Asked on Jun 17, 2015
Help! Why are my gladiolus flowers wilting?
by
Donna
+11
I planted gladiolus bulbs for the first time this spring (I live in Zone 7). I added fertilizer to the soil (chosen by the salesperson at my local home improvement store) and planted my bulbs. I was excited when they came up quickly and last week I saw my first signs of the beginning of blooms. But before they bloomed, the buds started wilting and dying! Why? Do they need more water? Less water? More fertilizer? I was so looking forward to seeing these plants flower. Help!
7 answers
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looks to me like that shaft of flowers is done blooming...next year, bigger and better blooms, but its done for 2015. Cut the flower stalk down, leave the leaves, the bulb will grow bigger and in a year or two will pit out 'baby' bulbs. this is just a young bulb, so not spectacular - yet-
Mickie
on Jun 17, 2015
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I live in Ca, and we are cutting back on water, so flowers are the first to go... this is exactly what mine look like,all ready to bloom, and then died. I used to water every day during bloom season. I think you need more water.
Mic M
on Jun 17, 2015
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Check for brown streaks on the unopened flowers. Might be a sign of Thrips.
Marcia
on Jun 17, 2015
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I live in South Carolina also, and have found the weather conditions to be horrendous for some fine plants. When my gladioli did this one year, I found they were under attack and had to use Sevin dust. I only add lots of water when they are blooming they seem so self sufficient. But I have never, ever fertilized them, maybe the soil was all they needed. But we are in a drought here in central SC with triple-digit heat, sometimes fertilizer doesn't do well under such heat. Mickie is right though, wait til net year and maybe they will fight off whatever they were too young to beat this year, but maybe hold off on the fertilizer. Just a thought...Sometimes I just let my plant go deeper underground to search for their own moisture too. Dry topsoil is sometimes just a lure to overwater...ha ha!
Melissa K
on Jun 17, 2015
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I live in zone 5A and the gladiolus are mostly done for the year...there are a few still flowering but for the most part all finished....so maybe your got a late start and the temps got to warm so they decided to be done for the year too....
Shelley
on Jun 18, 2015
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If you have a local ag extension office close by take your one of your plants in and get it diagnosed. They usually do this for free. Then next year you can be prepared for things like this. In the mean time read this and see if there is info that will help. http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/gladiolus-diseases/index.html
Lois Martin
on Jun 18, 2015
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My glads are doing the same. They were coming up so good and fast. Now they are turning yellow and starting to wilt. Also live in zone 7...:-(
Greg Esten
on Jul 16, 2015
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