Gladiolus is a quite popular flower in Vietnam, so popular that it seems to make people think that it is one of Vietnam’s native flowers. In the past, when I was little and not yet addicted to floral addictions, every Tet day I had to ask my dad for money to buy flowers to arrange. But definitely in the flowers I buy, there must be a bouquet of gladiolus flowers, and arrange a colorful flower vase for Tet holiday where gladiolus is the main theme.

Image of brilliant gladiolus flowers

Gladiolus – Gladiolus (Latin origin is gladius, meaning sword, perhaps because the flower branches look straight like a sword), is a quite eye-catching and easy to grow flower belonging to the Iris family. Only now have many people exclaimed, it turns out gladiolus and iris are in the same family. ^^

To date, people recognize there are 300 varieties of gladiolus in the world, including 260 species endemic to southern Africa, and 76 species to tropical Africa, with only 10 species originating from Eurasia. (Let’s not use addition to calculate species, because there are varieties that can grow in many different places).

Gladiolus with many species around the world

Gladiolus consists of orchid-like flowers blooming on a long branch (looking like a sword). Gladiolus is extremely suitable for use in vases and is also very beautiful if grown in the garden, in a tub, or in a large pot.

The colors of gladiolus are extremely rich, with colors ranging from light to dark and all kinds of colors, including mixed colors. In addition, gladiolus bulbs are extremely easy to grow, especially in the very difficult weather conditions of Vietnam. Perhaps that is the reason why gladiolus is so popular in Vietnam.

Gladiolus flowers come in many vibrant colors

Gladiolus flowers do not divide their branches, but from the moment they sprout, they grow straight up, divide into layers of leaves and gradually bloom. Like orchids growing from the leaves. In the past, when I first saw the gladiolus plant planted by my brother, I was very admiring, and wondered why a flower could grow in such a miraculous way. Depending on the flower variety and flower color, each flower can be different in size.

Round gladiolus bulbs (like crocus bulbs) are covered in layers of brown skin.

Quality gladiolus bulbs

This is my summary according to my experience and the general information I have looked up. I have grown gladiolus, and made gladiolus flower, but I often don’t do it exactly as I wrote. I plant everything the same way, missing a lot of steps, and the only reason is that I’m “lazy”. .

Indeed, according to what I know, of the flowers I have ever researched to find ways to grow, gladiolus is one of the simplest, healthiest, and easiest to grow, and can be grown in all regions. across the country (of course, depending on the place, whether the flowers are beautiful or not, whether they are big or long or skinny). If you love flowers, don’t hesitate to plant and take care of a pot of gladiolus for yourself. To enjoy the feeling of taking care of and growing a beautiful flower pot yourself. It’s normal for the flowers that people grow to be beautiful, but the flowers we grow to be beautiful is a feat, and a source of happiness. That’s how I feel every time I try to grow a certain type of tuber, it’s true!

Instructions for growing commercial gladiolus flowers are available everywhere. You can search on Google with the keyword “how to grow gladiolus flowers” and there will be many pages of instructions, I only show instructions on how to plant them in pots. everyone!

You can grow gladiolus in pots right at home

Choose gladiolus bulbs

First, we must pay attention to the selection of tubers. Like other bulbs, so is gladiolus. The larger the bulb, the longer the flower branch, and the more flowers there are on the branch. If growing in pots or tubs, we should look for bulbs of equal size. In addition, different colors mean different sizes of flower stems (as I mentioned above), so if you like a flower pot with equal flower stems, you can only choose bulbs that are similar. of the same color to plant in one pot. So if we plant different colors in one pot with the hope of having a colorful flower pot, don’t be disappointed when you see long flowers, short flowers, big flowers, small flowers, flowers that bloom first and flowers that bloom later ( just a few days). Hey guys! The summary of this part is: We should choose large, evenly sized tubers of the same color in the same pot.

Quality gladiolus bulbs for planting

Gladiolus planting season

Although gladiolus is quite easy-going compared to temperate flowers, meaning that it can flower in any season, the most suitable time to plant it is in the fall, because gladiolus likes the weather. that’s cool.

Choose a place to plant (or pot) gladiolus

Because gladiolus is suitable for both sunny and shaded places, we can place the pot in a medium sunny place. In my opinion, half-day sunlight in the morning is the most beautiful. This season has little sunlight, so every first ray of sunlight is necessary for the plant. If planted in a place with little sunlight, the tree will be limp, have a weak stem and have fewer flowers than in a place with a lot of sunlight. However, if planted in the summer (or if you are in a hot country), you should plant it in a shaded place with little sunlight, and shade it if the sun is too hot and intense.

– If planting in a soil tub, we must prepare the soil and clean the soil tub before planting by sprinkling lime and loosening the soil, and fertilizing with fertilizer to provide nutrients for the gladiolus to grow better. Gladiolus does not take up space, so if planted in pots and tubs, we plant it thickly so that when it blooms, it will not be scattered. It is best to place the tubers about 3-5cm apart, then cover about 6-9cm with soil, gently compact the soil and water evenly.

