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Gladiolus

Gladiolus corms: summer flowers for cut-flower production, gardens and retail

The gladiolus is a corm from South Africa with tall flower spikes that open from the bottom up. Gladioli are planted in spring, from April to June, and flower 70–90 days later, from July to September. Planting every two weeks extends the flowering season. Holland Bulb Market carries more than 80 cultivars: large-flowered, frizzle, mini and low border gladioli.

Uses

Cut flowers: the classic summer cut flower for markets, wholesale and export, with strong stems and a long vase life.
Gardens and borders: adds height and structure at the back of the border; combine with lower summer flowers and dahlias.
Retail: gladiolus corms in capperlines, packs and displays for spring sales.
Pots: mini and border gladioli in deep pots on patios and balconies.

Professional cultivation: cut gladioli in the open field

Gladioli grow best in sunny, light, well-drained soil such as sandy loam. Plant from April into June in batches every two weeks for a continuous harvest. Earth up when the plants are approx. 15 cm tall and support tall cultivars. Harvest when the lowest floret shows colour, and leave at least four leaves on the plant so that the corm can grow.

Mini gladioli of the nanus type are kept cool at 0.5–1 °C until planting. We advise on cultivar choice, size and planning. Read more about professional growing.

Our gladiolus range

More than 80 cultivars, most of them large-flowered, such as White Prosperity, Traderhorn, Priscilla, Green Star, Black Jack and Fairytale Pink; frizzle gladioli such as Coral Crush, Burning Sunrays and Fire Ruffle; mini gladioli such as Charm, Nathalie and Prins Claus; and border gladioli such as Happy Touch. The spring range also includes Gladiolus murielae (Acidanthera).

Flowering time by group

Group	Flowering (NL)	Height (approx.)	Examples
Mini (incl. nanus)	June – July	50–70 cm	Charm, Prins Claus
Border gladioli (low)	July – August	50–70 cm	Happy Touch, Cum Suis
Large-flowered	July – September	100–150 cm	White Prosperity, Traderhorn
Frizzle	July – September	90–120 cm	Coral Crush, Burning Sunrays

Key facts

Planting season	April – June, starting approx. two weeks before the last night frost
Planting depth	10–15 cm, depending on corm size
Spacing	approx. 10–15 cm, in rows or groups of 10–15 corms
Flowering	July – September; 70–90 days after planting
Position	full sun, light and well-drained soil
Care	water regularly, earth up and support tall cultivars
Hardiness	not hardy: lift before the first frost and store dry and frost-free; nanus types are hardier
Toxicity	the corms are toxic to pets if eaten

View all gladioli in the webshop. Business customers see prices after logging in. Our current catalogues are on the Downloads page. For a quotation, please contact us.