Growing for Specific Purposes.
Gladiolus growers have different objects in view in carrying on their
work, and it is managed according to the results desired. He who raises
bulbs for sale uses every effort to increase his stock and to cause the
bulbs to make the greatest possible growth during the season. He
prepares the ground thoroughly, plants deep to support the tops, gives
plenty of nourishment and the best of culture, cuts the spikes as soon
as they are high enough, and as a result he harvests a crop of large,
well formed bulbs that are pleasing to buyers and satisfactory in every
way.
He who grows for flowers, takes the same pains in preparing, enriching,
and tilling the soil, and supporting the tops, but when the spikes
appear, instead of cutting them at once, he allows them to go on growing
until the flowers begin to open. Then he cuts them judiciously; if for
sale, with long stems and plenty of foliage; if for home use, with less
of both. This is his harvest, and the bulbs, which are taken up later,
may be considered a by-product. When the flowers are cut with much
foliage the bulbs are dwarfed, but this does not matter when the flower
market pays more for the spikes than the bulbs would bring if grown to
perfection. The object in growing is naturally decided by the
prospective gains. If a crop of bulbs will yield greater profit than a
crop of flowers, the flowers are sacrificed and the bulbs are given
every advantage; if the flowers will bring better returns the bulbs take
second place, and the attention is centered upon developing the blooms.
He who grows for seed gives the same preparation and care as the others.
Then, instead of cutting the spikes at the earliest opportunity, as in
growing for bulbs, or when they begin to bloom, as in growing for
flowers, they are allowed to come out, display their beauty for awhile
and fade. After this the small green pods appear, fill out, and ripen,
and then the producer of seed reaps his harvest.
There is much to be said upon the subject of growing and saving seed,
and the details of this fascinating work will be considered in other
chapters.
Keeping Cut Flowers.
While gladiolus blooms are exceedingly beautiful when fresh and well
cared for, they are very unattractive when neglected, and it requires so
little attention to keep them at their best that it seems a pity they
should ever be allowed to suffer for the want of it. The best time to
cut the spikes is when the first flowers unfold. Put the stems into
water, and the next day there will be more blossoms open, and then more,
and so on, until sometimes there is a large number out at once.
Varieties differ very much in this respect. Some will display six or
eight blooms, or even more. The largest number I ever saw on one spike
at one time was fourteen, and that was a very rare case. On the other
hand, some kinds no sooner open three or four blooms than the lower ones
begin to fade. This is equally true whether they bloom on the plants or
after they are cut. It seems that some stems are unable to take up
moisture enough to supply more than a few flowers at once. Ordinarily, a
vase or jardiniere filled with freshly cut spikes will look nice for two
or three days. By that time they will have bloomed up far enough so that
the first flowers begin to wither. After this, they should receive
attention every day. The faded flowers should be taken off, the stems
shortened accordingly, and the water changed. With this treatment the
bouquet keeps fresh and beautiful until the last bud opens.
It shortens the life of cut flowers of any kind to stand in the sun, or
to be exposed to a current of air, and the gladiolus is no exception.
Marketing Flowers.
In cutting gladiolus spikes for shipment it is best to do the work in
the morning, as far as possible. In the daytime, especially when the sun
shines hot, or the wind blows, or both, the plant gives off moisture
rapidly, and flowers cut under such conditions are liable to wilt,
unless their stems are placed in water immediately. During the night,
evaporation is diminished or suspended, while the roots continue to
take up moisture. The dew also has an effect, and in the morning the
plants are full of sap. This is one reason why it is best to cut the
spikes early, and another is that the new blooms expand at that time,
and so are perfectly fresh. If one has large quantities to cut, it may
be necessary to continue the work all day, or the greater part of it,
and in such a case, or, in fact, whenever it is done, it is a good plan
to stand the spikes in water for a time, if convenient, and give them an
opportunity to fill their stems. Flowers thus refreshed will last longer
than those that do not have a chance to drink.
There is a difference in markets as to the length of stems demanded.
Some require them to be very long, with much foliage, and in such cases
the prices should be high enough to pay for sacrificing the bulbs, which
are rendered almost worthless by such cutting. When stems of moderate
length are acceptable, it is a good rule to cut down to the third leaf
below the spike, taking only the two small ones nearest the flowers.
This method gives the bulbs an opportunity to grow large and strong.
For shipment, the spikes are tied in bunches of twenty-six to
twenty-eight, so that each bunch will make two liberal dozens. They are
then placed in an upright position in a crate, box, or other receptacle.
There are various styles of packages, and each shipper chooses to suit
himself. One season I shipped thousands of spikes in tall candy pails,
with an inch or two of water in the bottom. They started at night and
arrived at their destination in the morning, "as fresh as daisies," the
commission man said. If the spikes are slightly wilted in transit it
does little harm, as they revive very soon after being placed in water,
though it is probable that any wilting shortens their terms of service
more or less.
Some growers cut the spikes before any flowers open, tie them in small
bunches, wrap in paper, and pack in crates, in layers. This method is
good for very long distances.
There is one other mode of shipping which I adopt when I wish to send
spikes that have several blooms open, without injury to the flowers. I
take a half bushel market basket, line it with waxed paper, sprinkle
damp moss in the bottom, and then "string" the basket--that is, sew
strong cords across it with a sail needle, three in each end at the top,
about three inches apart, and three others below these, an inch or two
above the bottom of the basket. The flowers are then put in slantwise,
beginning at the ends of the basket, and working towards the middle,
until the space is all occupied. The lower cords hold the ends of the
stems in place, while the upper ones support the weight of the flowers,
and keep them from crushing each other. A basket thus prepared will
carry from fifty to one hundred spikes, according to the angle at which
they are placed. The nearer upright their position the more the basket
will hold, but an angle of forty-five degrees is as much as they will
bear without swinging sideways and becoming disarranged.
It is sometimes desirable to send a spike by mail, and this can be done
to perfection by enclosing it in a pasteboard tube, such as publishers
use for mailing pictures. It should be drawn into the tube stem first,
and out the same way.
Growing and Saving Seed.
One of the most interesting branches of gladiolus culture is the growing
of seedlings, and a very important part of this is producing the seed.
Of course, seed can be bought, but it is more satisfactory to the grower
to raise it himself, as far as practicable, and know what it is, besides
eliminating an item of expense. Spherical or conical bulbs are more
vigorous, and therefore better for this purpose, than flat ones of the
same sort. There is a difference in the productiveness of varieties in
regard to seed, as well as bulblets, some yielding little or none, while
others bear freely, but in the latter case it is not best to permit the
bulbs to ripen the greatest possible amount. When they begin to bloom
they should be beheaded, leaving only the lower flowers and buds, say
four, or five, or six, and these will develop large, strong pods, filled
with seed of the best quality in point of vigor. This method is also
advantageous to the bulbs, which, though only a secondary consideration,
are not by any means worthless. For the benefit of both seed and bulbs,
the matter of cutting off the buds that are not wanted should be
attended to promptly as soon as the first flowers unclose.
When the seed begins to ripen, it should be watched, and secured at the
proper time. At a certain stage the pods burst open, and if left long
after this, the seeds, which are very light, are apt to be blown away.
The careful grower wishes to save every seed, for he has a feeling that
if one is lost, that one may be the choicest of all.