Topic: Complete Accurate Information

[duh]

I have a bunch of Gladiolus Acidanthera or Peacock Orchids.  At least that's what they are suppose to be.  Mine have never bloomed because I haven't quite gotten the hang of them yet.  Or at least that maybe why.  I need better information than I'm finding. 

Most information I'm finding talks about croms but these are definitely bulbs.  Does anyone have a link for these that includes things that can go wrong with them and about how big they have to be before they bloom.  I sure would appreciate the help.  I'm just no good with search engines. 

[Wrennie]

from http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf49584779.tip.html   Plant in clusters of 5-7 for best show. In the spring, Corms should be planted three inches deep and six inches apart. This plant requires a long growing season (up to 20 weeks) and should be started indoors 1 month before the last frost in northern zones. Water regularly while in bloom and cover plants with mulch if frost arrives during flowering. In the fall, bulbs can be left in the ground to spread or lifted, cleaned and stored in sand at 60º F for winter (zones 6 and north should always lift bulbs). Corms need to be dried quickly to avoid soft rot. The small bulblets that form around the main corm can also be separated and replanted.

from http://www.gardenguides.com/68233-plant-peacock-orchids.html

Overview

Native to tropical Eastern Africa, peacock orchids are not actually orchids but a perennial flowering type of gladiolus and a member of the iris family. Gladiolus murielae or peacock orchids grow from underground corms and bloom from the middle of summer to the middle of fall. A tropical tender perennial they are hardy in USDA zones 7a through 11 and can readily be grown in containers that are overwintered indoors. Plant peacock corms in spring when daily temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 1

Select a planting site for your peacock orchid corms that receives full direct sun for at least 6 hours each day. Provide a well drained friable soil that will allow water movement through it. For heavy clay soils amend with generous amounts sharp sand, coarse compost and well aged manure to raise the organic content and drainage capability of the soil.
Step 2

Prepare a well tilled planting bed for the corms by churning up the soil to a depth of at least 8 inches. This will aid the new roots in penetrating the soil. Plant corms pointed side up and rounded side down between 2 and 6 inches deep in the soil and at intervals of between 4 and 6 inches apart. Give larger corms deeper planting and more space to spread. Plants the corms en masse in an irregular drift pattern instead of rows for a naturalized appearance.
Step 3

Plant your peacock orchid corms in containers in commercial potting soil. Ensure that the containers have adequate drainage; follow the depth and spacing for in-ground planting. Shelter containers indoors in a sunny location when temperatures drop below 50-degrees.
Step 4

Water your newly planted corms in well and maintain an evenly moist but never sopping wet soil around the corms throughout the growing season. Learn to gauge the need for water by feel testing the soil for moisture with your finger dipped into it. Scale back watering after fall bloom finishes to a lightly moist level so that the corms are not saturated going into winter.
Step 5

Harvest fresh flowers for fragrant household displays during summer and fall by cutting down at the base of the stem. Prune away any damaged, diseased or dying foliage as you come across it.
Step 6

Dig and clean the peacock corms in the fall after the foliage dies back. Cut off the dead foliage and brush off excess soil on the corms. Place in a cool dry location to allow the corms to dry out for a few weeks. Store your corms nestled three-quarters of the way down in a bed of clean sand or peat moss at 40 degrees Fahrenheit until planting again in spring.

[duh]

I'm looking for information about what happens if the bulbs are caught in freezing temperatures.  Like mine were last year.  I've been told and discovered that they do not put up flower stocks.  My question is will the plant put them up next year if they are well cared for this winter.  Also my plant doesn't have croms it has bulbs.  I know some authors use the terms interchangeable but they aren't really the same thing. 

I'd just kind of like to know if I have a chance of producing these flowers with the bulbs I have or if I need to start over with new bulbs. 

[Tina]

I found this.:
"The differences between bulbs and corms are slight, and indeed the two look very similar. The main distinguishing trait is the method of storing food. In corms, most of the food is stored in an enlarged basal plate rather than the meaty scales, which in corms are much smaller. Corms generally tend to be flatter in shape than round, true bulbs."
 And yours is a true corm. If the plant produced leaves but no flowering stem then the corm should have stored enough energy to produce next year if the other conditions it needs are met. So if it is properly stored and replanted it should bloom for you.
I have had these for over 10 years. In my climate they stay in the ground all year. But even here they do not always bloom every year due to climate conditions of that year.

[duh]

I must have something else then because croms die every year and produce new croms above them along with any progeny on the sides.  They are according to "The Complete Book of Bulbs" by Rockwell and Grayson, temporary store houses of food for the flower.  What I have are true bulbs.  They do not produce a replacement but remain the same bulb from year to year growing in size until they reach their mature size.  These have not so far produced bulblets or a stem.  My question is did the freeze permanently damage the bulb in such a way that it never can produce a flower.

Of course like many bulbs overcrowding or planting depth can affect the bloom.   

[Tina]

Have they produce leaves? If they have produced leaves they have taken in and stored the nutrients needed for the next years bloom. If conditions are right they should bloom. It is getting those conditions right that is the tough part.