How to plant Plant glads as early in the spring as the soil is fit to work. Fill the hole only half full when making the first spring planting to let bulbs get extra warmth from the sun, and fill rest of hole after growth starts. Large bulbs should be about 7 inches apart. The blooming season can be stretched by making succession plantings, by planting bulbs of several sizes, and by using varieties which take different lengths of time to mature. Care after planting Start shallow hoeing when first leaves come through the ground.
Glads suffer when forced to compete with weeds.
Eliminate weeds early in the season. The worst insect enemy is the gladiolus thrip, a very tiny, black, winged insect It sucks the juice from the plant, and leaves a silvery appearance at first and then causing them to turn brown. Thrips also cause deformed flowers and prevent man, flower spikes from opening at all. Thrips on bulbs should be killed before planting. In the garden, start dusting or spraying with Fungicide when leaves are six inches tall.