What Is a Cormel? Baby Corms on Gladiolus and Crocus
A cormel is a small baby corm that forms around the base of a parent corm. University of Missouri Extension says cormels, also called cormlets, appear at the base while a new full size corm grows on top of the old one. Gardeners save them to grow more gladiolus.
The short answer
A cormel is a tiny corm that grows each season at the base of a gladiolus or similar corm. WSU Extension says cormels form between the new corm and the old mother corm. Pull them off in fall, store them dry and plant them in spring. They take two to three years to bloom.
How does a corm make cormels?
A corm is a solid swollen stem base, not layered scales like an onion, as UC Master Gardeners explain. Each year the old corm feeds a new one on top of it. Missouri Extension says the cormels form at the base during that same season, often in a ring. Knowing that cycle helps with any plant, as life cycle of a marijuana plant shows for another crop.
Where do I find cormels?
Dig gladiolus corms after the foliage yellows. WSU Extension suggests digging six to eight weeks after bloom. Lift the clump and look between the base of the new corm and the top of the shriveled mother corm. Cormels are pea sized or smaller, with a hard husk.
How do I grow cormels to flowering size?
| Step | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Remove cormels and sort by size | Missouri, WSU |
| Winter | Store in mesh or paper sacks, cool and dry | WSU |
| Spring | Plant 1 to 2 inches deep | WSU |
| Years 2 and 3 | Lift and replant until blooming size | Missouri |
WSU says not to remove the husks. Missouri adds that cormels take two to three years to reach blooming size, so plan on early years as growing seasons rather than flower seasons. Root and shoot tissues inside these young corms work like those covered in cannabis xylem and phloem.
Do crocus corms make cormels?
Crocus also grows from a corm. NC State lists planting crocus corms about 2.5 inches deep and 2 inches apart in fall. Crocus corms follow the same yearly cycle that UC Master Gardeners describe for all corms.
Cormels vs seeds
A cormel grows from the parent corm itself, so it’s a vegetative offset, not a seed. The Kind Seed Co blog explains how true seeds are built in cannabis seed anatomy. For leaf structure on the swordlike gladiolus foliage, see cannabis leaf anatomy.
Sources
- Summer flowering bulbs: gladiolus (G6620), University of Missouri Extension
- Gladiolus (C049), Washington State University Extension
- Bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, UC Master Gardeners
- Crocus, NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
FAQ
What is the difference between a corm and a cormel?
A corm is the full size storage stem. A cormel is a small offset that Missouri Extension says forms at the base of the corm each season.
How long until a cormel blooms?
Missouri Extension says cormels take two to three years to reach blooming size.
How do I store gladiolus cormels over winter?
WSU Extension suggests storing them in mesh or paper sacks in a cool dry spot and planting them in spring.
How deep should I plant cormels?
WSU Extension suggests planting cormels 1 to 2 inches deep in spring.
Should I peel the husk off cormels?
No. WSU Extension says not to remove the husks before planting.
