Gladiolus flowers begin blooming as early as February in USDA garden zone 10b and 11, and continue flowering into summer. The plant produces multiple trumpet-shaped flowers along the length of the flower stalk and has the ability to send up multiple stalks. Deadheading spent flowers and removing completely spent stalks not only improve the appearance of the gladiolus, it also encourages it to produce more stalks and blooms. You can also remove entire stalks in full flower for use in indoor arrangements.
Inspect the flowers once or twice weekly once the blossoms have opened completely. Pinch off wilting flowers at their base to remove them from the stalk without disturbing the remaining blooms.
Cut off the entire stalk with a pair of garden shears after all the flowers have wilted. Make the cut where the stalk emerges from the foliage.
Collect stalks for flower arranging after the buds have begun to flower but before they open completely. Cut the stalk at a 45-degree angle with the shears or a sharp knife. Make the cut between the second and third leaf set on the stem. You must leave at least two leaf sets on the plant if you want it to remain healthy.
Things You Will Need
- Garden shears
- Use clean, sanitized shears and knives for trimming gladiolus stems. Dip the tool in a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water before use to minimize the spread of plant disease organisms.
- When cutting gladiolus stems for arrangements, store them upright in a vase of water until you are ready to use them.
- Do not remove the foliage from the gladiolus until it has yellowed and died back naturally. The plant needs the foliage to collect nutrients even after the flowering period is over.
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