Return to the Gardening in the UK Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Polianthes tuberosa
| | |
Posted by garden_nerd UK Central (My Page) on Mon, Oct 30, 06 at 17:10
| They've been selling polianthes tuberosa (Tuberose) in B & Q every spring for a couple of years now so I thought it would be worth asking if anyone has had any success with them. I have two pots-full which produce lots of healthy leaf growth but no sign of a flower bud. The foliage has now begun to die back even though they are in the greenhouse and we still have growing weather, so no hope of a late flower appearing.
Has anyone tried them and managed to produce a flower? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Polianthes tuberosa
| | |
| This is a quote from 'A handbook of bulbs and perennials for the southern hemisphere' by R E Harrison 1971 ed : 'It is not generally known that once a crown of tuberose has bloomed it will never bloom again... The secret of success is to plant up fresh sideshoots each year, discarding the old crowns. When these new side shoots have reached full size they should bloom the following season, although under ideal conditions...the selected largest offsets will most likely flower in the late autumn. ...(T)hese offsets are...too crowded to reach full flowering size. The crowns for potting are prepared beforehand by stripping off all the new offshoots that are formed around it, as they tend to rob the plant ...A nursery bed can be provided where the offsets are grown for the first season. They are then lifted the following autumn or winter, stripped of their numerous sideshoots and planted out...Every crown should produce a spike of bloom.' In the same category as growing on the daffodil offsets to blooming size - a routine seasonal job (and I missed doing it last year, so no treats for me!) |
RE: Polianthes tuberosa
| | |
| Blimey! Sounds like a whole heap of trouble, the sort of thing that only happens if you have an army of garden minions in your employ! Though, thinking about it, I guess you only do the stripping & planting process once a year. Any idea how soon before estimated flowering time the stripping of the off-shoots should be done? You would end up with heaps of plants which would be nice. To my knowledge, the tubers have never flowered - but I have got a tiny one in a separate small pot which just turned up from nowhere, must have dropped off one of the "mothers" during repotting, which has definitely never flowered. Has anyone actually carried out the process which Vetivert describes? |
RE: Polianthes tuberosa
| | |
| If you don't get many replies, try asking in one of the American forums. They are pretty common over there, more so in the south, whereas I haven't seen them before in England, other than as cut flowers. Haven't looked very hard, mind you! |
RE: Polianthes tuberosa
| | |
| Well, I asked on here as it's hard to assess on an American forum exactly how similar their climatic / seasonal conditions are to ours. Even if you know what zone they are in I find it hard to be sure there's an exact parity with British conditions. On this forum every one knows what conditions we are dealing with and how they might differ North to South etc. And the tubers are on sale here now so SOMEONE apart from me must be growing them! |
RE: Polianthes tuberosa
| | |
| I don't know if this thread has been answered, but I now live in the US (Pennsylvania, zone 6B) but previously lived in SE Kent, about 2 miles inland. I was able to grow both single and double mexican tuberoses in both locations. The trick is to get at least 4-6 weeks of nutritional growth post-blooming, which most northern gardeners fail to do. If you have to (your tuberoses have either not bloomed or have bloomed late), move the plants indoors -- in the north, you'll be growing them in pots for just this reason -- and keep them by a window or under lights. You need to maximize bulb growth. These plants develop extensive offshoots (see photos in http://www.davesgarden) or information in wikipedia. Good luck!! Regards, WGW |
Here is a link that might be useful: Dave's Garden, single mexican tuberose
RE: Polianthes tuberosa
| | |
| Thanks, whitegoldwielder - the foliage already has that tired, dying-back look, so I guess it's too late for this year. I have fed them fairly consistently this year but no flowers again. |
RE: Polianthes tuberosa
| | |
| Ok. I guess I will have a go. Polyanthus tuberosa- Tuberose. Rhizome. Native to Mexico. Agavaceae family. Powerful fragrance. Sun or partial shade. Blooms late summer. Needs consistent temperatures of 75 F and warm nights. Single or double form. Reduce water toward end of bloom time. Night time temperatures if 20F above; leave in ground. If below 20F; dig up and store. Multiply by division. That consistent temperature of 75F is fact; and when we have warm summer night we do, indeed, start seeing blossoms. What would you expect from a Mexican plant? They need warmth for sure. And yes, they do repeat bloom. I had some in the garden for years. |
|
|
|
|
