Budded Gladiola Question

[GardenGeisha]

I have only one young gladiola plant that has sent up a flower bud but hAS not yet bloomed. It is to be 37 F here tonight and 39 F tomorrow night. Do I need to cover it, or can it survive that temperature okay and still go on to bloom. It is to be 80 F here on Monday. All tips will be appreciated.

 

[897tgigvib]

I'd cover it. The plant will probably survive but the flowers will be damaged.

 

[Smart Red]

I'd cover it. The plant will probably survive but the flowers will be damaged.

Ditto! Unless it is close enough to a building to give it a micro-climate.

 

[897tgigvib]

Covering a gladiola will be something that you ought to take a picture of! I'd sure make some contraption of a frame.

 

[journey11]

If the buds are well-formed, you can go ahead and cut it and bring it inside. They will open anyway. If they're still too small, try covering it. Good luck!

 

[GardenGeisha]

There is a much taller already-bloomed gladiola beside the smaller budded one. So I took a fleece pillow case put it over the taller one, pulling the budded one in next to it. The taller dried up glad is holding the pillow case up so it doesn't smash the smaller one. I hope this works. I don't have anything around the base of the gladiola-- just covered over the top. It is raining. Hard to cover things when it is raining.

 

[GardenGeisha]

I can see some bright red on the lower buds, but just a teeny bit. I'm afraid it's not well enough formed to pick yet.