Gladiolus is a proud flower that we are accustomed to see level and upward. But often, having come to a flowerbed, one may find that the flowers have dropped and fell to the ground. Sometimes these slender flowers fall under the weight of their own weight, another reason can be gusty winds and heavy rain. The article tells how to fix the situation, and what types of support should be provided for the full growth of these colors.
Diseases and defects of gladioli
A common cause of the fall of gladioli are diseases and pests that adversely affect the stem, as a result of which it softens, decays or breaks.
Among the pests are the most common:
Thrips are considered the most dangerous for the plant. Small flying insects of brown or black color settle on the leaves of the gladiolus, sucking juices out of it. You can notice them by whitish spots, gradually darkening.
The stalk of the plant is depleted and falls, and closed buds do not open. The wire is the larva of the nutcracker. It penetrates the bulb, gnawing its outer layer, and then the inner one. After that, the stem of the gladiolus rots and falls.
Diseases that provoke the fall of a plant:
Botridiosis, or brown rot is a fungal disease that develops as a result of the spread of the pathogen from diseased plants to healthy ones. Ideal conditions for this are created by cool damp weather. First, reddish spots appear on the leaves, after which, with constant maintenance of moisture, the buds are affected.
The flowers that appear receive a deformed shape, and the stem rots. No less dangerous is sclerotiniosis, called black rot, due to dark spots that affect the leaves, then the flowers and the stem, which subsequently softens and falls. After this, the fungal disease enters the roots, they darken and rot.
Did you know? Not many people know that gladiolus is directly related to gladiatorial battles. His bulb was considered a symbol of victory, so the brave gladiators wore it near the heart, and the name of the flower itself translates as “little sword”.
Mosaic disease refers to viral diseases and can be transmitted by insects to healthy plants. An ailment manifests itself by alternating small white and dark spots that cover the leaf. The virus affects the healthy development of the bulb, as a result of which the gladiolus grows deformed, weak and does not withstand strong winds.
Video: thrips on gladioli
Do I need support for gladioli
Gladiolus belongs to the perennial bulbous flowers of the Iris family. These are large, weighty arrow-shaped plants with a thick stem and buds of different colors, the peak of flowering of which occurs in August-September. Thanks to the magnificent form, they are a bright decoration of any flower bed and are cut into lush, multi-colored bouquets. But with unpretentious flowers, difficulties arise, because not all gardeners know how to properly grow a plant so that it does not fall.
In addition to windy weather and diseases, other reasons for lodging the stems can be hidden in the initially disturbed planting and non-compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. Improper nutrition can also lead to plant curvature. Excess nitrogen or a lack of potassium leads to impaired tissue development, which becomes weak, after which the plant does not maintain its own weight.
Important! There are several rules for planting tubers to prevent a flower from falling. First, he must take a strong position, so the bulb is planted deep — up to 20 cm into the soil. And secondly, when planting, initially avoid shaded and unprotected places.
In this regard, young gladioli need mandatory support to direct the growth of the stem and create support during gusty winds and rainy weather. If you want gladioli to please with harmonious, lush flowering and not lose its decorativeness, you should take care of their support in advance.
DIY support for gladioli
Since the stems of the flower are long, heavy and prone to lodging, they require attention and timely design of various kinds of support. Gladiolus flower stalks can reach 120 cm with a thickness of 3-4 cm, so it is not surprising that thin noble plants break easily.
The peculiarity of the plant is that gladioli always tend to go up, and if they deviate, the grown flower turns out to be ridiculous and twisted. Craftsmen are increasingly neglecting store holders and making supports with their own hands. There are several methods for their manufacture with installation requirements for different periods of plant maturation.
Coasters
An effective way to support gladioli are stands, built to cover the plants in heaps, not in rows. If the gladioli in the garden grow arbitrarily or you specially planted them with a bush, then you can use the stands, which are easily assembled by experienced gardeners. No need to run to the agricultural store and throw money away on expensive coasters, but you still have to visit the tool department. The constructed structure will cover an armful of gladioli and will not let them fall even in the windiest weather.
In order to make a stand, you will need:
- wooden lining 5 × 7 cm;
- water pipe with a diameter of up to 1.6 cm;
- screwdriver;
- several screws;
- garden hose up to 30 cm long;
- a bucket, barrel or other container (it does not go to consumption, it is necessary for measurement).
Important! The diameter of the hose should be wider than the diameter of the water pipe so that they can be easily inserted into each other for a strong connection of the support.
To make the stand, you must perform the following steps:
- Twist the pipe in a spiral using a barrel in four layers.
- Cut the spiral into rings so that the open edge is about 10 cm wide.
- Wear pre-cut pieces of hose on the open faces of the rings.
- Marker to divide each ring into three points located at an angle of 120 ° from each other.
- Insert self-tapping screws at these points.
- Cut the rest of the water pipe into three straight tubes 50 cm long.
- On one side, plug the openings of the tubes with a cork from a wooden lining in order to drive a self-tapping screw there.
- Using a screwdriver at three points, connect the ring to the tubes.
- At the bottom of the tubes, also fix the ring so that there are legs for deepening into the ground.
- The stand is ready.
