Calhoun County, AL –Many Southern gardeners enjoy seasonal corms called gladiolus. In plant magazines, they are mentioned as corms, but in casual discussion you will hear them called bulbs. Each of the corms can produce tiny offsprings called cormels. My slang for the offspring is cormlets. Every year, if you dig up the mother corms in the fall, you can pop off the tiny cormels to stay in the ground. These cormels require several years of development to produce stalks that can bloom. I would suggest creating a raised bed just for the offspring to develop and not be moved. However, if you leave these offsprings attached to your in-ground corms it reduces the size of the mother stalk & blooms. I have discovered if I leave the mother corms in the ground, their attached offspring will create a reduction in the corms flamboyant bloom cycle. Because I have heirloom gladiolus called Plum Tarts from my mother, I yearly dig up the corms. I hang these corm stalks on a shed wall to dry. Once the corms are dry, I cut and remove the dried stalks and store the corms indoors until the next season. Plum Tarts are pinkish, purplish, salmon toned with yellow centers. They look like candy on a stalk! My yearly ritual is to plant the corms in organic soil. I stake each corm to be tied as it grows heavy with blooms, vertical. I grow my gladiolus in the ground, raised beds, and pots. When people receive my gifted vases of Plum Tarts they know I consider them special friends. I encourage you to experiment with gladiolus. I suggest to keep them moist but not waterlogged like canna lilies enjoy.
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She has been an organic gardener since 1998. The signature flower she grows is Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, a raised bed garden, and an in-ground garden. Both her surnames are agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: bettyclark2151959@gmail.com
