The Old House Gardens Guide
For Preserving & Enjoying Heirloom Bulbs

        We want our customers to have great success with all of our bulbs. So we do our best to provide complete, accurate information on planting and care.
        Here’s the “Heirloom How-To” we send with our bulbs. More is included — particularly for our fall-planted bulbs — on the bag-tags stapled to each individual bag.

For Spring-Planted Bulbs
(or click here for  Fall-Planted Bulbs )

Right Now
        Though we hand-inspect every bulb/corm/rhizome/tuber we ship, please unpack yours right now and count and re-check them. Small blemishes and bits of mold rarely affect performance. But if bulbs feel mushy, or anything else seems amiss, please email or call us immediately so we can remedy the problem (or set your mind at ease). Our aim is always to deliver absolutely fantastic bulbs!

Don’t Plant Outside Too Early!!!
        These mostly sub-tropical bulbs often fail if planted before the soil is reliably warm. Planting too late is better than planting too early outdoors.

Plant Inside Now — Or Store Carefully
        If it’s too cool to plant them outside just yet, please be careful with these treasures because they are often more vulnerable in storage than our fall-planted bulbs. If you don’t start them indoors — or follow our instructions here for storing them temporarily — YOU COULD LOSE THEM. Most of these bulbs can be stored in the bags they arrived in, leaving the tops loosely open. Temperatures should be as noted below, but close is usually good enough.

No, You Don’t Have To Dig Them Up In The Fall!
        Most of us enjoy a lot of plants in our gardens that we rarely keep through the winter — impatiens, for example. So don’t feel you have to store our tender bulbs. Just ENJOY them, and compost them when they finally freeze. Even if they’re rare, you need not feel guilty. By simply buying them you’re keeping our growers growing them, and that’s preservation, too! Of course if you decide you want to store them, this guide offers easy how-to.

Trust Yourself
        If what you’ve been doing has worked well, keep doing it — even if you read something different here. Climate, soils, and so on vary so much that our best advice may not be right for your bit of Eden.

For Local Advice
        Local experts can often tell you more about gardening in your area than we can (though unfortunately we've also found that many experts have very little experience with bulbs or heirloom plants). One great resource is your county Cooperative Extension Office or Extension Agent. For the phone number in your county, go to http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html and click on your state and then county. Other great resources for local advice include locally-owned garden centers, botanical gardens, universities, garden club members, and friends, neighbors, and relatives who garden, especially older ones who may be more familiar with heirloom varieties.

Questions? Concerns? Disappointments? Suggestions?
        Call or email us, please! We want to hear from you. We love our customers and want you to have great success with all of our bulbs.