The support made can be installed during the blooming of young rods or on a grown armful of gladioli, after having loosely bandaged them with a rope.
Props
If the flower garden has a large number of flowers, it makes no sense to bandage each of them, because it is enough to build a support that can protect the entire gladiolus row. The length and size of the structure depend on the size of the bed, but outwardly it looks like a two-level wooden "fence" running along the rows. Its height should reach about 110 cm, and the distance between the lower and upper trims should be about 30 cm.
Did you know? For a bouquet with cut gladioli to please you longer, dissolve a tablespoon of sugar or vinegar in water. You can also add a couple of drops of potassium permanganate or an aspirin tablet.
What is necessary for the manufacture of the structure:
- wooden pegs of the required length (so that they cover the bed of gladioli on both sides);
- self-tapping screws;
- twine.
The construction process consists of several simple steps:
- Measure the length of the beds along and across.
- Draw a “fence” diagram on paper.
- If you have a large number of short pegs, connect them using self-tapping screws to get the required length along and then across.
- Repeat the procedure for the second level, backing off about 30 cm.
- Connect all sides of the structure so that the bed is able to “shelter” the front, back and sides.
At the bottom of the structure, leave legs 30–50 cm long in order to deepen them into the ground. The design is installed during the production of peduncles. Legs should be placed between rows so that they do not damage planted tubers. After that, tie the twine between each row, pulling it onto the lower planks of the wooden support.
Holders
Having entered the flower shop, you will immediately begin to be offered a variety of plastic and metal holders designed specifically to support the vertical growth of gladioli and other high flowers. However, it is not difficult to make such holders yourself. This requires a minimum of tools and skills. All you need is any bendable pipe, thick wire or water hose.
Using the latter, the manufacturing scheme is as follows:
- Take a part of the water hose 130 cm long.
- A similar length of wire is inserted inside it.
- The base for deepening into the ground is made of wood or with the help of an stuck metal tube.
- The hose is inserted into the ground to a level of 120 cm, and the tip is bent to form an “eye”.
The tip of a beautiful and tidy holder is sealed with a cap. This holder is designed for one flower, so you can install it for the most problematic tall gladioli.
Video: flower holder
Methods of garter gladioli
In addition to specially equipped supports, you can use the garter method, which exists in several versions. Its use is advisable if a few flowers grow on your garden, and you are able to take care of each of them. You can use a peg and an old rope for a garter, but it is unlikely that your guests will be amazed by this design.
On sale there are special support frames that are tied with twine. If you do not want to spend money, such frames can be built independently from any metal support or tube, tied up with a neat cord.
There are three main ways to garter:
For garter, the first method uses rails, as in the support method described above. But the cord is not just tied from one side of the garden to the other, but wraps each flower, securing it more securely.
The step-by-step technique looks like this:
- Take a rope three times as long as the width of the bed.
- Tie it on one side of the rails in the middle (so that the ends are free).
- With the ends of the cord, cover each bush and weave the “eight” to the end of the bed, securing the cord on the other side of the support.
- Do the same with each row of flowers.
Another effective method is mesh tying. This method will protect against the strongest winds and will direct the growth of the flower up. The method consists in equipping a grid at a height of 50 cm from the garden bed that would be firmly fixed with a frame or pegs, and each cell would support a separate flower.
Did you know? Individual parts of gladiolus are suitable for the food industry. For example, some varieties of tubers are ground into flour and added when baking bread, and the leaves of the plant contain a large amount of vitamin C, which makes them an excellent cold medicine in the form of medicines and tinctures.
There are several options to set the grid. The easiest is to buy a finished mesh netting and pull it over the bed, securing it with wooden frames, tubes or any other way.
For those who are not looking for easy ways, you can perform the following sequence of actions:
- Insert pegs around the perimeter of the flowerbed.
- Tie them with a cord in a circle.
- Make a net by laying the cord along and across, tying it firmly.
In order for the gladiolus to have enough space for unlimited development, the diagonal of each cell should be approximately 10 cm. Set the grid when the stems have not yet reached its level, but are at an early stage of growth. The tense “obstruction” will not scare away the flowers, because they will quickly find open space, and you can periodically correct it.
The decorative method, as the name implies, is intended, besides benefit, for aesthetic perception. Pegs, cords and frames, of course, effective structures, but they are not suitable for those who want to create something original on the flowerbed. Life hacks from experienced gardeners come to the rescue in this case.
Options for a decorative garter can be created using:
- Flower pot. To do this, take an old unnecessary pot, bucket or other wide tank in which the bottom breaks through. The capacity is set at the initial stage of flower growth. For greater aesthetics, the vessel can be painted or painted.
- Pipes and racks. With the help of tools and your imagination, you can build a neat fence that protects the flower and delights the eye.The supporting structure is made of PVC pipes.
- Ready-made fences. A modern assortment of flower products is presented by ready-made fences and flower beds that support armfuls of plants.
Gladiolus is the king of the garden, so it is better to worry about its beauty in advance. To build supports, supports and garters, it is enough to acquire the missing tools and arm yourself with a share of patience. But all this is done in order to receive an exuberant, colorful and elegant reward in the flowering season.