Cultivation of Gladiolus

May 3, 2020 Agrovista

Cultivation of Gladiolus

Table of Contents

Gladiolus, a bulbous ornamental, is a flower of glamour and perfection. It is undoubtedly the best bulbous flower in India and ranks next only to a tulip in Holland. Its popularity is due to its unparalleled beauty and economic value; it is a native of the Mediterranean region of South Africa. It belongs to the family.
Iridaceae

A large number of varieties with attractive colors and petal structure have been the result of interspecific hybridization among
Gladiolus primulinus, G. childissi, G. cardinalis, G. byzantinus, G. psittacinus, G. tritis, G. gandoversis, and G. oppositie florus. Gldiolus primulinus has, however, contributed the most to evolving modern cultivars.

Gladiolus is ideal for cut flowers and garden displays. The demand for its cut flowers is increasing due to their excellent keeping quality. Besides home consumption, tremendous potential for its export to European countries.

Varieties of Gladiolus ;

Exotic Varieties of Gladiolus )

Arka Rajni ( Purple ), Arka Poonam (light yellow ), Archna ( Prime rose Yellow), Basant Bahar ( Emire Yellow), Gazel (Persian Yellow), Manhar (primrose yellow), Maisha (triyan rose clour), Mohini (outer white and inner petals are in triyan rose ), Apsara (purple with tight yellow flecks), Peter Pears, Spic & Span, White Friend Ship, White Goddess,

Climate Requirement for Cultivation of Gladiolus:

Gladiolus is a flower crop of subtropical and tropical regions with a temperature range between 27 to 30 degrees Celsius. Gladiolus crop performance is well suited to the long days with 10–12 hours of photoperiod.

Propagation of Gladiolus ;

It is commercially multiplied by corms. Cold storage of plant 3 to 7 degrees

celsius for the three months or GA3 (100 ppm) adopted for breaking the dormancy

The size of the spike and the grade of the flower depend upon the size of the corms planted. Corms of 8 to 10 cm in size with a high crown should be preferred. Multiplication by seeds is done to evolve new varieties. Seed propagation is not followed on a large scale because the varieties do not produce true to type.

Planting of Gladiolus ;

1) The planting site should be sunny and have well-drained sandy loam soil with pH of 6.2 to 7.5. The planting system must be ridge and furrow.
2) Periodic plantings at fortnightly intervals from September to December in the plains may be done to ensure flowering for a long time, which will avoid glut in the market.
3) Flowering periods may also be adjusted by planting early, mid-season, and late varieties. In the hills, planted in March or April.
4) The planting distance of corms is 15 to 25 cm and between rows 30 to 40 cm. The planting depth of corms is from 8 to 12 cm.
5) Depth also depends on the corms. At planting time, the soil should have sufficient moisture.
6) Before planting, corms are dipped in 0.2% captan or 0.02% bavistin for 30 minutes, then shade dried.

Irrigation Requirement in Gladiolus Cultivation;

Irrigation is required at 7- 8 day intervals for the sandy soils, while the heavy soil requires less frequent irrigation.

Manuring Requirement in Gladiolus Cultivation;

A basal dose of F.Y.M. @ 10 kg/m2 is sufficient to meet the requirement without additional fertilizer. However, in poor soils, nitrogen should be topdressed at 60 gm/mo in two split doses at 4 and 10 leaf stages. Phosphorus and potassium at 30 g and 20 g/m2 should be applied during soil preparation. A foliar spray of fertilizer with 2 parts of urea and 1 part of potassium sulfate at 3 g in one liter may be useful.

Use of growth regulators in Gladiolus Cultivation;

Duration of flowering, spike length, and number of florets per spike were found to be quite satisfactory with N.A.A at 50 ppm. Spraying of G.A. at 100 ppm increased plant height and the number of leaves and shoots per plant and improved the number and size of florets. Better quality and higher yields of corms and cormels were also found. Spraying of GA should be done three times to get better results.

Insects and Diseases in Gladiolus;

1) Thrips and aphids sometimes attack at the flowering stage, which can be controlled by a spray of 0.2% malathion, or Dimethate 30 EC@2 ml/l or Fenitrothion 50 EC@2ml/l
2) Fusarium rot, Botrytis rotand Altemaria are the common diseases of gladiolus. These can be controlled by dipping corms for 2 hours in 0.1-0.2 percent benlate. Also spraying of 0.2% bavistin at an interval of 10 to 15 days is effective in controlling these diseases.

Lifting of the Corms and Storage in Gladiolus Cultivation;

After flowering, watering should be stopped. Corms are lifted within 45 days of covering, as by this time the corm and cormels have mature. The proper time for lifting is when leaves start changing color and about 25% of cormels become mature.

After listing, corms and cormels are cleaned, and old shriveled ones are removed. This is the time when corms are checked for possible diseases. They are now kept in cloth bags in an airy and ventilated room under shade for curing for about 20 to 30 days. When the curing is over, the surface of the corms becomes waxy and the wounds submerged. After curing, corms are dipped for 30 minutes in 0.2% Captan and then dried again for about a week under the shade. Now corms and then cormels should be placed in wooden trays or fine gunny bags wounds submerged. with proper aeration and then kept in cold storage having 4.5 to 10° celsius. A small quantity of corms may be kept in perforated paper bags and can be stored in refrigerators.