tuberose issues in zone 7a

16 years ago

Some of you got tuberose bulbs from me at the Raleigh swap, so I will initiate a discussion on keeping them blooming. When you buy them from a grower, the first years blooms are in the bulb, but after that first year, people generally find lots of leaves, an explosion of bulbs, and few or no blooms.

I have had some good blooming years and some poor ones. I separate them every couple of years, but that does not seem to be the determining factor. They have sun, water, manure.

I am thinking the issue for us in zone 7 is the time left to grow leaves after they bloom. My Mexican singles bloom in August and September, really more in September. (My doubles, "The Pearl," died years ago, no regrets). So next year's blooms depend on when the cold kills the leaves this fall. I have read that they need six weeks of growth after blooming. I find that a little scary.

So: for those who got my bulbs Saturday, (or who get them this Saturday at High Point), you will notice that they are various sizes. I'd be shocked if many bloom next year. If you have a protected sunny place where they can extend their 2009 growth, you might consider putting some of the bulbs in pots when you separate them and sneaking in some extra growth time that way.

Am I right in thinking that the issue for our zone is not so much cold in winter (assuming we mulch them) as it is a too-short growing season? These guys are from Mexico, and we are pushing it. Wow, is it worth it when it works!

Any tried-and-true tricks for extending the growing season?

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Comments (2)

patlovesdirt
16 years ago
I'm afraid I'm not going to be of any help here, woods. I've had mine for probably over 5 years - they've multiplied through the years into more plants than I need or want. In all this time, I had ONE BLOOM! Why do I keep them??!! Because of that one fabulous bloom that smelled like heaven and had visions of getting hundreds more just like it next year.

With that one bloom, I was sure I had something really good going on, lol. So I moved them all to what I thought was a better location - prime garden spot - and pampered them. The result 3 years later is a big fat nothing - just more plants. I don't think our NC cold (not that bad) is a factor, and I think our NC growing season is long enough. I think they do best in a sunny, hot and dry location with poor soil and complete neglect. At least that's what was going on when I had my one bloom. So this week I'm moving them all back to the slums - back to the sunny, gritty and dry netherlands of their former location and I vow to forget about them. Maybe this plant with its delicate and glamorous-looking flower and scent is actually
a toughie that prefers adversity?
Judy Brown
16 years ago
I live in W-S. I'm not sure what part of zone 7 I'm in. I've always been told (by the older farmers) to dig my tuberose bulbs up each year (before the first frost) and then replant them in the spring of the following year. I have had tuberoses to bloom in the past years. However this year, somehow or another I had 2 big piles of tuberoses to come up (I must have planted them last year and just forgot to dig them up) but with no blooms. So, what's going on? Do I need to dig them each year? Did I have them planted to deep? They were planted pretty deep when I dug them up last week. Any suggestions/answers would be appreciated. I love the smell of a tuberose!
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