Fascinating and Scenting

Jyoti Sharma
Tuberose is a night blooming plant from Asparagaceae family and is a lesser known flowering beauty that has not caught the fancy of many garden  enthusiasts especially in North India. Despite its exotic looks, strong and enticing fragrance perennial tuber producing cluster of fragrant waxy white flowers, with a wide range of colors its presence is limited to extracting essential oils. Those looking to add fresh appeal to their collection of flowering plants should checkout this exotic looking plant.
Pot mixture
Take equal parts of garden soil and well rotten farm yard manure and mix them well so that no clumps remain, add Neem cakes and bone meal to it
When to plant
Tuberose bulbs are planted in mid May. Even the small plantlets also produce flower which may not be of desirable quality. The fully developed bulb bloom early followed by new small bulbs. Flower appear in 12-15 weeks and remain bloom for 2-3 weeks depending on weather and soil conditions.
Where to plant
Tuberose looks magnificent when grown in a group of single color harmony rather than in lines. A mass feeling is desirable when grown in flower beds. When planting in bed sunny location is chosen  and  if potted, keep it in a south facing window or wall side direction where it gets maximum sunlight for a long duration. Also ensure proper bed location in the garden which accumulates water as the plant flourishes only on well drained soil .
How to plant
The preferred size of pots of 6”-10”. Plug the drain hole with a cork and settle the prepared pot mixture in a layer and fill the pot to one inch below the pot rim. Place the tuberose bulb under the soil at 10-12cm apart. Water generously right after panting to soak the bulb. Be sure that your pot has good drainage hole in the bottom to prevent water logging.
Post planting care
It is very easy to grow tuberose in the tropical region. All it requires is sunlight, moist well drained soil, weeding, hoeing and regular fortnightly feeding. Periodically keep on rotating pots at regular intervals for balanced sunlight.
Bulbs that have bloomed once will not bloom again. Discard such bulbs and replant the younger lateral crown only. Mature bulb will produce flowers. Bulbs are left in pots or dug up and stored in dry place. The parent bulbs will form daughter bulbs and once these are thumb size, they can be grown next season. After these flowers are harvested, the eaves are allowed to lie down and pots are put in dark place until the spring equinox. Wrap the harvested tubers in a paper bag and store in a cool place.

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