The unfavorable weather has damaged many flower gardens in Nghia Ha Commune, Quang Ngai City, one of the province’s largest flower-growing areas, with gladiolus crops being the hardest hit.
Huynh Thi Thuy, a farmer from Nghia Ha Commune, reported that her 1,500 square meters of gladiolus are struggling. “I planted the bulbs in the early tenth month of the lunar calendar, but continuous rain followed by cold spells caused root rot, yellowing leaves, and stunted growth. About 50 percent of my crop is damaged, with red gladiolus being the worst affected,” she explained.
Similarly, Vo Hong Duong, another farmer in the commune, shared that 60 percent of his 500 square meters of gladiolus crop was lost to root and base rot, along with yellowing leaves. “I invested in 25kg of high-quality bulbs at VND250,000 per kilogram (about VND1,000 per bulb). Despite using the best bulbs, the adverse weather has caused extensive rot and plant death. Overall, this year’s gladiolus crop is far from meeting quality standards,” he said.
Farmers typically spend VND4-6 million per 500 square meters cultivating gladiolus. To recover losses, they are now focusing on nurturing the remaining plants, stimulating root growth, and salvaging healthy flowers.
Mr. Nguyen Nhanh, Chairman of the Nghia Ha Commune Farmers’ Association, stated, “The commune has 40 hectares of flower cultivation, including 20 hectares of gladiolus. This year’s prolonged cold rains have slowed growth, caused root rot, and killed many plants, resulting in up to 40 percent losses. Farmers are removing damaged plants and intensively fertilizing the remaining gladiolus to recover what they can.”
In addition to gladiolus, chrysanthemum growers have also faced losses, with plants shedding lower leaves and suffering damage due to the extended cold and wet weather.
