Glads are flaring, trumpet-shaped flowers. Their colorful spikes come in all colors except a true blue. The plants are planted as corms in the spring. I plant groups of them from spring to mid-summer, each 2-weeks apart, ensuring a steady supply of the colorful bloomers, from early summer through the fall. Plant the corms about 3 X's their size deep: small corms 3 inches deep, medium ones 4-5 inches deep and large corms (over 1-inch in diameter) 6-8 inches deep. Space them about 3-6 inches apart, depending on their size as well. Plant in full sun in a site that has light, evenly moist soil. Glads will survive the outdoors with a thick winter mulch in my area. Staking may be required, or plant them with other perennials or annuals to support their stems, which can become very heavy, toppling the blooms if not staked. In areas where the corms won't be hardy, let the foliage ripen for 6 weeks after flowering. Then dig the corms, cut or twist off the foliage, and separate the old corm from the new one. The old one will not bloom again. Then set in a warm, dry place for a few days so they can dry thoroughly before storing. Use glads as accents to annuals and perennials; they are most effective planted in large clumps. They are also wonderful cut flowers.
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