Can I Grow Gladiolus and Other Full Sun Bulbs as Shade Annuals

11 years ago

I would love to buy some high quality gladiolus bulbs and grow them in my part shade garden this year. Can I do this in shady areas? Or does it need full sun even if just for a season.

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Comments (6)

denninmi
11 years ago
You should be able to grow them in part shade, as long as they get about 4 hours of sun. They may be more floppy and require staking, and next year's bulb will be smaller and probably less likely to bloom. If you consider them disposable, or at least rotate to a better place next year to recover, it should work.
zone5shade
Original Author
11 years ago
Great info, denninmi.Thanks.
Any recommendations for glad sellers?
I was going to go with Brent & Becky's but it's too late and their summer catalog is closed.
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denninmi
11 years ago
It's getting late in the season, many catalog vendors may be about done shipping. You could perhaps try Jung's out of Wisconsin, they ship a bit later than some companies and I've been pleased with what they sent me, but of course, they could also be sold out. Or, you may try E-bay or just look at your local stores -- I got a number of packages of bulbs at Home Depot last week for half price, but being mass market, they were of course on the small side.
duluthinbloomz4
11 years ago
With your conditions - I just wouldn't spend the bucks with mail order (I'm not a believer that the only good bulb/corm is one ordered from a catalog - sorry). Especially when it comes to glads. I grow them off and on (but in full sun) and buy a package of the GRANDIFLORAS - which the package will clearly state. What may appear to be small corms produce large plants with a large heavy stalk of florets . And I buy them at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Menards, wherever I see them. They generally have both mixes and boxes with one color.

And I throw them out in the fall and buy new corms when wanted - because of all the bulbs/corms you can buy these are cheap, cheap, cheap and have always been reliable.
davidinsf
11 years ago
(I'm usually on the dahlia board but I grow glads and roses as well)

I have a shade 'side' (the south) in my yard where I have lots of begonias and impatiens but I have also planted glads in planters that do not get much direct light. And when you factor in the relentless summer fog in SF, they may NEVER see the sun.

Yet they bloomed heartily.

But... I would tend to agree with Denninmi that they may not bloom again next year UNLESS you pull them up so they don't stay moist all winter. I never pull mine and end up losing some every year but then I lose some in the 'sun' sections every year anyway.
davidinsf
11 years ago
Ooops - forgot my 2nd thought.

Check out American Meadows. They are still sending me ads for bulbs and things and they are usually on sale for a song at this time of year. The problem is you have to buy a mix of 10-25 of them in packages usually OR order 5-10 of the same color.

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Can I Grow Gladiolus and Other Full Sun Bulbs as Shade Annuals

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denninmi

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Can I Grow Gladiolus and Other Full Sun Bulbs as Shade Annuals

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denninmi

zone5shadeOriginal Author

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