How to Dig & Plant Glads

Digging Glads

• 1

  Dig corms out of the ground in fall if you live in an area where the ground freezes in winter. Lift them out of the ground before ground-freezing weather begins. If you live in a warmer climate you don't have to lift your corms, yet they'll be susceptible to disease and crowding, which could affect the quality of the next year's blooms.

• 2

  Loosen the ground around the base of the glads with a spade. Pull the corms out by hand.

• 3

  Shake any excess soil off each corm. Cut the plant off the corm with a pruning shear. Cut as close to the corm as possible.

• 4

  Rinse the corms under running water. Spread them out on a shallow tray in a well-ventilated area. Leave the corms to "cure" for three weeks. As the corms cure, a cork layer will form between the original corm you planted and the new corm that formed in the ground.

• 5

  Break off and discard the old corms. Dust the corms lightly with a combination fungicide/insecticide dust.

• 6

  Store the corms through the winter in a mesh bag, open paper bag or cloth sack. Do not cover the corms with anything. The ideal storage environment is a room with good air circulation, with temperatures between 38 and 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

Planting Glads

• 7

  Select a planting area with well-drained soil in full sunlight. Use soil test kits to test for soil pH and nutrients. Glads grow best in soil with a pH of 6.7 to 7.0. Most garden soil that supports a good crop of vegetables or weeds will support glads. If a soil test indicates a lack of nutrients, use a balanced, 5-10-10 commercial fertilizer. The numbers indicate the fertilizer's percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

• 8

  Dig a hole about four times as deep as a corm's diameter. Place the corm in the hole, pointed side up. Cover with soil. Allow 6 to 8 inches of space between corms.

• 9

  Position stakes where you plant corms, if necessary, as some glads will blow over in windy conditions.

• 10

  Treat glads with insecticide to control thrips during the growing season. Glads are susceptible to thrips, which are tiny tan or black insects.