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Gladioli are beautiful plants, without which it is difficult to imagine a Russian garden. The plant is grown by cuttings, division, and sowing. Each method has its own characteristics. For example, gladioli seeds are not easy to germinate, but they inherit the qualities of the parent plant, which in some cases can be extremely useful.
What do gladiolus seeds look like?
Beginners are afraid to try to propagate gladioli from seeds. They don't even know what they look like. The seed is a brown body similar to a nut.
Seeds reach different sizes - on average 2 mm
The fruits of gladioli contain up to two hundred seeds. Some of them will rise, and some will not. Fortunately, the seeds can be stored for a long time, they are designed for this.
Obtaining and collecting seeds
The pistil of gladioli opens before pollen is produced. Therefore, pollination is possible only thanks to insects or a random gust of wind that carries pollen outside the flower. But you should not rely on natural factors - they can lead to cross-pollination, as a result of which hybrid plants will grow from seeds.
Therefore, it is better to do reproduction yourself. To pollinate gladioli, you need to find male specimens and separate the stamens from them. They can be laid out on a simple piece of paper until they ripen. When pollen appears, it must be carefully removed.
By that time, the anthers should be cut off from the female gladioli. The flowers are wrapped in ventilated fabric (for example, gauze) and wait until the pistil develops. It is then coated with male pollen and re-wrapped in cloth. When the fruits are ripe, the fabric can be removed.
Seeds are collected after 4-5 weeks. You can tell that it’s time to start harvesting by the yellow-brown color of the fruit. There may be cracks on it - this is normal.
At first, growing gladioli from seeds is done at home. This is easier than sowing directly into the ground. It is only important for the gardener to protect the seeds from direct sunlight and damp rooms.
When to plant gladioli seeds
Gladioli seeds are planted in February if the month is warm. If not, work will begin in early March.
Propagation of gladioli by seeds
Seeding is a risky propagation method, but the process is very interesting - especially for those who like to observe the full development cycle.
Many gardeners choose seeds, wanting to experiment with varieties to develop their own unique variety.
Seed preparation
The difficulty is that the seed loses some qualities, and the daughter gladiolus grows up somewhat differently from the parent.Planting is carried out in greenhouse conditions so that the plant can gain strength for subsequent transplantation.
Before planting, gladioli seeds are soaked in sodium humate for three hours. Garden soil is mixed with sand and humus (1:2), and the seeds themselves are buried almost to the surface, lightly covering the shell.
Watering should coincide in time with the application of fertilizing. Even better is to mix the fertilizer in water and water it with the solution. You can plant gladioli in pots, containers, in a box or, as already mentioned, in a greenhouse. The main thing here is to organize the correct lighting.
With the arrival of the spring sun, the containers are moved to the greenhouse. There the seeds are left in the open air. When the light is too bright, it is better to shade the gladioli with newspaper or other material. During night frosts, cover the crop. Similarly, gladioli seeds are kept until autumn; planting in open ground and subsequent care are planned in advance.
Soil preparation
When choosing a site, it is important to take into account the light-loving nature of gladioli. They reach for the sun, so the place should be flooded with light. The plant is capricious about watering and it is better to plant it in a moist substrate. If there is none, it is enough to simply moisturize it more often.
Experts consider the following to be bad places to land:
- flooded soils;
- ravines;
- areas with shallow groundwater;
- heavy substrates.
Cold winds can cause irreparable harm, especially to young gladioli. On the windy side, the area needs to be covered, but this should be done in such a way that a thick shadow is not cast on the plant.
With normal lighting and protection from drafts, the flowering period will be longer, the color of the flowers will become more intense, and the crop itself will suffer less.
In shady areas, the opposite effect can be observed; sometimes buds do not form at all
Gladioli require replanting every two years. They can be returned to their original site after four years. This allows you to avoid some diseases. Botanists say that the plant should be placed in beds where cucumbers, dahlias, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions grew.
Landing technology
When the upper layers of the soil warm up to +10 °C and the threat of return frosts disappears, the grown gladioli are planted. Work is planned for late spring.
Adult bulbs, like seeds before, need to be prepared. 1.5-2 weeks before planting, they are cleared of dry skin to speed up the germination of gladiolus shoots. Thanks to this simple method, it is possible to get sprouts 1-1.5 weeks earlier. In addition, pests can hide under the thick shell, and without it, gladioli will be able to better absorb minerals and organic matter.
After sampling, the strongest bulbs are left. They are given a preventive bath, placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Gladioli that have formed two tubercles on the bottom are suitable for planting, but the more there are, the better.
Before planting, gladioli need to be treated again, however, this time with a growth stimulator. It is also useful to treat the beds with chicken droppings (you can water them by mixing them with water). A minimum distance of 8 cm is maintained between the tubers. Samples are buried 4 cm, large ones - deeper.Row spacing should be at least 22 cm.
When gladioli grown from seeds are transplanted into open ground, you need to mulch the soil with a thin layer of humus.
The final step is to protect the plants with non-woven material so that they are ready to face sudden frosts.
Further care
When growing seeds and adult gladioli, it is important to consider the moisture content of the substrate. The finished flower beds are watered so that water can seep 30 cm deep - this is where the roots are located. It is not advisable to irrigate gladioli with water, as this provokes the growth of weeds and the roots do not receive moisture.
After moistening, the soil is loosened with hands or garden tools. Thanks to this, a dry crust will not form on the ground, which prevents the penetration of air. Then the gladioli are hilled, and grooves are made for the passage of liquid.
Mulching protects the crop from the effects of summer drought, since the straw, sawdust and bark that serve as mulching material retain moisture longer. In turn, the gardener will be able to take a break from regular watering and loosening the soil.
If the previous rules are followed, gladioli will rarely need weeding. It is optimal to do it once a month. A young culture does not react well to competitors, and growth processes may slow down. Timely weeding will prevent this.
Fertilizers are applied at least three times a year:
- when three leaves appear;
- at the beginning of flowering;
- at the end of flowering.
During the growing season, potassium-phosphorus mixtures are used. Phosphorus is needed for long flowering, and potassium is needed for intensive root development.
Conclusion
Gladioli seeds can be found at any gardening store. Growing them is a labor-intensive but extremely interesting process in which the owner will be able to control every stage of growth. If you follow all the rules of planting and care, the plant will grow strong and will delight the owner with lush flowers.
