Grammy's Gladiolus Plants

[Caravaggio]

Hello All! I just pulled some gladiolus plants from my Gram's house before it was sold. I'm a newbie gardener, and am wondering if anyone has any tips on the best way to handle these so they survive. Should I replant, since they are still in bloom? Or should I dry the bulbs over the winter and start fresh in the spring? I'm in Zone 7. Thanks!

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forum

My gut instinct would be to take great care with them and replant them, so that the leaves can put energy back into the corms before winter... someone else here might know better though!

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

If you could quickly transplant the Gladiolus corms with an attached rootball, you might perhaps keep them green for awhile longer in late Summer. However, is they have already begun to dry out, you should continue to let them go into dormancy. In this case, pot them into a large container of dry potting soil and set them in a cool, sheltered place until next Spring, such as a garage or basement. In Spring, you can replant them in the ground or in the container. Some Gladiolus corms are marginally hardy in USDA Zone 7, but the safer course would be to protect them from excessive cold and dampness in Winter.