What to do if gladiolus bulbs have dried out?

Growing gladioli isn't all that difficult, but there are many nuances you need to know to avoid worrying later—what to do if your gladioli bulbs have dried out? You need to dig up the bulbs in time, store them properly, and maintain proper temperature and humidity conditions. Then, retrieve them promptly, prepare them for planting, feed them, and disinfect them. Let's look at what to do to ensure our bulbs are ready for planting in the spring, and avoid any worries about why the bulbs have dried out or rotted, or what to do.

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Winter storage

Before wintering, be sure to carefully examine each adult bulb and its offspring to identify any damaged or diseased ones and discard them. If the planting material is valuable to you, you can try to save the damaged ones, but be sure to store them in a separate place to prevent the healthy ones from becoming overly diseased. Furthermore, thoroughly drying the bulbs will give you a chance to preserve them perfectly; this is essential.

You can store the bulbs in the basement for the winter, but if you store any vegetables there in addition to canned goods, the gladioli need a separate compartment with its own ventilation. Otherwise, when the vegetables release moisture in the winter, the bulbs will absorb it and may either rot or sprout prematurely. Place the bulbs in perforated boxes in thin layers. This will allow for ventilation and prevent them from drying out or rotting.

You can also place each bulb in a piece of old tights or a cheesecloth bag and hang it up. Dry them in these bags and store them. At home, you can put the bulbs in paper bags and store them in the refrigerator for the winter.

Preparing bulbs for planting

In mid-March you can already take out the bulbs and prepare them for plantingTo do this, remove the planting material. Examine it carefully for dried or rotten bulbs. Carefully remove the scales to avoid damaging any sprouts that may have already emerged. Without the scales, you'll immediately see which bulbs are healthy and which are problematic. If some are rotten or infected with bacteria, it's best to discard them immediately. But if you still want to save them, carefully trim off the problem areas with a sharp knife (be sure to treat the knife with potassium permanganate after each bulb, otherwise you'll spread the infection to all the bulbs). Treat the cut ends with brilliant green and set them aside to dry separately.

At the end of April, soak the bulbs in a micronutrient solution for half a day to saturate them. You can use boric acid, molybdenum, zinc, potassium permanganate, and magnesium sulfate; this will boost the plant's immunity, enlarge the flowers, and encourage early flowering. After soaking, let them air dry for 24 hours. You can treat them with "Maxim" for disease prevention; "Fundazim" is also suitable for this purpose. When the soil is warm enough, at least 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), you can plant the gladioli.

What to do with dried bulbs?

If the bulbs have dried out, don't throw them away right away; you can try to revive them.

If the bulb has become hard and wrinkled, it's diseased and unlikely to be saved. After removing the scales, you'll see if there's any movement or small sprouts emerging; it's possible to save it. Treat it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, or soak it in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution for about five minutes, then let it dry.

Another option is to remove any dry scales, fill a suitable container with sand, place the bulbs upside down, and water them with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Then, as the sand dries, add a little water. If the bulbs are alive, they will root, absorbing the lost moisture, and you can plant them.

Another possibility is that the bulbs may be infested with thrips. Treat them with insecticide, dry them, wrap them individually in newspaper, place them in a container, and put them in the bottom of the refrigerator. Then, check which ones have survived and which ones are ready to go.

A healthy bulb can dry out if stored improperly. Before planting, you can soak it in this solution: add a teaspoon of baking soda to a liter of water. You can soak it in a micronutrient solution, in zircon, or simply wrap it in a damp cloth and leave it there for 24 hours. There are many options, try them, and your bulbs may yet be revived. Don't rush to throw them away!

See also: Lilies: planting and care in open ground.