Cannas
        Don’t plant outside too early! Wait till a few weeks after all danger of frost is past, when the soil warms up and nightly lows average 55ºF — early June here in zone 5b Ann Arbor, for example. You can check the average low for any zip code and any day of the year at weather.com and similar sites. For a longer season of bloom, start cannas inside a few weeks before the last-frost date and transplant outside later when it gets reliably warm.
        To store till planting, just leave the bags open at the top so air can circulate a bit. Store them in a cool dim-to-dark place. 40-60º F is ideal. Don’t worry if they start to grow roots and sprouts. You can even break the sprouts off. They’ll just continue to grow. Do keep an eye out for mold developing (wash off and air dry) or signs of rot (cut off the bad spots and plant immediately, inside if necessary). Although uncommon, if they seem to be drying out or shriveling, close the bag or even add a sprinkling of water.
        When it’s time to plant, pick a sunny site. Loose, fertile, well-drained soil is ideal, but cannas are easy and adaptable. Plant 12-24 inches apart. Dig a shallow hole, lay the rhizome (bulb) in it horizontally 2-3 inches deep, with the eye or sprout (if visible) pointing up. Cover with 1-2 inches of soil and water well.
        Some of our French cannas, particularly ‘En Avant’ and ‘Semaphore’, tend to be slow starters. In fact, we’ve had them take up to a month to emerge. Warm soil seems especially important to them, and you may want to start them inside. Lay the rhizome horizontally in a pot and cover with 1” of potting soil. Water, set in a warm spot, and keep moist but not soggy till sprouts emerge. Then give full sun. Outside, replant so the rhizome is 2-3 inches deep.
        Cannas are very thirsty plants. They thrive — and grow taller, and bloom more — when watered regularly. In fact, when they’re in active growth, it’s hard to water them too much. Thoroughly soak the area at the base of the stalks, where the rhizomes are multiplying. A sprinkling system or sprinkler will rarely give them enough.
        Fertilizing is a big help, too, because cannas are heavy feeders. Give them some rose or tomato fertilizer (not too high in nitrogen) every 2-4 weeks, or use a foliar fertilizer (Miracle-Gro, etc.). Compost is a great help, too.
        Pluck off individual spent flowers to enhance their beauty. To encourage continuous bloom, cut off flower clusters before seed-pods form. But cut carefully because a second or even third flower cluster usually develops a bit lower down on the same stalk. Look for these to avoid cutting them off accidentally.
        Cannas do great in pots! Big containers are best. Water daily, fertilize often. Consider water-absorbent gels.
        In warm areas, canna leaf-roller caterpillars can be a problem. Heirloom cannas are often more resistant to this pest, but if necessary you can control it with Bt or a judiciously applied insecticide.
        After frost “blackens” the leaves in the fall, IF you want to save the rhizomes for re-planting the next spring, cut the stalks off a few inches above the ground and dig the rhizomes. There’s no rush; the ground will protect them from freezing, usually for weeks. You can then either (1) leave the rhizomes in clumps with soil intact, pile them up someplace that’s cool but not freezing, and cover with plastic, or (2) wash the rhizomes, divide them, let them air dry for a day or two, maybe give them a dusting of garden sulfur (a low-toxicity fungicide), and then store them with some peat moss, perlite, or coarse vermiculite in plastic grocery bags or covered plastic storage boxes to keep them from drying out. A temperature of 40-55ºF is best; do not allow them to freeze. Check every now and then and either allow excess moisture (look for condensation) to escape or if they seem to be shriveling sprinkle some water on the rhizomes. You will probably need to experiment to find what works best with your conditions.
        In zones 8-11 (with lows to 10°F) — and often in zone 7 — cannas can be left in the ground all winter. Leave the stalks intact and mulch with 6-12 inches of leaves, straw, etc. Thin clumps every few years for best performance.

