Companion Plants for Gladiolus
Perhaps the best companion plants for gladiolus are, believe it or not, more gladiolus plants. Gladiolus is not a cut-and-come-again flower. Instead, it grows its flowers from the bottom up along long leafy spears. When it’s used for flower arrangements, these spears are usually cut off whole. In order to have a full summer’s worth of blossoms, it’s best to plant your gladiolus bulbs (also known as corms) in succession. Starting a few weeks before your area’s average last frost, plant a new bunch of gladiolus bulbs every two weeks. Keep this up until midsummer. This way, you’ll have new plants growing and new flowers blooming all the way through the summer and into the fall.
What to Plant with Gladiolus
Unfortunately, gladiolus plants don’t have any particular benefits for their neighbors the way that some flowering plants do. They can, however, be planted with other bright flowering plants to make for a truly spectacular splash of color in the garden. Some good flowering companion plants for gladiolus include zinnias and dahlias. Gladiolus plants like sun and well-drained, sandy soil, and plants that grow well with gladiolus need the same kind of soil conditions. Really, basically, any plants sharing the same requirements will work. Gladiolus plants also make a great and colorful border around vegetable gardens. As long as your garden (or at least the area around it) has sandy, well-draining soil and receives full sun exposure, your plants should be happy.
