Subtropical and temperate climatic conditions are suitable. The crop performs well
under a temperature range of 27 – 30°C. It requires full exposure to sunlight and performs
well with long day conditions of 12 to 14 hour photoperiod.
Commercial propagation is through corms. Cold storage of corms at 3 to 7°C for 3
months or treatment with Ethrel (1,000ppm) or GA3 (100ppm) or Thiourea (500 ppm) is
adopted for breaking corm dormancy
Beds of size 6 x 2 m are prepared and corms are planted at a depth of 5 cm
adopting a spacing of 40 x 25 cm (88,888 plants/ha) or 25 x 25 cm (1,60,000 plants/ha).
Irrigate at 7-10 day intervals in sandy soils and at less frequent intervals in heavy soils. Irrigation should be withheld at least 4-6 weeks before lifting of corms.
120 kg N, 150 kg P2O5 and 150 kg K2O per hectare is recommended, of which 60 kg N and entire dose of P2O5 and K2O is applied as basal dose. The remaining N is given in two split doses, 30 and 60 days after planting.
Leaf spot: Foliar application of carbendazim @ 1 g/l or mancozeb @ 2 g/l Core or spongy rot: Foliar application of benomyl @ 1 kg/ha Bacterial scab blight and spots: Dipping the corms in 1:100 mercuric chloride solution for 12 hours before planting
Gladiolus takes 110-120 days to produce spikes. While harvesting, at least four basal
leaves should be retained on the plant to ensure proper development of corms and cormels.