Next summer is definitely coming! Whether the garden can be decorated with a tuberose again is up to us. In late autumn, only the tuber remains - and it cannot tolerate frost! This is how you offer her a comfortable environment.
How to overwinter a tuberose?
To overwinter a tuberose successfully, dig up the bulbs before the first frost, let them air dry and remove any remaining soil. Then store frost-free, dark and dry, e.g. in the cellar, and turn regularly.
Tuberose has not developed any frost hardiness
As an originally Mexican ornamental plant, the tuberose has a lot of beauty to offer, but no significant winter hardiness. Although, according to some providers, the plant can survive temperatures of -5 to -10 °C.
Our winter cold isn't a challenge for the above-ground parts of the plant anyway, because they wilt in autumn. In our latitudes, the flowerbed is not a safe zone for the leftover tuber. Even mild winters are unfavorable because wetness causes the tubers to rot.
The only alternative: digging up and overwintering
So that the tubers sprout he althily the following year and you can admire their wonderful, fragrant flowers, you have to dig them up and overwinter them indoors.
- first wait for it to wilt
- Dig up onions before the first frost
- proceed carefully to avoid damage
- let it dry in an airy place
- remove soil residue
- then store frost-free, at low temperatures
- choose a dark and dry room
- for example a garage or basement
- Turn onions regularly
Tip
A tuberose that has grown in a bucket can be placed in winter quarters. Just remove the dead leaves. Don't water the plant again until the first shoots appear in spring.
End of hibernation
When overwintering can and may end depends on whether you want to plant the tubers directly in the bed or grow them indoors. Late frosts can still occur outside until mid-May. If the weather is mild, planting can begin from the end of March and should ideally be completed by the end of April. When planting later, it is not certain that the remaining growing season will be sufficient for lush flowering.
For growing, the tubers can be removed from their winter quarters to a bright but not too warm place as early as February. There they can sprout in flower pots (€16.00 on Amazon) with nutrient-rich, always moderately moist soil. However, they are not planted out until May or June.
