How to Get the Best Blooms from Your Gladiolus
Your gladiolus are going to look great for a lot longer if you trim up the ends of the stems before you place them in your arrangement. Let’s get going!
- Using a sharp knife, make a fresh cut off the stems. Many people use garden pruners or shears, but we prefer a very sharp knife to make the cleanest cuts. A sharp paring knife will work well.
- Make this stem cut at a 45° angle. Cutting the stem at an angle will increase the surface area of the inside of the stem which will help the flower draw more water.
- Replace the water in your vase or container every 2 to 3 days to keep it fresh.
- Remove lower flowers as they fade to help encourage the upper flowers to open.
- Keep your arrangement away from warm drafts and heating vents.
Professional Care Tip
For the best blooms and get the most from your flowers, re-cut the stems on the diagonal every other day or so. Then place them back in a clean container with at least 5 inches (13cm) of fresh water.
When it comes to water, less is always more. Less water equals fewer bacteria. Gladioli love to drink, but we recommend not more than six inches of water.
“Tipping” is Optional
Removing the very top buds of your gladiola flowers is called “tipping”. It used to be that tipping would encourage the upper buds to open, but our glads are treated with flower food after harvest so they’re fully ‘pumped’ with water when you get them. Tipping won’t hurt your flowers and it might help them from curving at the very top. Now tipping is really a matter of personal preference. Professional designers often keep the tips in large arrangements in order to keep the height as tall as possible.
It’s your arrangement so you get to decide what looks best!
Gladiolus in Mixed Arrangements
When using gladioli with other flowers, always use glads as the “long lines” in the arrangement rather than cutting them short and the same length as the other flowers.
The best container for gladioli is a heavy vase like ceramic or glass, vase height should be one third the total length of the flowers. Rocks, glass, pebbles and uncut ornamental fruit all make for great stabilizers.
Compliments on Your Interior Design
Flowers are the secret weapon of interior designers and home stagers. Because flowers come in many shapes, sizes and colors, they are perfect for complimenting all types of decor. It’s also easy to choose flowers to match different personalities depending on the type of preference and styles that you’re trying to achieve. A couple nice bouquets of flowers help create focal points that help draw your eye around the room.
We’re always available on Instagram and Facebook to answer your questions.
We love to see your flower arrangements so please share them with us! If you have your own gladiola care tips, send them our way and we may feature them here!
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