Last week, I harvested my first snow peas of the season along with the potatoes I was growing in pots. My first tuber pieces had been started in four-inch pots in February and I managed to put them in buckets in April. The bottom of the containers had a bit of soil and the rest was shredded leaves. They came out very nice with no scab and very tasty. I still have more on the go and I like doing it this way.
As I will not be doing the market this summer, this will be a time to really clean the garden and pay a little more attention to everything I have growing in the yard. I will use all my grass clippings and left-over shredded leaves to mulch my plants. It makes a big difference where some of the mulch has been applied. The soil doesn’t dry so fast and in the fall, I can just dig it in for amendment with more compost.
I had some gladioli bulbs that had started to sprout early in the basement. These were potted individually in four-inch pots and one in a six-inch pot. I finally transplanted them all in a big tub last week, as one of them was already showing buds and they were getting tall.
Gladioli are favoured for their beautiful, showy flowers which grow on tall spikes and are often found in cutting gardens or in the back along the border. Gladioli have many different coloured flowers, and grow between two to six feet in height. Good for cut flowers. Plant gladiolus bulbs in the spring once danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Ready your garden by using a garden fork or tiller and loosen the soil to about 12 to 15 inches deep. After loosening the soil, mix in a two– to four–inch layer of compost. Plant your bulbs four to eight inches deep with the pointed end facing up. Bigger bulbs perform better with deep planting and the extra soil around the base of the flower stalks helps support the tall flower-laden stems. Space the corms three to six inches apart. Many growers plant glads at two-week intervals to extend the blooming season. Water the corms thoroughly. Gladioli like well-drained, light soil and full sun. If you’re planting tall varieties, be sure to stake them at planting time. Be careful not to damage the corms with the stakes. It takes about 90 days from the time gladioli are planted to root, grow, bloom, and store enough energy for the next season. Put a layer of mulch around your gladioli to keep your soil moist and help prevent weeds. Remove the faded or dead flowers to ensure continuous growth. Once all the flowers on a stalk have gone, cut off the stalk.
After blooming has finished for the season leave the foliage in place; don’t cut it off. The leaves will gather sunlight, create food through photosynthesis and strengthen the bulb for the future. Water as needed. Leaves and stalks may be removed when they yellow. If you want to save them for next spring, dig the corms after the first frost, cut the stems to two inches, wash the soil off, dry for a few days and then store in a cool place in paper bags or cardboard boxes filled with peat moss.
Don’t forget the Okanagan Gardens and Roses annual plant sale June 15 at 9 a.m. in the Village Green Centre. This year, the sale will be held inside the mall.
For more information: 250-558-4556.
Jocelyne Sewell is an organic gardening enthusiast and member of Okanagan Gardens and Roses Club, whose column appears every other Wednesday in The Morning Star.
