A Gladiolus Plant in my Garden is Looking Sickly. What's Wrong With it?

Does your gladiolus have deformed flowers with white specs on leaves and petals?

Are the leaves, stems, and buds on your gladiolus distorted and sticky or covered with a cluster of tiny insects?

Does your gladiolus have yellow and distorted leaves, decayed corms and no flowers?

Does your gladiolus have mottled and distorted leaves and small, faded blooms?

Are the leaves on your gladiolus stippled and pale and the plant growth is poor?

Are the stems of your gladiolus eaten through at the base?

Does your gladiolus have spotted leaves, flowers and stalks, and rotted corms?

Does your gladiolus have leaves with reddish-brown spots and corms with pale to brown spots?

Deformed flowers and specs on leaves or petals are caused by thrips. Thrips are tiny, yellow or black flying insects. They hide under leaves and inside flowers. Severely infected plant parts should be pruned off and destroyed. Control thrips by introducing lady beetles or lacewings, their natural predators. Insecticidal soap helps with severe infestations.

Distorted leaves, stems and buds are caused by aphids. These tiny insects can be green, pink, black, gray or completely white. They cluster under leaves and on growing tips where they feed on plant sap. You can control them by washing them off the plant with water spray. Introducing lady beetles or lacewings will keep their number low. Insecticidal soap should be used with severe infestations.

The most likely cause for these symptoms is bulb mites. These almost microscopic insects feed on plants' corms and bulbs. Severely infested corms should be dug up and destroyed. Don't replant gladiolus corms in infested soil. To destroy bulb mites in infested corms, dip them in hot water for a few minutes.

The most likely cause for these symptoms is a fungal disease - Fusarium yellows. Other symptoms include reddish to brown lesions on corms and later corms that become hard, dry and mummified. There is no cure for Fusarium yellows, so infected plants should be destroyed as soon as possible. Don't replant new corms in the same soil.

The most likely cause for these symptoms are spider mites. These tiny, spider-like pests feed by sucking sap from the underside of the plants leaves causing flecking on the upper leaf surfaces. You can control spider mites by spraying plants thoroughly with water 2-3 times a day for several days. For severe infestations, spray plants with insecticidal soap, neem oil or pyrethrin as a last resort.

The most likely cause for these symptoms are wireworms. Wireworms are click beetle larvae and they can be found in soils covered by organic material. Control their numbers by burying raw potatoes or carrots in the soil and checking every few days for wireworms. To prevent wireworms introduce parasitic nematodes in the soil and plant corms only when the soil is very warm.

The most likely cause for these symptoms is a fungal disease - Botrytis blight. Other symptoms include slimy, collapsed leaves and flowers. You can only prevent Botrytis blight disease by planting corms in areas with good air circulation. Water plants so leaves can dry up before sunset. Infected plants should be removed.

The most likely cause for these symptoms is a bacterial disease - Scab. Other symptoms are brown spots on blossoms. There is no cure for a scab, so the infected plants should be removed and destroyed. You should not replant new corms in the same soil.

If your plant has yellow leaves and dies early the most likely cause is a fungal disease - Dry rot. There is no cure for dry rot, so the infected plants should be removed and destroyed. You should not replant new corms in the same soil. Prevent dry rot by planting corms in well-drained soil.