How to Garden Gladiolus

Plant gladiolus corms after the risk of frost has passed. Choose a spot in the garden that gets direct sunlight for at least six hours each day.

Loosen the soil of your planting area to a depth of at least 10 inches, using a garden fork or hoe.

Dig holes for your gladiolus corms 4 to 6 inches deep in the loosened soil. Space the holes at least four inches apart.

Add mulch when covering up the corms with your soil.

Water once the gladiolus corms are planted; thereafter, they should not need watering during the spring, except during particularly dry conditions.

Water regularly as soon as foliage appears in the late spring or early summer.

Remove weeds from around short gladioluses to make sure they get enough sunlight. Add mulch between plants to keep moisture in the soil.

Remove any dead blossoms and carry on watering into the summer.

Trim the stalks down to 4 inches at the end of summer, to let the corms get precious nutrients. In colder temperatures, remove the corms and store them at a temperature of 35 to 45 degrees in a well-ventilated area; they can be replanted in the spring. In milder areas, leave them in the ground and add mulch on top.