You're always better off making more successive plantings of glads, unless you have an outlet to sell 250 glads over about 2 weeks.

I'm in a mountain zone 5, not New England, but I usually do my first planting of glads in mid-March to early April, which is 1-2 months BEFORE the last frost date. Glads are planted 4-6" deep, depending on the size of the corm, so unless the ground is freezing that low down, they'll be fine. Our nights are so cold, it takes them awhile to get going. If any manage to poke a leaf out and get it frosted, that's okay, they'll send up another. While I was selling, I did best with 4 successive plantings, about 3 weeks apart, to have glads from mid-July until hard frost in mid-September. If your hard frost comes later than that, you can use more successive starts than I did. If you're worried that you're planting them too soon after the last group, wait until they're just starting to poke leaves out of the ground before planting the next group - but that can be a longer wait than it really needs to be.

I'm just planting a few glads for my own use now, but I'm still doing 3 successive starts. I'm about to plant the second group.

Jeanne

Hi Heidi,
Plant corms when the native deciduous trees begin to leaf out. Here in the Upper Midwest that was last week. We're not big in gladiolus; but, we've planted a little over 5,000 gladiolus corms. We started last weekend, and finished this morning. We planted dahlia tubers during the week, sowed seedling trays, bumped plants up into larger trays, planted crocosmia corms and other bulbs, and watered greenhouses -- You know the drill. At the moment, we've a two man operation; and, sometimes feel like a dog chasing his tail.

Days to bloom can vary from 60 to 120 depending on the variety and size of the corm. I'm assuming with 500 corms that you have mixed. If that's the case, and it was me, I'd plant all of them at one time. But, it isn't me. You may want to do two or three plantings to extend your season a little depending on your market. In the mixes they usually do try to give you that 60 to 120 day window. BTW: The larger corms bloom at least 5 days sooner. In heavy soil plant the corms only 4" deep. Deeper planted corms flower later by a few days; however, the spike is better supported. If you have sandy soil, you'll want to plant 6 to 7" deep. Our field has all the above: clay, sand, and then some really nice loomy soil where I just want to plant everything; but, I can't. Our gladiolus are planted in sandy soil.

Some of the largest gladiolus growers in the country are here in Michigan. They do start planting around April 1. However, they cover these first plantings with greenhouse plastic to protect them from frost/freezes. The plastic actually does two things: it heats up the soil and speeds the plant along while protecting from frost. If the corms are planted too soon in cold soil, they will rot.

Trish

Trish,
After reading your glad info, it sounds like I've had glads by the grace of God. I have some clay, but good drainage, but have planted those corms about 6-7" deep. I have not succession planted, but had a mix like you said of varrying times. After your post, I am thinking that I'm late planting because I haven't started yet, but then read the last sentence, "If planted in cold soil, they will rot." We just got 3/4" rain last night, and the soil is damp and cold, so not the most oportune time to do this. As much as I'd like to go plant, after the soil dries a bit, I'm probably better to wait another week or two for the soil to warm a bit. It's not like I don't have other things to do!
Cheryl

Thanks for the tips everyone!!!As soon as the rain stops, I'll probably have to wait till Thursday, I will put in the first of the plantings. They will be planted in the same field that I already planted wth snaps, dianthus, calendula, liatris and the rest of the "early birds". I'm not sure how the market for glads is over here but this will be my learning year for glads. HEIDI

I must have been just unlucky with my mixes and with the varieties I ordered individually. Each planting (of many different varieties, I think I had 60 at last count, plus lots of mixes) blooms for about two weeks, with maybe a few stragglers in the third week. I know glads supposedly rot in cold soil, but I just haven't had that problem. Every area I've grown them in is well-drained, but then I don't plant ANYTHING in areas that aren't. Perhaps our cold nights influence their bloom timing in some way, who knows? Anyhow, I learned the hard way, over 2-3 years, that I only got 2-3 weeks of glads, before I started succession-planting.

Jeanne