Dahlias
        Don’t be surprised if your dahlia tubers all look different. Some are long, some round; the ones from the Netherlands are often homely clusters of small tubers while the ones from Oregon are single, often larger tubers. Both will produce plants of equal quality, equally fast. The difference is simply due to the way the tubers are produced at our growers: small-scale, traditional growing in Oregon vs. modern “pot-root” production in Holland.
        Some of the tubers in the pot-root clusters may have “broken necks” and be dangling from the crown by just a few threads. You can leave them but since they probably won’t grow, you may want to break or cut them off. You only need one good, well-connected tuber in each cluster to make a full-size plant.
        Don’t plant outside too early! Wait till after all danger of frost is past – when you’d plant tomatoes or later. That may mean you have to store your tubers for a month or more. Open the bags and leave them loose at the top so air can circulate. Store in a cool, dim-to-dark place. 40-45º F is ideal, but warmer — even cool room-temperature — works, too.
        If your tubers sprout while waiting to be planted, it’s not a big deal. You could pot them up and start them indoors, but it’s not essential. If a sprout breaks off, don’t panic. Usually several more will emerge at the base of the broken one.
        For a longer season of bloom, you can start tubers inside 4-6 weeks early and transplant them outside when it warms up, which is what we do. Be careful not to over-water pots, especially at first. Give strong sun, or set outside on warm days.
        Dahlias thrive in light, fertile, well-drained soil. If your soil is heavy (clay), add organic material or plant in raised beds. Full sun is best, but eight hours will do. Dahlias do NOT like extreme heat (they’re native to cool mountain plateaus in Mexico), so avoid hot spots such as near south or west walls, and if you garden in the Deep South or other hot areas, see our special tips below.
        Space your dahlias 18-24 inches apart. Dig a hole a foot deep and wide; enrich the soil and return some to the hole. Pound a sturdy stake into the ground near the center of the hole so that 3-7 feet of it remain above ground level (depending on the ultimate height of the dahlia). In front of this, lay the tuber horizontally with the eye, if visible, pointing up – or set the entire pot-root cluster with the stem facing up – about 6 inches below ground level. Cover with 2-3 inches of soil. If your soil is moist, DON’T WATER tubers until they sprout. In soggy soil, un-sprouted tubers are prone to rot. If your soil is dry or the weather is hot, you will need to water, but don’t overdo it – till sprouts emerge.
        As shoots grow, gradually add soil till the hole is filled. For bushier plants, “top” them after they get three sets of leaves by pinching or cutting out the center shoot. If slugs or snails are a big problem in your area, consider using bait.
        Water regularly during the growing season, and fertilize lightly every 3-4 weeks until early fall. Don’t over-feed! AVOID HIGH NITROGEN FERTILIZERS such as lawn fertilizer. Use balanced rose, tomato, or general garden fertilizer instead. Hand-weed; avoid ALL herbicides. Dead-head by cutting spent blooms to encourage more vigorous flowering – or simply pick lots of bouquets! Dahlias like cool conditions (they long for the cool mountain plateaus of Mexico), so growth and flowering peak as temperatures cool in late summer and early fall.
        Staking dahlias is a lot like staking tomatoes, except dahlias are easier. We find that double strands of garden twine work well, and if it’s green it all but disappears. Tying individual stalks or at most a few at a time to the stake usually looks much better than tying a big bundle all together. As the stalks continue to grow, you’ll have to tie them again higher up. Some growers use wire-hoop “tomato towers” along with the stakes and let the dahlias pretty much support themselves within the towers. For more guidance, see http://www.dahlias.net/dahwebpg/Support/Support.htm.
        IN THE SOUTH AND WARM WEST – According to our friend John Kreiner of the Dahlia Society of Georgia, there are two keys to getting dahlias to thrive where summers are hot: (1) mulch them, and (2) choose the right varieties. To learn more from John and our dahlia-loving customers in zones 8 and 9, go to http://www.oldhousegardens.com/DahliasForTheSouth.asp .
        In zones 8-11 you can leave your dahlias in the ground all winter. Add 4-6 inches of mulch directly over the tubers. Most growers cut the stalks down at some point, and John recommends capping each with a bit of tin foil and a rubber band so water doesn’t collect in them and rot the crown and next year’s sprouts. Dig and divide tubers every 2-3 years.
        WINTER CARE – IF you want to save tubers for re-planting the next spring, after the tops have been “blackened” by frost, wait a week or so for the tubers to harden and fully mature in the ground. The soil will generally protect them from freezing. Then cut the stalks off a few inches above ground level. You’ll find that the tubers you planted in early summer will have increased into much larger clumps, so be careful when digging – start at least a foot away from the stalks. Tag each clump with its name, wash off all soil, and allow it to dry upside down in a cool, dry place for a day or two, no more.
        Divide the clumps with a sturdy knife in fall or spring. Be sure a piece of the “crown” – the thickened area where the stem meets the tuber – remains attached to every clump, because the eyes (often more visible in fall) are located there. You may want to dust cuts with a fungicide such as garden sulfur. At the least allow cuts to air dry for a full day before storage.
        Store in plastic grocery bags, in plastic garbage bags inside boxes, or in covered plastic storage boxes to help keep the tubers from dehydrating. Pack in coarse vermiculite, peat moss, wood-shavings, or something similar. Store in a cool, dry, dark place, ideally at 40-45º F. Check every now and then. Allow excess moisture to escape (look for condensation) or sprinkle some water on tubers if they seem to be shriveling.
        Or here’s an easy way recommended by Marian and Bernard Mandella and Richard Peters in the Bulletin of the American Dahlia Society, September 2001. “Tear off a sheet of plastic wrap 20 or more inches long and lay it flat on a level surface. Place a [divided, dusted, and dried] tuber on one end and roll the plastic wrap over one complete turn. Lay another alongside and roll again. Be certain that no tuber is touching another…. You may wrap up to five tubers or so per package, but in the last 5-7 inches, fold over the side portions of the plastic wrap and continue to roll to completion. Fasten with a piece of masking tape that is labeled with the cultivar’s name…. There is essentially no loss from shriveling or drying.”
        Some of our customers who grow dahlias in pots just bring them inside and let them dry out and over-winter right in their pots. Others grow them in 5-gallon or even 1-gallon black plastic nursery pots that they bury in the garden and then dig up and store in the basement through winter. You may want to experiment with these extra-easy storage methods, too!

