gladiolus

Question

Do the bulbs have to be dug up or can they be left where they are?

Answer 1

Once they are finished flowering, cut back the flower stem as far as you can, to the ground even, but allow the leaves to remain and die back naturally. If you live in a cooler region, say zone 6 or below, you need to dig them up in fall and store them for replanting next season. For warmer areas of zone 7 (with mulch) or above, you can simply leave them where they are and they will continue to reproduce each year and you can divide them once they become overcrowded.