What kind of plant is Gladiolus?
The editor will answer what kind of plant Gladiolus is and some basic knowledge about its morphological characteristics for growing flowers. Next, the editor will introduce it.
Gladiolus cultivation techniques for forest and flower plants
1 Morphological characteristics and growth habits
1.1 Morphological characteristics
Gladiolus, also known as sword lily, is an iris bulbous plant, known as one of the four major cut flowers along with chrysanthemum, Chinese rose, and carnation. Gladiolus has an oblate bulb, with a brown membranous outer skin. The basal leaves are sword-shaped, arranged in two rows, and the flower stem emerges from the leaf cluster, about 50-80 cm tall, with a terminal spike inflorescence. Each bract encloses a single flower, with 12-24 flowers alternating, and a rich variety of colors including red, white, yellow, purple, pink, and bicolor.
1.2 Growth habits
Gladiolus prefers a warm, humid, sunny, and well-ventilated growth environment. It favors deep, loose, fertile, and well-drained slightly acidic sandy loam soil, with a pH of 5.5-6.5 being ideal. The optimal growth temperature is 20-25°C during the day and 10-15°C at night. It is a long-day plant, requiring 14 hours of sunlight for flower bud differentiation, and additional lighting and heating measures are needed during the severe winter season.
2 Cultivar selection
Currently, the main cultivars grown in Lingyuan area include: Sunlight Pink, Diamond Pink, Pink Friendship, White Friendship, Super Red, Peach Angel, Gold Competition, Lion, Tics, and Parrot, etc.
3 Field preparation and planting
3.1 Soil disinfection
Gladiolus dislikes continuous cropping. If continuous cropping is practiced, ridges can be used with 20-25 kg of Longxin per mu or 40 kg of Vaeam per mu for high-temperature closed fumigation disinfection treatment for 15-20 days. Before planting, rotate the soil 1-2 times to release any remaining gases.
3.2 Field preparation and application of base fertilizer
Gladiolus planting does not require ridges, but flat cultivation. Apply 15 m2 of thoroughly decomposed farm manure per mu, mix it with the topsoil, and form 1-meter wide beds for planting.
3.3 Bulb disinfection
To reduce the occurrence of root diseases in the plants, bulbs should be soaked in a 50% carbendazim solution (500 times dilution) for 15 minutes before planting. The bulbs for planting should also be selected, choosing those without spots, diseases, or damage to the germination and rooting sites, and medium to small-sized flat bulbs.
3.4 Planting
In the Lingyuan area, planting in greenhouses before August 15 is recommended, with a total growing period of 105-120 days. If delayed planting, measures to increase temperature and light should be taken to prevent insufficient light in the later stage from affecting yield and cut flower quality. Generally, planting is done by making furrows and applying compound fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) at 50 kg per furrow. Plant 4 rows per meter bed, with a spacing of 8-10 cm between plants, and plant 27,000-28,000 bulbs per mu, with a soil covering thickness of 5-6 cm, and water thoroughly.
4 Post-planting management
4.1 Temperature
Gladiolus is a warm-loving plant and does not tolerate low temperatures. If the low temperature period lasts too long, it will hinder the growth of the plant. Heating and lighting measures are necessary when needed (usually low temperature is accompanied by lack of light, so heating and lighting are needed at the same time). The required temperature for Gladiolus: Germination period generally 15°C during the day and 5-10°C at night; during the growing period, 20-25°C during the day and 10-15°C at night; during the 3-7 leaf stage, the minimum should not be below 10°C, and the high temperature should not exceed 28°C.
4.2 Light
Gladiolus loves sunlight and has strict requirements for the time of sunlight during planting. After the 2-leaf stage, ensure 14 hours of sunlight per day, and at least 12 hours during the growing period. During winter or overcast snowy days, supplemental lighting should be turned on for 4-5 hours per day. If the sunlight time is too short, the number of flowers will decrease.
4.3 Water and fertilizer management
Gladiolus should be watered sufficiently 7-10 days before planting, and also watered in a timely manner after planting, maintaining constant soil moisture and avoiding alternating wet and dry conditions.
Four fertilizations are sufficient throughout the growing season. The first fertilization is at 3 leaves, applying bio-organic fertilizers such as humic acid and chitin to promote root growth; the second fertilization is at 6-7 leaves, applying a high-nitrogen compound fertilizer to strengthen seedlings and root growth; after the sword appears, apply a compound fertilizer with a higher phosphorus-potassium ratio to make the flower stems sturdy, the flowers compact, and the colors bright; finally, after the flower spikes are fully extracted, apply a high-potassium compound fertilizer to improve the quality of cut flowers and prevent lodging. Each of these four fertilizations should be applied at 10-15 kg per mu.
5 Disease and pest control
5.1 Main diseases
(1) Virus disease: Can be controlled with a 20% virucide solution (500 times dilution) or a 20% morpholine hydrochloride solution (500 times dilution).
(2) Leaf spot disease: Can be controlled with a 75% chlorothalonil solution (800 times dilution) or a 65% mancozeb solution (1000 times dilution).
5.2 Pests
(1) Thrips: Can be physically controlled by hanging blue boards, or chemically controlled with a 10% imidacloprid solution (1000 times dilution).
(2) Red spider mites: Weeds in the field should be cleared in a timely manner to prevent the occurrence of red spider mites, and when they occur, they can be sprayed with a 1.8% abamectin emulsion (2000 times dilution).
(3) Leaf moths: Can be controlled with insect-killing lights.
6 Harvesting
When Gladiolus grows to 1.1-1.2 meters and the lower part of the flower spike has 1-2 flowers open, it can be harvested. Cut 2-3 cm above the ground. After harvesting, bundle 10 into one bunch and place in water for sale.
The above content about Gladiolus and its morphological characteristics is brought to you by the Green Plant Enthusiast website. Have the green plant enthusiasts understood it?