GLADIOLI CARE

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30365, 14 February 1964, Page 7

GLADIOLI CARE

Getting Good Corms The flowers of gladioli are i now fading and the problem j is how they should continue' to be treated. New corms form on top of the old ones while the flower is developing. The longer the growing season, the larger will be the new corms and these will have an effect on flowering next year. Every effort should be made therefore to allow the corm to develop fully. Food material pru- ; duced by the leaves is used to build up the corm. Once flowers have faded, the flower stems should be cut off so that food material that would be used in seed formation will go to build up the corms. Where possible these gladioli should be allowed to grow until the leaves turn yellow. When gladioli are interplanted. tne tops will look unsightly, so it may be advisable to lift them. Lifting should be done carefully so as to retain as many roots as possible and then replanted and allowed to die down naturally.

Once the tops have yellowed the plants can be lifted and the tops tied together in bunches. When the tops have become brown they can be readily parted from the corms. At this stage the new corms should be detached from the remains of the old one and the spawn or tiny cormlets the size of a pea collected together. All debris removed should be burnt to kill any pest or disease that may be present. If the thrips have been troublesome, the corms should be dusted with D.D.T. Where any disease is present the corms should be dipped in one of the proprietary bulb dips for the appropriate length of time and then allowed to dry quickly; this treatment would also control thrips. The scaly tunics of the corms should be pulled back on a few of the corms and an inspection made for disease symptoms which will resemble brownish or blackish scars. Store the corms in' a frost free, airy place until they are required again for replanting.

A dying oak, believed to have been planted by Henry VII about 450 years ago, has been saved by an “operation” by a tree surgeon. The tree, in Wilburton, Cambridgeshire, ■ is one of Britain’s oldest.