Gladiolus has beautiful, tall, spiked flowers in the summer. It’s hard to believe that “glads” are so easy to grow. Glads don’t need a lot of care, but it’s still important to know when and how to cut back gladiolus leaves. Read on for simple tips on pruning back gladiolus.
With their majestic spires of large showy blooms, gladiolus are stars of the summer garden. Their long cutting stems covered in flower buds also make them a top choice for bouquets. But many gardeners wonder – if you cut gladiolus for arrangements, will they continue flowering? Proper techniques for cutting and pruning gladiolus can keep the blooms coming all season long.
Do Gladiolus Make Good Cut Flowers?
Absolutely! Gladiolus are ideal cut flowers for several reasons
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Their tall stems with multiple buds provide long-lasting indoor arrangements. Each stem can produce between 5-15 blooms
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Flowers come in a huge range of colors like red, pink, orange, yellow, white, purple, and bicolors.
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Blooms last 1-2 weeks or more in a vase if cared for properly. Remove faded flowers promptly.
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The pointed shape and large size of gladiolus flowers adds drama to bouquets.
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Abundant bloom production provides lots of cutting material.
So gladiolus make fabulous cut flowers. But follow some best practices when cutting them to extend their vase life.
How to Cut Gladiolus for Arrangements
When harvesting gladiolus stems from your garden for bouquets, keep these tips in mind:
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Cut in the morning when flowers are turgid with water.
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Use a sharp knife or pruners to cut stems on an angle just above a leaf joint.
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Cut each stem with at least 2-3 unopened flower buds, avoiding half-open flowers. More buds equals longer vase life.
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Immediately place in a bucket of water after cutting and move into an arrangement as soon as possible.
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Remove any lower leaves that would sit in the water. Leaves decaying in water shorten vase life.
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Change the water and re-cut the stems every 2-3 days for best longevity.
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Add flower food to the water for extra nourishment.
Following proper cutting and conditioning procedures allows gladiolus flowers to last up to two weeks in arrangements.
Will Gladiolus Grow Back After Cutting?
The great news is that gladiolus will absolutely continue blooming after cutting them for bouquets. Here’s why:
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Each fleshy gladiolus corm produces multiple shoots. Removing one stem does not stop the others from blooming.
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The remaining uncut shoots will keep maturing and producing buds and flowers.
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As long as you leave some foliage on the plant, the corm can still photosynthesize and grow.
So cutting some flower stems causes no harm to the gladiolus corms. In fact, cutting blooms prompts the plant to produce more shoots and flowers. Continued harvesting for arrangements actually boosts bloom production.
How to Prune Gladiolus for More Flowers
To maximize the number of blooms you get from each gladiolus corm and ensure continuous flowering, follow these pruning tips:
During the Growing Season
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Pinch off individual spent blooms just beneath the faded flower head using your fingers. Avoid cutting the entire stem at this point.
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Removing spent blooms redirects the plant’s energy into the remaining buds, which speeds maturity and opening.
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Once all the buds on a single stem finish blooming, cut that stem down to the base. New shoots will emerge from the corm.
At Season’s End
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Allow the last buds to finish blooming instead of cutting more stems. Foliage is still needed for the corm’s development.
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Once the foliage fully dries and turns yellow, cut it down to the ground.
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Dig up corms and store them in a cool spot until replanting next year.
Proper gladiolus pruning keeps plants blooming strong from midsummer into fall.
What Happens if You Cut the Leaves Too Early?
Resist the urge to cut back gladiolus foliage while it is still green. The leaves play a crucial role in nourishing the corm for next year’s bloom:
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During photosynthesis, leaves produce food that gets stored in the corm for future growth. Removing them too soon deprives the corm of nutrients.
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Foliage also continues to provide growth hormones to develop buds for the following season.
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Prematurely cutting leaves shocks the plant and reduces the likelihood of blooms the next year.
Wait until the foliage completely dries up and pulls away easily from the corm before removing it. Healthy leaves means vigorous plants and abundant blooms in the seasons to come.
Can You Cut the Flower Stems to the Ground?
Technically, you can cut finished gladiolus stems all the way down to the base. However, this is not ideal for a few reasons:
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Removing the entire stem gets rid of all the remaining leaves. Since leaves nourish the corm, it’s better to leave some intact.
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Cutting too low on the stem may damage the corm. Make cuts safely above the corm.
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New shoots must emerge and grow leaves to continue producing food. Cutting off all leaves forces the corm to start over developing foliage.
To avoid stressing the plant, cut each finished stem just above where new growth is emerging rather than cutting the entire stem back to the ground.
What to Do with Faded Gladiolus Blooms
Don’t let those spent gladiolus blossoms go to waste! Here are useful ways to use faded flowers:
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Add to compost piles – chopped up blooms add organic matter.
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Dehydrate and preserve for everlasting arrangements. Hang upside down to dry.
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Place blooms in a paper bag, fold over top, and collect seeds as pods split open.
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Dry flattened blooms between wax paper under gentle pressure to make unique notecards.
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Float single blooms in a bowl of water for a simple table arrangement. The flowers will last 2-3 days.
With proper cutting methods, gladiolus will reward you with armloads of spectacular blossoms all season long. A bit of simple pruning keeps the flowers coming while keeping the corms strong. Now that you know how gladiolus grow back after cutting, harvest those stems for bouquets without hesitation!
How to Trim Gladiolus by Pruning Blooming Stems
Remove the entire blooming stem once all the buds on the stem have opened and faded. To complete this step, use pruners or shears to cut the stalk near the ground. Don’t remove the leaves; this step comes later in the season. Removing the foliage too early can affect the plant’s ability to bloom in the future.
Pruning Back Gladiolus via Pinching
You should pinch gladiolus, which is a way of cutting back the plant, every time it blooms to keep it neat and healthy. To pinch glads, just remove faded glad blooms with your fingertips or garden shears. Pinching wilted blooms will encourage the opening of the remaining buds on the stalk. Some gardeners also like to cut off the top bud that hasn’t opened yet to make all the buds up and down the stalk bloom faster.
Gladiolus // How to Plant, Grow, Harvest, and Store Gladiolus Corms// Northlawn Flower Farm
FAQ
How to get gladiolus to bloom again?
Will gladiolus bloom after cutting?
How many times will a gladiolus bloom?
Should Gladiolus be cut back?
Cut the stems as long as possible, leaving a long ‘foot’ to hold the florets high.’ The foliage can be left to die back naturally, before being cut back or the whole corm lifted and either stored or discarded. Olivia is the Sales Manager at Glad-A-Way Gardens, Inc. one of the only gladiolus growers in the US.
How long do Gladiolus last?
If you notice the ends are slimy or dark green after snipping the end, cut it again about 1 inch (2.5 cm) at a time until you see a fresh base. Cut gladiolus will last anywhere from 6 to 12 days depending on the health of the plant when you cut it and how you take care of it. Feed your gladiolus with plant food with each water change.
Should Gladiolus leaves be left to dry?
Dry gladiolus leaves are not a good sight in flower gardens. You should trim it and leave only the green ones. Once cut, they can be left and removed with the rest of the foliage. Avoid removing foliage early – this can delay the next blooming of the next season. When leaves are left to dry, add nutrients for the corms through photosynthesis.
How long do gladiolus flowers last in a vase?
To harvest, cut the stalk at an angle when 2-3 blooms are open and leave lots of leaves on the plant. Make sure everything is clean, and place the blooms in a bucket of water. Cut off 2-3 inches of the stalk at the top to encourage the closed buds to open up. With proper care, gladiolus stems can last 6-12 days in a vase.