by johnah on November 19, 2020
Gladiolus are one of the most popular plants in the garden. They make beautiful additions to any landscape and they’re easy to grow! You’ll find them growing wild all over the world, but there’s only so much room in your yard or backyard.
So what if you have a small patch?
You could easily stake out some of these lovely flowers with just a few simple steps!
Stake Out Some Gladiolus With Just A Few Simple Steps!
Step 1: Choose Your Stake
The first thing you need to decide is which type of stake to use. There are two types of stakes used for planting: straight and curved. Straight stakes are usually made up of wood and they’re designed to hold the plant firmly in place while it grows.
Curved stakes are often made up of metal, plastic or other materials, but they’re still designed to support the weight of the plant without crushing it.
Straight Stakes vs. Curved Stakes
If you want to plant a single plant, then a straight stake will work fine. If you want to plant multiple plants, however, then curved stakes may be better because they allow the plants to spread out more when they reach their full height. (For example, if you wanted to plant four different varieties of roses at once on a flat surface like concrete.
The curves on the stakes would allow each rose to have some room to spread out as it grows.)
Step 2: Choose Your Location
The second thing you need to decide is where you want to stake your gladiolus because this will determine what type of stake you should use. If you’re planting them in a raised bed or a garden, then curved stakes are the best choice because they will allow each plant to grow up and outward without being cramped for space. If you’re planting them on a flat surface like concrete, then straight stakes are the best choice because they will allow each plant to grow up and outward without being cramped for space.
How To Use Stakes For Your Gladiolus
Step 3: Dig A Hole For Each Plant
The third thing you need to do is dig a hole for each plant that’s going to be staked. The hole needs to be wide enough to get the stake in, but no wider. The hole also needs to be as deep as the height of your stake.
For example, if you’re using a 6 inch stake, then your hole needs to be 6 inches deep.
If the topsoil is easy to remove, then it’s best to remove it before digging. If it’s hard to remove, then it’s OK to leave it in the hole. The next step is to place the stake into the hole.
If you’re using straight stakes and it’s difficult to push them into the ground, you can tape a wire coat hanger to the top of the stake so you can get more leverage.
Step 4: Insert The Stake & Tamp The Soil
The next step is to firmly tap the stake into the hole until only a small part of it is above the ground. Next, you’ll need to “tamp” the soil around the base of the stake so it’s tightly held in place. Tamping is a simple process where you push the soil in a circular motion around the base of the stake.
Tamping isn’t required for all types of stakes, but it’s highly recommended with straight stakes and definitely recommended with curved stakes. Without tamping, the stakes have a tendency to work their way out of the ground as the gladiolus plants grow. By tamping, you ensure they stay firmly in place.
Step 5: Enjoy Your Gladiolus!
The final step is to enjoy your gladiolus! After they’ve fully grown, be sure to deadhead (remove spent flowers) to encourage more blooms later in the season.
The Final Word On Staking Gladiolus
Staking is a simple process and only requires a few materials that you can find at your local home improvement store. Be sure to choose the right stakes for your situation because it will make a big difference later on. Whether you grow your gladiolus in a garden or on a patio, they will look amazing and provide you with a colorful splash of flowers to enjoy!
Sources & references used in this article:
The effect of micronutrients (B, Zn and Fe) foliar application on the growth, flowering and corm production of gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) in calcareous soils by S Fahad, M Ahmad, M Akbar Anjum… – Journal of Agricultural …, 2014 – jast.modares.ac.ir
G87-852 Growing Gladiolus by AJ Greving – … Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln …, 1987 – digitalcommons.unl.edu
Evaluation of gladiolus (Gladiolus x hybridus hort.) varieties for cut flower production under sub-humid conditions of rajasthan by M Choudhary, SK Moond, A Kumari… – Crop Research, 2011 – indianjournals.com
EFFECT OF MICRONUTRIENTS (Zn, B and Fe) ON GROWTH, FLOWERING AND VASELIFE OF GLADIOLUS (Gladiolus grandiflorus) cv. ARKA AMAR by S DEVARAKONDA, N RACHAKUNTA… – Agricultural Sciences … – pdfs.semanticscholar.org
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