How to Transplant a Gladiolus

Gladioli are bright blooming flowers that do well when planted as clusters. Stagger the plantings so that they do not all bloom at once. They have long-lived blooms and tend to bloom from the middle of summer until the first frost. They do well as cut flowers. Transplanting gladioli means moving the corm from one location to another. Plant your gladioli in a spot with excellent drainage and full sunlight. Though they will grow in shade, they put out their best blooms in a sunny location. Add a layer of mulch to keep the weeds down and to retain moisture.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Dish
• Trowel
• Paper bag

From Indoors

1. Start the corms during the middle of April.

2. Place the gladioli corms in a shallow dish filled with 1/4 inch of water.

3. Place the dish on a windowsill with bright filtered sunlight. This allows the corm to start germinating.

4. Plant the corms in the ground, growing tip up, when the weather warms. Each corm should be buried between 5 and 8 inches deep and about 5 inches apart. If the growing tip is less than five inches tall, bury it completely, but take care not to harm the delicate tip.

From Outdoors

1. Wait until the blooms are dead after the growing season.

2. Dig up the corm with a trowel.

3. Clean the excess dirt from the corm, but do not wash it with water.

4. Place the corms in a paper bag and leave them in a cool, dry place until the first leaves are on the trees.

5. Plant the corms in the ground, growing tip up, when the weather warms. Each corm should be buried between 5 and 8 inches deep and about 5 inches apart. If the growing tip is less than five inches tall, bury it completely, but take care not to harm the delicate tip.