Elephant Ears
        Regular Elephant Ears (See below for ‘Illustris’ and ‘Fontanesii’/violet-stem taro.) — Don’t plant outside too early! Wait till a few weeks after all danger of frost is past, when the soil warms up and night temperatures remain reliably above 55ºF — mid-June here in zone 5b Ann Arbor, for example. You can check the average low for any zip code and any day of the year at weather.com and similar sites. For a longer season of beauty in the North — and a more reliable start — start them inside.
        To store till planting, open the bags and keep in a cool, dim, dry place. 55-60ºF is ideal, but close will do.
        Elephant ears do best with a lot of light but protection from the hottest sun — and wind. This is especially important in the South. We grow them in LIGHT shade or half-day morning sun here in Michigan. Loose, fertile soil is best, and they thrive best with lots of moisture (and mulch to keep it in the soil) and regular fertilizing. When they are in active growth, you can’t water them too much. Most automatic sprinkling systems will not be enough.
        Plant vertically so the top of the tuber (look for the pink start of a sprout) is 2-4 inches below the soil surface.
        You can also start the tubers indoors 4-8 weeks before last frost. Plant the bulbs in pots with the tip of the tuber at soil level. Keep in a warm spot (a greenhouse heating mat is great) but out of direct sun. Keep moist. Root growth precedes sprouting, which may take up to 6 weeks — so don’t despair! More warmth may help. Replant outside in the garden or in a larger pot, 2-4 inches below the soil surface, when night temperatures remain reliably above 55ºF. Keep plants in outdoor pots especially well watered; you can even keep the saucer under it full of water at all times.
        In zones 8 and warmer (lows to 20°F), elephant ears can winter in the ground. In fact, we have customers who report success with this in zone 7, if the bulbs are well mulched. Elsewhere, dig when frost threatens. Cut off leaves but don’t remove the soil. Dry in a shady, dry, frost-free spot for a couple of weeks. Pull off remaining bits of leaves and stalks and remove the soil (and old tuber at the base if it separates easily, but this usually has to wait for spring). When the tuber seems completely dry, store in dry peat moss, coarse vermiculite, etc., at (ideally) 55-60ºF.
        ‘Illustris’ and ‘Fontanesii’/Violet-Stem Taro — These fragile plantlets need IMMEDIATE care! Though we ship our regular elephant ears as dry, dormant bulbs, our exotic and wonderful ‘Illustris’ and ‘Fontanesii’ are available to us as plantlets only, so that’s what you have here.
        These babies may look exhausted and beat-up from the chilly, rough-and-tumble trip they’ve taken to reach you, but with a little TLC they’ll be thriving again soon. Don’t worry if they lose a leaf or two; they will recover.
        But they need warmth, moisture, and light — IMMEDIATELY. If you can’t pot them up right away, leave them in their plastic bag, resealing it after filling it with fresh air, and set it in a warm spot in indirect light (not full sunlight).But as soon as you possibly can — WITHIN 24 HOURS! — pot up each plant, using regular potting soil, in a pot not much larger than the current rootball and no more than 4 inches across. Water thoroughly. Set in bright indirect light, not full sunlight, or under grow lights.
        Keep the soil moist. In fact, you can set the pot in a saucer of standing water, though roots often develop faster without this. Just don’t let the soil dry out, ever! To maintain humidity at first, you may want to cover your plantlet with a clear plastic bag, a glass jar, or a clear plastic two-liter bottle, too, though this is not essential.
        Bottom heat can be helpful, but as long as you keep your plant at about 70 degrees it will do fine. After growth resumes, fertilize with a weak solution of house-plant fertilizer.
        Keep a sharp eye out for pests such as spider mites and aphids. Wash them off as needed. Avoid using insecticides on immature plantlets, or use the very gentlest formulations such as Safer insecticidal soap.
        When roots emerge from the bottom of the pot, repot into a slightly larger pot. At this point the temporary greenhouse should no longer be necessary. As your plant grows, re-pot it into increasingly larger pots.
        Move it outside after all danger of frost is past, when the soil warms up and night temperatures remain reliably above 60ºF. You can check the average low for any zip code and any day of the year at weather.com and similar sites. Elephant ears do best with a lot of light but protection from the hottest sun and wind. This is especially important in the South. We grow them in light shade or morning sun here in Michigan. Loose, fertile soil is best, and they thrive with lots of moisture (and mulch to keep it in the soil) and frequent fertilizing. You can also grow them submerged at the margin of a pond.
        Both will thrive in pots. We’ve grown them successfully both (1) in clay pots that we kept standing in saucers that were constantly filled with water and (2) submerged in big glazed pots that we kept full of water. ‘Fontanesii’ seems to like the clay-pot/saucer method best; ours reached five feet in one summer. ‘Illustris’ seems to prefer the glazed-pot/submerged method. But both grow well either way. Don’t forget to fertilize them regularly!
        In zones 9 and warmer (lows to 20°F), elephant ears can remain in the ground through the winter if well mulched. Elsewhere, dig and bring indoors in a pot when temperatures cool in the fall, well before the first frost — you don’t want it to go dormant — and keep it warm and happy as a houseplant through the winter.
        Provide good strong light but reduce watering and fertilizing since the reduced light-levels of winter will slow its growth significantly. Do keep the soil moist, never let it dry out completely. Keep a sharp eye out for pests such as spider mites and aphids. Wash them off as needed or use insecticidal soap spray or something similar as needed. Be prepared for your plant to lose leaves, look wan, and just limp along in the winter till the brighter light and warmth of on-coming spring stimulates it into more vigorous growth.
        Move the pot outside after all danger of frost — see above — and resume watering and fertilizing as before.

