Gladiolas Acting Weird This Year

[GardenGeisha]

Usually my glads are lush with beautiful big blooms. This year they are dinky. Some few have had nice blooms, but many have looked promising but withered before blooming or had this strange effect of white stripes on the petals. At first I thought they were new variegated varieties as I had planted a bunch of new glads, but now I'm not sure. Some of the foliage went yellow/brown before blooming and never did green back up. Some of the foliage was a very light yellow green. I'm wondering whether I should dig them up and discard or wait for next year. Maybe since they were new and planted in the spring, they were weak and will be stronger and bloom right next spring??

 

[Smart Red]

I had much the same thing happen to mine last year. I suspect some type of viral infection. I tossed mine after digging some corms out and finding mold on most of them.

Planting in the spring is THE WAY to grow glads here in south-est, central-est Wisconsin and every other year I have had big beautiful blooms.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Hmmm. Thanks for the info.

 

[journey11]

I'd dig them up and make sure the bulbs aren't rotting. Could be soil/weather related like from too much rain, could be a nematode, or some disease. If they look ok to plant back next year, you might want to pick a different location.

 

[digitS']

I don't know about gladiola diseases but my glads this year were the dinkiest things, ever!

I know 2 others with plentiful glads. Theirs were the same - unusually small. We have blamed it on the record heat, in early summer.

Thrips can torment glads, even before the flower opens. Bad enough thrip year, and without some efforts to keep these flower pests at bay, and gladiola flowers may not open.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

I would not keep any that were yellow, actually I would get rid of all of them. Unless it was due to drought.

 

[GardenGeisha]

I suspect gladiola thrips... Some of the glads had odd streaking. At first I thought it was the standard burn from the fluoride in the sprinkler water, but it looked just like pictures online of gladiola thrip damage.

 

[GardenGeisha]

It has been a disappointing year. My tulips acted like the gladiolas-- promising sprouts but almost no flowers-- buds withered. Had a few daffodils. The honeysuckle didn't bloom. Only one bunch of irises had blooms. The dahlias are looking good, all of a sudden, though. Lilies developed brown on their petals. Some lilies were very nice, but many weren't. Maybe next year will be a better year. June was the hottest June on record here. I think it did the garden in.