Garden Q&A: Will my gladioli grow again this year?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Question

I planted gladiolus flowers last year but did not remove the bulbs or trim the old leaves.

Will my gladioli grow again this year?

Answer

Yes, provided that the bulbs haven’t rotted in the wet soil, or been eaten by hungry animals during the winter, they should be fine. 

Gladiolus is a summer-flowering bulb that can be planted anytime over the next month or so for blooming later in the season. 

It sends up stems of beautiful, brightly coloured blooms and adds a real touch of bling to the garden in the summer months.

The textbook advice is to lift them after the flowers have finished and the foliage has died back, store them somewhere cool and dry over the winter months and plant out again now. 

However, if left alone in soil that doesn’t hold water, I would imagine that you will have blooms once more this year.

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