Gladiolus can be planted directly into the soil

– If growing in pots, we need to do the following steps:

+ Choose a pot: depending on your wishes, you can plant it in a very large or medium pot. You must make holes to allow water to drain and prevent the tubers from rotting.

+ Mix clean, nutritious, well-drained, and nutritious soil in a ratio of 1:1:2:1 (smoked rice husk, coconut humus (or crushed honeycomb slag), loam, humus fertilizer (already brooding))

+ Pour soil about 15cm from the top of the pot, place the tubers 3-5cm apart, cover with about 7-9cm more soil, press gently so that the soil is smooth, not loose, remember to place the tubers in the right direction. Gladiolus bulbs are like onions, so we can easily distinguish the top from the bottom.

+ Water with a sprinkler so that the water penetrates evenly into the soil.

+ Place the pot in a sunny place.

+ Insert a stick next to each bulb to support the plant, because gladiolus flowers are quite long and tall, easily falling over in wind and rain. It should be planted right at the time of planting because if left later, it will easily affect the roots of the tree (in my opinion, insert a short stick to “clean” that spot, then later insert a long stick into that “dirty” spot, to ensure the landscape. . ;)))

About pruning sprouts

When sprouting begins, some gladiolus bulbs will produce more than one sprout. When growing commercial flowers, people pluck off the weaker shoots and leave only the strongest branches. We can choose to leave it so we can see more flowers, our flower pot will be thicker and richer. However, it will slightly affect the quality of the flower. Depending on each person’s preference, we can prune the sprouts or not.

About fertilizers

Gladiolus flowers need a lot of nutrition during growth. If enough nutrition is provided, the plant will grow fat and the flowers will be longer and larger. If there is not enough nutrition, the plant will still flower, but will be small. We can use NPK to fertilize flowers. Because we plant in pots, we should fertilize by mixing fertilizer in water and then watering! Be careful not to mix it too thick or it will kill the plant. Fertilize weekly for good growth.

About irrigation water

Water when needed, don’t wait until it’s dry before watering, but pay close attention to avoid rotting the tubers. All plants grown from tubers will rot if the soil is too wet, so everyone must pay close attention to this!

If you have done all the above steps, then wait for the flowers to bloom and then we can just watch, from the moment the first sprout appears on the ground, until the tree sprouts flowers, and then the first flowers bloom. Nothing can compare to this happiness for us, everyone.

Note: Gladiolus takes a long time to flower, sometimes 90 days, sometimes 100-120 days. When preparing to flower, the tree trunk will swell, at that time we must add fertilizer to ensure the tree grows and blooms. Because at this time, if there is not enough water and nutrition, the gladiolus plant will easily be “choked” – meaning the flower stems cannot escape the stem, and the plant will not flower. I went through this painful experience once so I will always remember it. 

The care is rewarded with a brilliant gladiolus garden

Caring for gladiolus bulbs after they fade

Gladiolus prefers climates in zones 7-10. If it’s colder, you have to dig up the tubers in the fall to store them for replanting in the spring. If it’s warmer, like in our country, you have to pay attention to the heat of the summer. and fungal diseases.

After the flowers fade, we cut off the spent flower branches and leave the leaves behind so the plant can continue to grow, and apply fertilizer to help the bulbs continue to grow. Remember to weed to ensure nutrition for the plant.

When the rainy season comes, we dig up the tubers, clean them and store them in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry place. When the season comes (now is the season), plant it. Select large bulbs to plant for flowers, and replant small bulbs to grow larger bulbs.

Gladiolus symbolizes heroism, pride and victory. The name Gladiolus comes from the Latin word “gladius” – meaning sword, it symbolizes strength, victory and pride. This meaning dates back to Roman times, when gladiators fought to the death in the Colosseum arena. The winner will have gladiolus flowers thrown on them by onlookers in the crowd to congratulate them. Even today, the Dutch version of the phrase “death or glory” is “death or gradioli” and the winners of racing or walking events are given prizes. A bouquet of gladioli at the finish line.

Gladiolus flowers have extremely good meanings

According to ancient Roman legend, gladiolus appeared on earth based on the following story: there was a war between the Romans and the Thracians (*). Thracian warriors are captured by a cruel Roman ruler. He ordered the captured people to become gladiators. Among those arrested were two young men, Sevt and Teres, in misfortune the young people became friends. To organize entertainment for the people, the Roman general ordered the young people to fight, and the winner would return to his homeland. But those boys stuck their swords into the ground and hugged each other tightly, ready to die. The crowd booed angrily, and they were eventually killed. And as soon as their blood fell to the ground, the swords planted in the ground took root and bloomed, becoming tall, straight, beautiful flowers. To commemorate the honorable gladiators, this flower was named gladioli (gladiolus – that’s gladiolus). And since then, this flower has symbolized respect, loyalty and great friendship.

This is just one of many other legends about gladiolus that I have only read about now. Someday I will compile those stories to tell you guys!

Gladiolus has a legend from ancient times

Note:

(*) Thracians: are a group of Indo-European tribes that once lived in a large area of ​​Central and Southeast Europe. They spoke their own language, Thracian – an unofficial branch of the Indo-European language family. The study of the Thracian people and Thrachian culture is called Thracian studies (According to wikipedia).