I haven't seen this plant either, but from what I read, it would be fine in a pot or in the ground. Since it would be an annual in our area here (I saw descriptions stating both zones 9 - 10 and also zones 7-10) I would wait until there is no chance of frost before planting it outside. I think you could possibly start the bulbs in a pot now, to get earlier blooms, or just wait until May, much as you would for annual gladiolus. You would have to lift the bulbs or bring the pots inside each year - and the description of the fragrance does sound heavenly ! :-)

thanks philomena... i figured i'd have to dig up the bulbs in the autumn. i've never grown gladiolus, either, but this will be my first year in trying out warmer zone bulbs to be lifted in the autumn. i've had luck, in the past, with tulips, alliums, daffodils --- i just wanted to take it to the next level, i guess. :-)

maybe i'll start them in pots in our apartment, then move them up to the house to be transplanted in may. i've got spring fever, and i'm always itching to do things for the garden!

i also have gladiolus bulbs, which i was going to plant this weekend... you think i should hold off on them? i should look more into growing them.

i hope it works, but i'm just having fun trying out new gardening techniques.

thanks for the advice!
--robbie--

I would put them in the same class as tomatoes, peppers, etc, ie not frost hardy. I've heard the first planting date for tenders is May 15 but the old timers around use Memorial Day for planting them

Another fragrant plant is nicotiana, though not all have a smell. Sensation is an old strain, but they do need some sun, the fragrance comes up when the day cools down. Quite wonderful.

thanks corapegia... i planted a variety of white, very fragrant, nicotiana last year. i purchased them at a community event in kinderhook, i think? i noticed their fragrance in the evening --- that was what got me thinking about creating a white/moon garden to be placed by our opened windows. i tried wintersowing some nicotiana on the roof of our brooklyn apartment, i'm not sure that they turned out so well, though... i've got a few that are sprouting, but they are really tiny compared to some of the other wintersown seeds. this was my first time winter sowing, so i may have goofed somewhere along the way.

i definitely agree with you on nicotiana. and thanks for the tip on when to plant these tender bulbs.

keep well!
--robbie--

for night-time fragrance, you can't beat lilies :-) I soooo look forward to mid-late july when the blooms start opening - heaven !!

lillies! yes --- thanks for reminding me... i have to research which to bulbs i'll want to order!

thanks!
--robbie--

I've never grown them myself, but a friend in Ulster County used to dig them up in the fall and store them in her garage in woodshavings or sand until the bulbs started to sprout again the next year. My recollection was that they were not at all hardy in our neck of the woods. If I were you, I'd go with the potted-in-B'klyn strategy, and keep them potted (that way you can move them around easier, too)

I grow these tuberoses every year just for the gardenia smell. One stem has tons of florets which open a few at a time for a week or two. I pick the individual florets and keep them next to me where I sit indoors. What heavenly fragrance fills the room!

Definitely pots in a hot area. They love sun and heat. Won't grow till it's hot out. I start them indoors each spring to get a head start. Bloom is very late August and September. Occasionally I have to deal with frost (bring indoors each night) so I can keep the blooms coming.

Last year I decided to do an experiment and left them in the pot (dried out) over winter. Unfortunately they put up leaves too early, which didn't acclimate properly (I know how to harden off). They've been limp and ugly all season, but with some new leaves.

I hope I get some flowers, but will definitely dig and save from now on. They're cheap enough to reorder each year. Out of 5 bulbs in a package, I get usually 3 flower stalks, which is enough to keep my senses happy!

I have had my tuberose for years and they only bloomed once and not all the bulbs even bloomed. I repotted them two years ago into larger pot and a bit more shallowly planted but not one bloom since. All I get is tall green foliage. I have many in one pot..is that the problem? I keep them outside in a very hot sunny location and keep them well watered and winter them in sunporch but I leave them alone in the winter except to cut off the dead foliage.

I have a very green thumb and this is driving me batty.

Terri

Well, my experiment (see my post above) was awful. I got no flowers at all by keeping the tubers in the pot indoors over winter. I think they need to be lifted and kept in a bag over winter, then replanted in a pot in Spring.

However, the only way I've ever gotten flowers is to start each year with new tubers I get from Park Seed, planted in spring. And usually only 3 out of 5 produce flowers. It's a $10 expense that is so worth the scent!

I planted my tuberose bulbs in pots 2 years ago. Now I have so many that I got about 32 bulbs from just one pot! I hope they come back. I separated them and repotted many. I had the same thing happen last year - just tall green leaves and no flowers. I decided they were too crowded. I've never seen a bulb multiply like this! They smell so heavenly.

Other fragrant night-blooming plants are the white Angel Trumpet datura and Moon Flower ipomea. Moon Flower seeds are found with the regular Morning Glory seeds in the garden shop. I saw Angel Trumpet seeds in Hewitt's here in Albany.

AdaO

This is interesting. Two years ago I got tuberose from Park seed in the Spring and planted them in pots. They grew vigorously and had a lot of blooms in the fall. I brought the pots indoors and put them in my basement. Last spring I separated the bulbs and planted them in another pot. I got luscious green foliage but no blooms. I sort of forgot about them till after the first frost so I left them outside and now they are all gone. I ordered some more from park seed and they just arrived. I wonder if these will bloom only once.
I am originally from South India. We had these growing up. They bloom from time to time year round in the tropical climate there.

I have had a tuberose plant for about 5 years now. I grow them in a pot and in the fall, after the greenery dies off, I cut it back, put it in the garage and only water once or twice during the winter. I put it out in spring (I live in NC) and as soon as I see shoots coming up, I fertilize it. You need to split the bulbs up every couple of years as a pot bound plant will not flower much. I had one spike last year, but hadn't separated the bulbs in three years and when I started separating them I must have 300 bulbs. I've made up several new pots and will give my friends some bulbs to start their own plants. I love this plant and look forward to the flowers every year. It needs, sun, water and fertilizer.