Gladiolas – Fewer and Fewer

Q: Do you know reasons why my gladiolas would come up fewer and fewer each year? I was expecting them to multiply!

A: In my observation, it’s usually it’s because there’s too much competition from new bulblets (technically they are cormels) around the original bulb. It’s best to dig gladiolus bulbs each fall and separate the bulblets that cluster around the mother bulb. Of course the bulbs could be growing in wet or hard soil, which would also cause their numbers to diminish.