[Babstreefern]

I've just come back from the lottie and one of the jobs was digging up the gladoli.  Believe it or not, it was my first time of growing them.  What I want to know is that quite a few of my glads have doubled, I split them, knocked off all the tiny minature "bulbs", and have put them in the greenhouse so they can dry off (the roots are covered in very damp soil), before I put them away in a dark dry place.  Is the correct way of looking after them?

I've done the same with my dahlia - I grew them from seed, and I lifted them a couple or so weeks ago, and have put the tubers into my garden shed.

[sion01]

Sound's perfect.It's a good idea to check every now and again through winter just incase some are getting mouldy.

[Trillium]

With glads, you'll find that the original corn is now kaput and should be tossed out. Your storage method for the rest is what I do.

[chrisnchris]

I split them, knocked off all the tiny minature "bulbs", and have put them in the greenhouse so they can dry off (the roots are covered in very damp soil), before I put them away in a dark dry place.  Is the correct way of looking after them?

Sound's perfect.It's a good idea to check every now and again through winter just incase some are getting mouldy.

With glads, you'll find that the original corn is now kaput and should be tossed out.

Are you saying that the bulbs I bought this year are no longer any good......I'm now totally confused.

I normally let the foliage die right back so all the goodness goes back into the corm and leave them to dry just like onions and take off all the loose dirt but take care that you don't knock off the little bulbs(cormels).Store them in a cool but frost free place that's also dry overwinter.Check occasionally and discard ones that go mouldy.

Is it just the little cormlets that are viable then? but you have to wait a couple of years for them to flower........and once they have flowered........chuck them out.

I can't beleive that's right.

Sion01, you say in an earlier thread of a few weeks ago to take care not to knock the small corms off & yet your reply to this topic is "perfect" when Babstreefern says he has knocked all the little corms off. You contradict yourself, giving two opposing views whilst stating that they are both correct

Which is right?

Please could we have some clarity on this.

Thanks

Chris

[Paul Plots]

With glads, you'll find that the original corn is now kaput and should be tossed out. Your storage method for the rest is what I do.

Trillium is right:

When you lift the corm you'll find the original one at the bottom and above it a new (sometimes 2) new corms. These are the ones that should fower next year. The original has done its job. Sometimes the original can be removed easily and dumped - if not leave it attached until it dries out.

Smaller baby ones may well cluster around the original. Next Spring you can stick these in a nursery bed to fatten up for future years. I usually don't save the very tiny ones.

I'm pretty sure I've got this right - it works for me. 

[Trillium]

Yes, Paul. That's right. The babies are quite small and for me they get lost in the shuffle so I simply toss them. They are viable but it will take a few years for them to reach good flowering size. But if you have the time, space and inclination, then do save the baby corms and nurse them on - but you can't let any flowers develop until the corm reaches 'store sale' size. Once it flowers, that's it. If allowed to flower too soon baby corms will give miserable little flowers.

And yes, the original corm is useless once it flowers. One, sometimes 2 new corms will form which you'll save, and the original piece is bin material.  I know it looks fine now, but you'll learn soon enough that it won't last. It will rot later if not sooner.

As for when to bring them in, I've found both ways to work equally well as the mother corm has already produced viable offspring which won't size up much after mother has flowered. I've either waited until frost knocked back the foliage, or, I've simply cut the foliage to within a few inches of the corm to bring it in to finish drying off. The latter process takes an extra week or so of drying but the timing might be more convenient for me to bring them in.

There are some varieties of glads which can live through winter still in the ground, and some areas that are mild enough to do so. Ask friends and neighbours who grow them in your area, and what they do. With the colder winters you've had the last 2 years in the UK, it doesn't hurt to bring them in (and do mark the colours if that's important to you) to a frost free place.

[Babstreefern]

Thanks a lot guys, that sounds great, and I'll carry on the good work with them

[Paul Plots]

Thanks a lot guys, that sounds great, and I'll carry on the good work with them

Down here in the soft south gladoli will often survive a winter if the soil isn't too soggy. I think you would do best to take them in up in Manchester.

Good luck for next years blooms. 

[chrisnchris]

So far I have only dug up 3 because they were in the way of where I wanted to put my onions.

They all had lots of babies about the size of a pea.
The original bulb though is still just that, a bulb. They haven't split or produced a new corm, except for the many tiny ones.

I would say that the bulb is at least twice the size it was when planted but it is still just that, they look like a slightly flattened onion.

I shan't dig any of the others for a few weeks to see if they produce the mystery extra corm.

As an aside........what's the difference between a corm, a bulb, & a rhizome .............................................................
.............................................................

answered my own question but others might find it interesting

http://www.gardeningdirect.co.uk/bulbs-rhizomes/GD_BulbsCormsTubersRhizomes,default,pg.html

Anyway, an interesting topic & thanks for your replies.

I'll post a picture later.

[sion01]

I'm sorry for confusing you chrisandchris .I ment take care of the cormels if you intend to grow them on .If you don't intend to grow them on then just take them off.There's no right or wrong with them it's a matter of personal choice.

[chrisnchris]

Here are a couple of pics, (hopefully)

I guess that the darker patch with all the roots, at the base of the bulb is the original, now rather decimated, almost non-existent corm that I planted.
The pink/red/purple bulb has grown from the original....am I right so far ? 

The pink/red/purple bulb is OK for next year, but the other part, with the roots, is the original & isn't any good.

If that's the case, should I take the original off & what is the best way to do this.
It does seem to be firmly attached, it won't just drop off like the little "cormlets" Should I attack it with a knife or try & prize it off with my thumbs...........hit it with a hammer 

Anyway, I think I'm understanding this a little better now........or am I ?

As another observation. The original corm was "say" 30mm across. The new bulb is 60mm across. Will the next new bulb be any bigger.
When this is planted next year, (assuming my thoughts are correct) will it become the "defunct" part at the end of the season & will the "new bulb" be growing from it, & so the cycle begins again 

Thanks, very interesting.

I'm going for a lie down in a darkened room 

[Paul Plots]

I think you've got it!!

As for separating the old and the new I just twist them one one-way and the other the other-way.  :blink:  It mostly works well.... but whether it's right or not is another matter.   

If in doubt and they are stubbornly glued together - leave them. Later, when they dry, it should be easier.

I wouldn't use a knife. You will most likely damage the new corm.