I have planted my gladiolus bulbs in pots. They are getting plenty of sunshine, and are being watered well. However, only a few of them have started to show any blooms, and they are not very big. In other words, the stalks have only 4-5 little flowers on them, making them look very spindly. Other stalks haven't developed any flowers at all. What makes this happen, and how can I avoid it next year? These are newly-bought bulbs.
My first thought is that you bought smaller, less mature bulbs than in the past. Bulbs are sorted based on size and their price usually reflects this....so if you plant a nice, big mature bulb, you will get a good show that year...if you get a smaller, baby sized bulb, you will have to build it up for a year or two. I have, I regret to say, found that some mail order houses charge big bulb prices but deliver tiny little things. Ditto for low priced packages at some stores. This practice is becoming, it seems to me, increasingly widespread. I shamelessly palpate the packages to ensure they contain a large, firm bulb and check for live eyes or shoots.
