Chapter 12

Growing for Specific Purposes.

Gladiolus growers have different objects in view in carrying on their work, and it is managed according to the results desired. He who raises bulbs for sale uses every effort to increase his stock and to cause the bulbs to make the greatest possible growth during the season. He prepares the ground thoroughly, plants deep to support the tops, gives plenty of nourishment and the best of culture, cuts the spikes as soon as they are high enough, and as a result he harvests a crop of large, well formed bulbs that are pleasing to buyers and satisfactory in every way.

He who grows for flowers, takes the same pains in preparing, enriching, and tilling the soil, and supporting the tops, but when the spikes appear, instead of cutting them at once, he allows them to go on growing until the flowers begin to open. Then he cuts them judiciously; if for sale, with long stems and plenty of foliage; if for home use, with less of both. This is his harvest, and the bulbs, which are taken up later, may be considered a by-product. When the flowers are cut with much foliage the bulbs are dwarfed, but this does not matter when the flower market pays more for the spikes than the bulbs would bring if grown to perfection. The object in growing is naturally decided by the prospective gains. If a crop of bulbs will yield greater profit than a crop of flowers, the flowers are sacrificed and the bulbs are given every advantage; if the flowers will bring better returns the bulbs take second place, and the attention is centered upon developing the blooms.

He who grows for seed gives the same preparation and care as the others. Then, instead of cutting the spikes at the earliest opportunity, as in growing for bulbs, or when they begin to bloom, as in growing for flowers, they are allowed to come out, display their beauty for awhile and fade. After this the small green pods appear, fill out, and ripen, and then the producer of seed reaps his harvest.

There is much to be said upon the subject of growing and saving seed, and the details of this fascinating work will be considered in other chapters.

Keeping Cut Flowers.

While gladiolus blooms are exceedingly beautiful when fresh and well cared for, they are very unattractive when neglected, and it requires so little attention to keep them at their best that it seems a pity they should ever be allowed to suffer for the want of it. The best time to cut the spikes is when the first flowers unfold. Put the stems into water, and the next day there will be more blossoms open, and then more, and so on, until sometimes there is a large number out at once. Varieties differ very much in this respect. Some will display six or eight blooms, or even more. The largest number I ever saw on one spike at one time was fourteen, and that was a very rare case. On the other hand, some kinds no sooner open three or four blooms than the lower ones begin to fade. This is equally true whether they bloom on the plants or after they are cut. It seems that some stems are unable to take up moisture enough to supply more than a few flowers at once. Ordinarily, a vase or jardiniere filled with freshly cut spikes will look nice for two or three days. By that time they will have bloomed up far enough so that the first flowers begin to wither. After this, they should receive attention every day. The faded flowers should be taken off, the stems shortened accordingly, and the water changed. With this treatment the bouquet keeps fresh and beautiful until the last bud opens.

It shortens the life of cut flowers of any kind to stand in the sun, or to be exposed to a current of air, and the gladiolus is no exception.

Marketing Flowers.

In cutting gladiolus spikes for shipment it is best to do the work in the morning, as far as possible. In the daytime, especially when the sun shines hot, or the wind blows, or both, the plant gives off moisture rapidly, and flowers cut under such conditions are liable to wilt, unless their stems are placed in water immediately. During the night, evaporation is diminished or suspended, while the roots continue to take up moisture. The dew also has an effect, and in the morning the plants are full of sap. This is one reason why it is best to cut the spikes early, and another is that the new blooms expand at that time, and so are perfectly fresh. If one has large quantities to cut, it may be necessary to continue the work all day, or the greater part of it, and in such a case, or, in fact, whenever it is done, it is a good plan to stand the spikes in water for a time, if convenient, and give them an opportunity to fill their stems. Flowers thus refreshed will last longer than those that do not have a chance to drink.

There is a difference in markets as to the length of stems demanded. Some require them to be very long, with much foliage, and in such cases the prices should be high enough to pay for sacrificing the bulbs, which are rendered almost worthless by such cutting. When stems of moderate length are acceptable, it is a good rule to cut down to the third leaf below the spike, taking only the two small ones nearest the flowers. This method gives the bulbs an opportunity to grow large and strong.

For shipment, the spikes are tied in bunches of twenty-six to twenty-eight, so that each bunch will make two liberal dozens. They are then placed in an upright position in a crate, box, or other receptacle. There are various styles of packages, and each shipper chooses to suit himself. One season I shipped thousands of spikes in tall candy pails, with an inch or two of water in the bottom. They started at night and arrived at their destination in the morning, "as fresh as daisies," the commission man said. If the spikes are slightly wilted in transit it does little harm, as they revive very soon after being placed in water, though it is probable that any wilting shortens their terms of service more or less.

Some growers cut the spikes before any flowers open, tie them in small bunches, wrap in paper, and pack in crates, in layers. This method is good for very long distances.

There is one other mode of shipping which I adopt when I wish to send spikes that have several blooms open, without injury to the flowers. I take a half bushel market basket, line it with waxed paper, sprinkle damp moss in the bottom, and then "string" the basket--that is, sew strong cords across it with a sail needle, three in each end at the top, about three inches apart, and three others below these, an inch or two above the bottom of the basket. The flowers are then put in slantwise, beginning at the ends of the basket, and working towards the middle, until the space is all occupied. The lower cords hold the ends of the stems in place, while the upper ones support the weight of the flowers, and keep them from crushing each other. A basket thus prepared will carry from fifty to one hundred spikes, according to the angle at which they are placed. The nearer upright their position the more the basket will hold, but an angle of forty-five degrees is as much as they will bear without swinging sideways and becoming disarranged.

It is sometimes desirable to send a spike by mail, and this can be done to perfection by enclosing it in a pasteboard tube, such as publishers use for mailing pictures. It should be drawn into the tube stem first, and out the same way.

Growing and Saving Seed.

One of the most interesting branches of gladiolus culture is the growing of seedlings, and a very important part of this is producing the seed. Of course, seed can be bought, but it is more satisfactory to the grower to raise it himself, as far as practicable, and know what it is, besides eliminating an item of expense. Spherical or conical bulbs are more vigorous, and therefore better for this purpose, than flat ones of the same sort. There is a difference in the productiveness of varieties in regard to seed, as well as bulblets, some yielding little or none, while others bear freely, but in the latter case it is not best to permit the bulbs to ripen the greatest possible amount. When they begin to bloom they should be beheaded, leaving only the lower flowers and buds, say four, or five, or six, and these will develop large, strong pods, filled with seed of the best quality in point of vigor. This method is also advantageous to the bulbs, which, though only a secondary consideration, are not by any means worthless. For the benefit of both seed and bulbs, the matter of cutting off the buds that are not wanted should be attended to promptly as soon as the first flowers unclose.

When the seed begins to ripen, it should be watched, and secured at the proper time. At a certain stage the pods burst open, and if left long after this, the seeds, which are very light, are apt to be blown away. The careful grower wishes to save every seed, for he has a feeling that if one is lost, that one may be the choicest of all.