Gladiolus
     For “Carolina Primrose” — See additional information on our bag-tags.
        For All Others — Plant after danger of frost is past — when you’d plant tomatoes. Glads planted in cold soils may rot. Open the bags and store till then in a cool, dim, dry place. 45-55ºF is ideal, but close will do.
        For a succession of bloom, follow old-time advice and soak some corms before planting to speed them into growth and bloom. Or plant a few every week or two till the end of early summer (for example, late June in zone 5). Don’t wait too late, though, because some heirlooms need a longer season than many modern glads to bloom.
        Pick a sunny site. Glads are easy and adaptable, but loose, fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8 is ideal for them. Avoid heavy soils that stay wet. Plant 4-6 inches apart and 2-6 inches deep, the side with the round indentation in the middle facing down. Shallow planting gives the corms warmer soil to spur growth but it may lead to a need for staking. To help avoid this, mound soil 2-3 inches around the base of the stalk later, before bloom.
        Water once, but then unless it’s very dry, wait till growth emerges before beginning to water regularly and deeply enough to reach the corm. Expert glad-growers often recommend mulching to maintain more even moisture. Fertilize when growth begins and again after cutting flowers, ideally with a liquid fertilizer. Don’t overdo it, though. Too little is better than too much.
        Glads do well in pots, too. When they bloom you can set them in the border where needed à la Gertrude Jekyll.
        In zones 8 and warmer (lows to 10°F), glads can stay in the ground year around. Even in much colder zones you may want to experiment. We’ve had glads bloom after wintering outdoors with temperatures well below zero. A thick, light mulch and good snow cover will increase their chances.
        Glads are one of the easiest bulbs to store over the winter (but remember, it’s NOT required by law in any state!). Dig them five to six weeks after flowering (or wait till after the first frost). Immediately cut the stalks off as close to the corms as possible. Avid growers often recommend a five-minute dip in a fungicide solution, but many gardeners skip this. Or you can dust them with an insecticide-fungicide, or do nothing. Air dry for a few weeks. Store loose or in mesh bags or even old nylon stockings in a cool, dry place with good air circulation, ideally at 45-55ºF.
        Before re-planting in the spring, break off the old, shriveled corm at the base of the new one. Any cormel/cormlet bigger than a pea may bloom the next year, and smaller ones usually grow to blooming size in another year.

