I wanted a quick way to boost my home’s curb appeal, so I skipped tulips and went for the tall, exotic charm of gladiolus. Let’s just say it didn’t end well—my planting errors left the garden looking worse than before. Lucky for you, you get to learn from my mistakes.
5
Plant Bulbs in the Spring
I Planted Too Late
Gladiolus bulbs are typically planted in the spring, anytime from mid-March to early June, but can be planted in the fall. But if you end up on the tail-end of that timeframe, you might miss the bulk of the growing season.
Instead of in April, when I bought my bulbs, I planted my gladiolus garden in June. This is not taboo — in fact, the instructions said this was completely fine. However, Gladiolus flowers come in several varieties. Some flower early, whereas others flower late. I didn’t check to see which ones I’d planted; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been surprised that it took nearly 100 days to see the flowers emerge.
I waited way too long to get them in the ground. Now it’s the middle of August, and I’ve only just started seeing flowers bloom. Had I planted them as soon as the frost was gone and chosen an early-flowering variety, I could have had colorful blooms all summer long.
If planting in the spring, get the bulbs in the ground as soon as the weather warms up. In the Midwest, this might be as early as March, but mid-April is typically the best time.
4
Give Bulbs Plenty of Soil Cover
My Bulbs Were Too Shallow
When I planted the Gladiolus bulbs, I followed the bag’s instructions that said they needed to go 2 to 4 inches into the ground. Being the lazy gardener that I am, I stuck closer to 2 inches. This was my mistake. After blooming, the plants drooped so much that I couldn’t use the walkway next to them.
Upon further research, I learned that gladiolus need to be 4 to 6 inches underground, or even more to support larger varieties (which I have). Gladiolus grows quickly and needs a strong root system to support its heavy stems and flowers. When the plants are too shallow, the root system becomes too weak to support the plant, making the gladiolus more likely to topple over—or worse, come out of the ground completely.
Plant gladiolus bulbs at least 4 to 6 inches underground so they have a proper base to support their heavy weight.
3
Stake Your Gladiolus
I Didn’t Know Staking Mattered
I know you’re supposed to stake tomato plants, but flowers? Adding stakes to support my gladiolus garden didn’t even cross my mind. Stakes provide physical support for plants with stems that are too weak to support them. Staking is normally done with a bamboo, metal, or plastic rod.
If you look at pictures of gladiolus online, you’ll see that it looks like a tall and proud plant, not a weak stem that needs support. But because a single stem can produce up to 12 flowers, gladiolus is a heavy plant that tends to flop instead of stand upright—thus, the need for a stake.
The easiest way to prevent a droopy plant is to insert a stake into the soil at the plant’s center and secure twine around the stems. This easy task keeps them grounded and stable.
2
Give Gladiolus Room
My Bulbs Were Overcrowded
Thinking a dense planting would make for a lush, full display, I planted my gladiolus bulbs way too close together. Mine were crammed 2 to 4 inches apart, so instead of flourishing, the plants competed for space, nutrients, and water, resulting in spindly stems and fewer blooms. Had I spaced them out, I might have seen healthier, stronger plants.
Give each bulb its own space to shine. Plant smaller varieties at least 6 inches apart and larger ones 8 to 10 inches apart so each can grow tall, healthy, and flower-filled.
1
Gladiolus Need Full Sun
Not Enough Direct Sunlight
I’d read that gladiolus like full sun, but I had hoped partial sun would be good enough. My side garden bed gets partial sun for most of the day, with full sun only in the late afternoon—and my plants definitely noticed.
Without a full 6 to 8 hours of sunlight, gladiolus struggle to grow strong stems and produce vibrant flowers. Mine grew tall but weak, leaning toward the sunnier spots to capture the rays they needed.
Plant gladiolus in a spot that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight every day. If your garden is shady, move them to a sunnier location.
Lessons Learned for a Better Bloom Next Season
Planting gladiolus bulbs had much more of a learning curve than I had expected. By doing what I thought would be “good enough,” I managed to make every mistake in the book. I’ll be tearing out this garden and starting anew, but you can learn from my mistakes so that your gladiolus garden will be the tall, colorful, show-stopping display I was aiming for the first time around.
Next year, my gladiolus will stand tall. This year, at least my gardening humility did.
