Hello From Every Garden! What to do with your Glads after they Bloom!

This is my first year growing glads and I had an absolutely beautiful garden.                                                                                                             But I have no idea what comes next?  I know I
should dig up the corms.  Do I dig it up nicely or can I just yank it up? 
And what do I store the corms in?  Paper bags?  Plastic bags?  And I should
probably store them in the dark?  I would really appreciate a response.  As
you can see, I am a totally novice at growing glads but I just love them!

About 4 weeks after blooming dig up the entire plant.
Snap off the stem just above the bulb by hand
using a tool to cut it off can spread disease.
Rinse with water.
Put  corm in a tray ( cut down plastic milk jugs work well) to dry.
If you are keeping track of the variety label the containers.

You will see that a new corm grew above the old one
and there will be small bulblets as well growing on the new bulb.
Twist off the old corm and dispose of it in the garbage
do not mulch or recycle with the leaves or bulbs as they can carry a plant
virus
which does not have anything to do with humans.

Store the new corms in an onion bag in a cool dry dark place
where they will get air circulation around them. A nail on a rafter in the
basement. Do not allow them to freeze.  Label bags if desired.

In the spring you will see shoots appearing on the top and root nodes on the
bottom.
You can plant the bulblets too but you will not get any flowers from them
for about 2 years.
This is how you can get more bulbs of a particular one that you like.

 Plant around May 1, dip bulbs in Seven dust before planting in hole filled
with sand in bottom. Seven dust is just regular garden dust that you can usually buy at any
grocery, hardware or garden center. That is the Brand Name "Seven Dust".

You could leave them in the ground and see how well they grow. But usually
they are smaller than in if you dig them up. If you leave them in the
ground, snap off the stems and mulch to prevent freezing. They usually have
to be in a protected southern exposure near a building. Glads are native to
Africa and are called sword lilies.

If they do not come up the following spring just plant new ones.

If you do dig them up, allow the corms to dry out for 14 days after you dig
them up and then twist off old corm and discard it. Dip "scar" area in the
"seven dust". Hang in garage with a "Shell Insect Strip" to discourage
thrips and other insects.

Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Hart Acres

Mary Sivright 9.22.99