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greatbluebabyct

Gladiolous - Will I get seeds? Will they rebloom?

GreatbluebabyCT
18 years ago

Hi,

This is my first year growing Gladiolus does anyone know if they make seeds? Also will they re-bloom if I dead head them instead?

Thanks and Happy Gardening,

Laura

Comments (8)

  • chervil2
    18 years ago

    Dig the bulbs in the fall and store them in a cool but not freezing place such as a garage or basement. Replant next spring. Upon digging you will find large bulbs surrounded by tiny bulbils. You can save these tiny bulbils as well even though they will be too small to produce blooms next year. Bulbils will need a couple of years to mature to blooming size bulbs.

    Cheers!

  • kellyz5mi
    18 years ago

    Hi Laura,
    Yes, glads will make seeds, and no, they will not rebloom if you deadhead. However, I would second Chervil2's suggestion of digging/storing/replanting if you really like yours & you want them all to survive the winter.
    I deadhead mine every year, but I don't lift them in the fall. I lose a few every winter, but they weren't expensive bulbs to start with - Wally World end of season $1 sale - and I'm a lazy gardener!
    Good luck with your glads,
    Kelly

  • cjsmith
    18 years ago

    I've got glads for the first time too. So, do you divide off the little bulblets when you dig them up, and do you plant them every year to give them the time to mature? Or should I just leave them attached to the original corm until they're big enough to bloom and then divide them?

  • chervil2
    18 years ago

    It is better to separate the bulblets from the corm and plant them individually if you want to nurse them to full size. Leaving them attached will crowd the plants.

    Chervil2

  • Kimberley
    18 years ago

    I have been separating the babies and labeling them the year born, and planting in nursery pots. No blooms from the babies yet and this is the 3rd year. They literally make 100's of babies. So while they do seed, there's probably no point in growing the seed where they multiply so rapidly underground. (unless you get the seeds in a trade) I also tried to leave a few in the ground last year in a sheltered place, but none lived. Even with all of that insulating snow.

  • cjsmith
    18 years ago

    So I can dig up my glads this fall, cut off all the babies and maybe just put the babies in pots and keep them in the basement for the winter, and put the pots out for the summers for a few years, and after 3 years put them in the ground and hope they flower?

  • pdxjules
    18 years ago

    That sounds right - sounds like offset corms the bloomers make will be more prolific, accurate in kind, and quicker to mature. I don't like leaving spent stalks around the garden anyway. Thanx for the question - I was wondering this also, since it is my first year with glads too. I got some great ones at a Swap. Sometimes the leftover _mystery_ plants are really worth taking home!

    In my area - Zone 8 - I plan to just mulch healvily with compost and leaves, altho I may lift/pull out the large ones, as I plan to do with my dahlia tubers.

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