Rain Lilies
        Rain lily bulbs are so small, it’s best to plant them as soon as possible. But you have to wait till all danger of frost is past — when the soil warms up and night temperatures remain near 60ºF. You can check the average low for any zip code and any day of the year at weather.com and similar sites. If that means you have to store them, leave the plastic bags loosely open at the top so air can circulate a bit and set in a cool, dim place. 50-60ºF is ideal, but close will do. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t dry out completely.
        White rain lilies are hardy in zones 7 and warmer (lows to 0°F), pink in zones 8 and warmer (to 10°). To bloom well, both need hot summers. Plant outside 1-2 inches deep and 2-3 inches apart. Though they prefer full sun and moist loam, they are very easy to grow (“absurdly easy and prolific,” Scott Ogden writes in Garden Bulbs for the South) in a wide range of conditions, even damp clay. In their native Argentina the white ones actually grow in marshland! Protect them from greedy tree roots and keep them watered in dry spells and they will reward you with even better growth.
        In colder areas, the pink ones make interesting plants for summer pots. (However, we don’t recommend the early-fall-blooming white ones for pots because it’s harder to get them to bloom there.) Plant about 1 inch deep and crowded close together — they reputedly bloom best when pot-bound — in "cactus mix" or another quick-draining potting soil. Water well. To stimulate bloom, many authorities recommend setting them in a saucer of water once well established. Heat is important, too! In our experience, they mostly bloom once in early summer, but not all together.
        At frost, dry and store right in the pot or in dry peat moss, coarse vermiculite, etc., ideally at 50-60ºF. Replant — or begin to water again — in the spring after last frost, fertilizing regularly to promote rebloom.

