Gladiolus not blooming

Question

I planted about 75 new gladioli this spring. They are planted in sandy soil with a sunny southern exposure. We water them well with a soaker hose system. The plants are growing beautifully. However, now that they are starting to bloom, the stalks start to come into bloom and the flowers are small and look curled. I have never had this problem before. Any ideas what may be wrong?

Answer 1

What variety of gladiolus did you plant? Some varieties do have small headed flowers.

Barring that, thrips may be ailing your flowers. They can cause the flowers to be funny-shaped. Here is an article on thrips for your review:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/controlling-thrips.htm