How do you care for gladiola's?

They have bloomed, it's early July and they are just there now. No more flowers, just the green part. What now?

How do you care for gladiola's?
Watering


Glads need ample water throughout the growing season. During dry weather, water the plants weekly to supply the equivalent of 1 inch of rainfall per week. Watering should soak the ground thoroughly. Avoid daily light waterings.





Staking


To ensure tall, straight flower spikes, staking is necessary. In beds or borders, individual plants will need to be staked. This can be accomplished using 1 x 1-inch stakes made from any suitable lumber. The spikes should be tied to the stakes at about 10-inch intervals with soft twine or cloth strips. In the cutting garden (as the row in the vegetable garden) 2 x 2-inch stakes can be inserted at about 10-foot intervals along the row. Wire or heavy twine is then stretched between the stakes at a spacing of 10 and 20 inches above the soil line. Individual plants can then be tied to the supporting wire or twine. Hilling up soil on both sides of the row likewise gives good support.





Fertilizer side-dressing


A side-dressing of fertilizer after the plants are well established will increase vigor. Apply a 5-10-5 fertilizer to each row. This can be applied in a band on one side of the row, keeping 4 to 6 inches away from the stems. It will be most effective if applied in a small trench several inches deep but may also be placed on the soil surface and scratched in lightly. The first application should be timed when growth is about 6 to 10 inches tall. A second application is placed on the opposite side of the row as the flower spikes start showing through the leaf sheaths. Apply about 1 pound of the fertilizer to each 100 feet of row at each application. Too heavy applications of nitrogen early in the growing season result in excessive foliage growth and poor quality flowers.

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