St. Joseph’s Lily
        Care for this great old amaryllis the way you would any other amaryllis. It’s just a lot hardier! You can grow it outdoors in zones 7 (possibly 6b) and warmer, or in a pot anywhere.
        Unlike modern amaryllis, heirloom amaryllis — with their long, fleshy, permanent roots — don’t like to be moved and often take a long time to re-establish themselves. So if yours doesn’t bloom this year, please don’t be too disappointed. All of our bulbs are blooming-size, and these glorious beauties are well worth waiting for!
        To grow it outside, choose a spot in full sun if you’re in the northern parts of its range, or in light shade further south. Fertile, well-drained soil is best, but St. Joseph's lily can thrive in heavy clay, too. Outside, plant so that the neck of the bulb is just barely buried. Water sparingly till the foliage resumes growth — which can take distressingly long — then water well and fertilize as long as it is actively growing. Stop when the leaves begin to yellow and the bulb goes into dormancy in the fall. (You may actually find the foliage stays evergreen for you.) In the northern parts of its range — zone 7 — we recommend deep, light winter mulch (straw, etc.) for protection, just in case. You don’t want to lose this bulb to an unusually harsh winter!
        To grow in a pot, choose a clay pot that’s just a bit bigger than the bulb and use a fast-draining potting soil. Plant so that the top third of the bulb is exposed. Water sparingly till the foliage resumes growth — which, again, can take distressingly long — then water and fertilize regularly. When outdoor temperatures warm up, put it in a sunny spot outside or plunge it pot and all into the garden. The better it grows through the summer, the better it will bloom next year. In fall, bring indoors. At this point, most experts recommend that you gradually withhold water to encourage dormancy and then leave the pot completely dry for 2-3 months. When you can’t wait any longer, or you see green growth emerging again in spring, gently remove the top layer of soil (without injuring any roots), replace with fresh soil, and resume watering and fertilizing. On the other hand, some experts report success re-blooming St. Joseph’s lily by keeping it growing in pots throughout the year, without a dormant period. They do recommend giving it some fall chilling, though — but not freezing. You may want to experiment (and let us know!).

Tuberoses
        Tuberoses are easy to bloom if you start with our big bulbs and give them a long hot summer. To store till planting, just open the bags and set in a cool, dim, dry spot. 55-70º F is ideal, but close will do.
        In the NORTH, we recommend growing them in pots. You can start them inside 4-6 weeks before the last frost date. Set them close together and so their tips are barely covered with soil. Water and put them in a warm spot, maybe with a little bottom heat (a greenhouse heating-mat works great). Keep moist but not soggy. Once leaves emerge — which can take up to a month! — water and fertilize regularly. When nights warm up to the 60s reliably, move the pot outside to a spot that’s as hot and sunny as possible — but where you can keep them well-watered. Continue to water often — probably daily — and fertilize regularly. Tuberoses need CONSTANTLY MOIST SOIL and PLENTY OF NUTRITION to do their best. If blooms don’t appear by the time the weather cools in latest summer, bring the pot indoors to a sunny window and enjoy the blooms there.
        In the SOUTH, you can bloom them successfully in the ground, where singles tend to do better and bloom earlier. Plant bulbs in early summer, in a hot, sunny spot with well-drained soil, 4-8 inches apart with about 2 inches of soil over their tips. Water once but unless it’s very dry wait till leaves emerge before watering again. Then keep soil moist and fertilize regularly. Tuberoses need good sun, CONSTANTLY MOIST SOIL, and PLENTY OF NUTRITION to do their best.
        In zones 9 and warmer (lows to 20° F), tuberoses can be left in the ground year around, but elsewhere it’s best to gradually reduce watering after they bloom till the foliage eventually dries up — or till a hard frost comes. Dig and store as glads (see above; no need for a fungicide dip). Or dry and store them right in their pot. In the spring, dump out the pot and examine the rhizomes. Each will have produced a cluster of daughter bulbs. Experts say that once a tuberose bulb blooms, it won’t bloom again (we’re not entirely convinced this is true), but any of the daughter bulbs that have reached thumb-size or so will bloom, and frequently smaller ones will, too. So add new soil to your pot and either replant the whole clustered bulb-clump or break off the largest daughter bulbs and replant just them. Regular, hearty feeding the second and following years is especially important to assure re-bloom.

Learning From You
        We want to know more about growing bulbs successfully — all over our wonderfully diverse country. Our own experience feels limited (so much gardening, so little time!), and though we’ve learned a lot from books and articles, we’ve also found that not all published advice can be relied on.
        We’d love to hear about your methods, tips, hunches, experiments, discoveries, resources, and whatever else — especially if you garden in conditions different from our mostly zone-5b, sandy-loam, Midwestern gardens. Please write, call, or email us. Thanks!