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Container Gardening

did i plant these glads too deep??

15 years ago

I am a first time gardener and I just planted 100 gladioli bulbs. I had read somewhere that in containers, you can create *timed* blooming flowers by planting bulbs at different heights.

So, I took 4 containers of 6-18 inches height and planted all the bulbs about 2 inches apart but at varying

depths, on top of each other.. so in an 18" container, I have a 1st layer of 6 bulbs at a depth of about 12 inches, then another layer at 10 inches, another at 8.. etc..

Now, I am a bit scared that I didn't do it right since these bulbs are to be planted at 4" depth.. did I just kill the bulbs? I just planted them today (4/30/09), so I can dig them out if need be.

Thanks much for any help.

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Comments (5)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years ago
As long as you have good drainage & aeration, you should be ok, but if your soil is water-retentive, the bottom bulbs will rot. If those bulbs are touching other bulbs, those will rot as well.

I use the same layering technique in bulb pans, too. Usually though, it's 2-4 DIFFERENT types of bulbs so they bloom progressively. ;o)

Al
rkgtech
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Al.

True - the layering idea spoke of DIFFERENT bulbs :-) I prepared the soil with 1 part sphagnum peat moss, 1 part vermiculite and a little compost. At the bottom I put styrofoam stuff.. (rooftop garden - hence need to be careful of weight).. do you think I am ok? The bulbs are not touching each other.. they are planted about 2 inches apart in all directions.
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Here is what I found at the link below. "Bone meal is fraught with a ton of problems. It does attract animals and rodents who dig up the bulbs in a quest for the bone meal even if it is put in the hole. Sometimes insects that are harmful to the bulbs take up residence because of the food value in the bone meal. It also may initiate bulb rot if in contact with the bulb. Since bone meal is in short supply due to bans for health reasons, the companies have been stringing it out (extending it) as "Bone Meal Plus" which is a smidgeon of bone meal and ordinary chemical fertilizer. Unlike bone meal, this mix can burn plants or bulbs or at best induce fast growth and hence open the door to botrytis in the too lush green tissue. What does the contents say? If there is ordinary chemical fertilizer in it, I'd say for sure it would be best to dig up and replant. It might be a good idea anyway, due to the insect thing. Where are you located that you are planting glads? You can update your location in your profile by clicking on Member Pages in the green link at the bottom of any page. The state abbreviation goes in the one box provided for the Zone and state abbreviation/location. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: North Star article
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Glads are usually planted 10 days/2 weeks apart for continuous bloom and cosnidering they take from 60 - 75 days from planting time to bloom time, glads in zone 5 can be planted as late as end of the June. For zone 6, this puts the later date to about two weeks later I'd say. So you have lots of time to get those bulbs into the ground. Just be sure to lift them, and store them, before a heavy frost.
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No. They'll be fine. Don't dig them up. Enjoy your fall weather. :-) Here is a link that might be useful: Planting too deep?
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Comments (5)
Put a clear plastic bag or a large clear bottemless 5 gallon water bottle over them and make sure the sides and top are sealed. They'll act as a little greenhouse and force growth if there's any life left in them. I've successfully saved a few stubborn plants that way. It's the heat and humidity that forces growth and keeps it from drying out. This is a little late for bare roots which I presume they were was. They've been in cold storage for up to 6 months and the buds may have been damaged. My experience is that l ate arriving bare roots often turn black. Have some patience, water it well and wait awhile.
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years ago
You need to be VERY careful about how you water because the soil you described is extremely water-retentive - too water retentive for most plants, but especially bulbs, IMO. Sorry.

I would add a wick through the drain hole to help drain the perched water that will assuredly accumulate in the soil above the "drainage layer".

Good luck. I hope it works out well for you in spite of my misgivings. ;o)

Al
rkgtech
Original Author
15 years ago
shoot.. i got this soil mix recommendation from the web since it is very light.. what should a rooftop container soil be like? I am confused now. please help!!! last year i tried miracle grow potting mix and it was so thick and heavy.. yuck.. what should i do? its not too late to recreate the soil and re bulb right?
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years ago
The ingredients may be light before mixing, but when at container capacity (as saturated as they can be, after draining) they will be much heavier because of the high volume of water they will hold. Perhaps it would be helpful to read the link below for an outline of what you might want to shoot for in a container soil.

... not too late to replant.

Here is a link that might be useful: If you click me, I'll take you to the thread Al was talking about

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