How to Store Gladiola Bulbs

Gladiolas, also called gladiolus or sword lilies, produce towering stalks lined with colorful flowers each summer. The plants are often said to be grown from bulbs, which isn't entirely accurate. They are actually grown from corms, which closely resemble bulbs and provide nutrients during the dormant season. It is necessary to dig and store gladiola corms before winter's arrival in regions with below freezing temperatures. Lift the bulbs from the ground after the plants' foliage has been killed by fall frost, as moving the bulbs too soon prevents them from producing nutrients to sustain them throughout winter.

Spade
Scissors
Garden hose
Screen wire
Paper bags

Instructions

- 1
  Dig around each gladiola plant with a spade, beginning four to five inches from the base of each stalk.
- 2
  Grasp the foliage at soil level and carefully pull the corm from the ground.
- 3
  Shake each plant gently to remove loose soil from the corms.
- 4
  Trim the foliage back with scissors, leaving only 1 1/2 inches in place.
- 5
  Rinse the remaining soil from the corms with a gentle spray from the garden hose.
- 6
  Spread the corms on a piece of screen wire to dry. Leave the corms in a sunny outdoor location for two days.
- 7
  Place the corms in a dry location that is protected from sunlight and maintains temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread them in a single layer and allow them to remain there for approximately three weeks, until the outer hull of the corm dries enough to be removed.
- 8
  Remove the husks covering the corms using your fingers.
- 9
  Place the gladiola corms into a paper bag and store them in a dry location that maintains temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave them in the bag until it is time for replanting in spring.

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