Content

• Steps
• Tips
• What do you need

Tuberose (Polianthes Tuberosa) is a highly scented flower suitable for aromatic gardens and for those who grow bulbs. The scent of tuberose is found in many perfumes as a middle note. This perennial bulb is native to Mexico and will grow in both cool and tropical regions, with the extra precautions needed to grow in cooler regions.

Steps

1. 1 Select tuberose bulbs. Tuberose bulbs must be ordered in late winter and early spring to get them on time; look for them at your local nursery or online. The bulb produces its tall spike with highly scented white flowers in late summer. Although bulbs can overwinter in temperate climates, it is recommended to grow tuberose in containers if your climate zone is very cold. Alternatively, you can always dig up the bulbs and store them indoors during the winter, and then plant them again when the soil warms up again in the spring.
   • The most commonly grown variety of tuberose "Pearl".
2. 2 Prepare the soil. Tuberose needs a well-drained soil that is largely enriched; tuberose cannot grow in a flooded place. To improve the soil, add organic material such as peat, compost, or rotted manure.
3. 3 Choose a location that gets the sun for about 6-8 hours a day. And don't forget to choose a place where you and the rest of your family will get the most out of the delicious scent of blooming flowers.
4. 4 Dig a hole a few centimeters deep to insert the bulb. If you purchased a bunch of bulbs, plant the entire bunch, leaving 5-7.5 cm of soil above the bunch.
   • Place the bulbs 15-20 cm apart for proper growth.
5. 5 Water generously and regularly as the tuberose takes root. Tuberose requires frequent deep watering from the appearance of the first growth and throughout the growing season.
   • Roots and shoots will develop within a few weeks after planting. If it rains regularly, the tuberose will have enough water.
   • Be careful not to flood it as the tuberose will rot easily (the reason you really need well-drained soil).
6. 6 Fertilize. Tuberose grows well when it is generously fertilized during its active growth phase. Add organic fertilizer the first time it starts growing and repeat the process every 4-6 weeks.
7. 7 Enjoy the colors. Flowers will appear 90-120 days after planting, usually in late summer or early fall. Removing flowers to decorate your home won't harm the plant, so enjoy the scent in your home!
   • Cut the flowers for vases when two or three of the bottom flowers are fully open.
   • Remove wilted flowers from the spike to extend the life of any remaining cut flowers.
8. 8 After flowering, do not remove the foliage as it continues to feed the bulb to grow the next year.
9. 9 Stop watering when the plant starts to turn yellow (in autumn). At this point, the flowering cycle is over, and the bulb is preparing to retire for the winter. Leaves can only be removed once, when they are completely yellow, and this should be done at the very end of the season. At this point, if you are going to dig up the bulbs for the next season, do so.

Tips

• Bulbs that have bloomed once will not bloom again. Discard the old bulbs and plant the young side bulbs again.These young offspring should bloom after two years, forcing them to discard the tiny bulbs attached to them after the first growing season.
• In the US, tuberose is hardy in regions 8-11. In harsher climates, treat it as requiring growing in containers or digging up for the winter indoors. Store the bulbs in peat, inside paper bags. The storage area should be cool and dry.
• The bulbs can be taken in late winter or early spring to plant in the garden.
• Companion plants include agapanthus, ferns, and eland.

What do you need

• Tuberose bulbs
• Digging tools
• Compost
• Fertilizer