glad on the left of the picture actually started blooming and is holding. Not shriveling and the leaves look pretty good. The one on the right had a straw like leaf early on in the season. I cut it off, then another leaf turned straw like. This is the third straw like leaf that turned up..

  • jahzara0o
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hmm, okay, so not getting enough water?
    I was kind of experimenting with the small container stuffed with all those plants.
    I'll for sure lift them and start a new, transplant my Forget Me Nots elsewhere. I'll also discard my tulips.
    The pot they're in is actually one of the deepest I have and it's really helped them stand tall. I've actually grown them in really shallow, small containers before and they got enough water, but tipped over.
    But either way, I'll discard them. The glad on the left of the picture actually started blooming and is holding. Not shriveling and the leaves look pretty good. The one on the right had a straw like leaf early on in the season. I cut it off, then another leaf turned straw like. This is the third straw like leaf that turned up..

  • Darleen Amos
    6 years ago

  • Darleen Amos
    6 years ago

    Can someone please tell me what is wrong with my Gladiolus

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    6 years ago

    you should have started your own post.. as this has nothing to do with the previous post ... ken

  • Darleen Amos
    6 years ago

    You're rude, did you stop to think I don't know how, besides it looks to me that we are talking about the same thing happening to our Gladiolus