Tuberose, or tuberous polyantes, a plant that was not called the Queen of the Night for nothing, because in the evening, its intoxicating aroma becomes the main thing in the garden. This smell in recent decades has become one of the most branded and is widely used in perfumes. It will be interesting for any gardener to grow tuberose in himself, planting and caring in the open ground for which is quite capable, subject to certain rules.
Origin and description of the flower
His homeland is Mexico, from where it was brought back in the 16th century, then the first description of tuberose was made. Polyantes (Greek "brilliant flower") belongs to the subfamily of the agave asparagus family, has a total of 13 species.
Tuberose became most popular in the 19th century, in which it was praised not only by gardeners, but also by poets in their works. Now this flower is experiencing its rebirth, surprising everyone with its beauty and bewitching aroma. A very expensive extract, which is obtained from its flowers, is used in the manufacture of perfumes of the world famous firms “Gucci” and “Dior”, and essential oil and fragrance sticks are also made.
This plant is perennial, having a bulbous tuber at the base of a powerful root system and several basal leaves collected in a rosette. The height of the adult stem can reach 50-100 cm, and the leaves - 30-40 cm.
In Russia, polyantes in open land is used in the southern regions (Crimea, Krasnodar Territory). However, in the central regions, including in the suburbs, amateur gardeners are successfully engaged in its cultivation.
Tuberose mainly propagates by tubers, the service life of which is 2 years: in the first plant, it should grow well and acquire leaves and shoots, and in the second year, flowering sets in, after which the mother tuber dies, but gives birth to many children.
Bloom
Flowering time begins in July and lasts until October. Flowers located on top in the form of an ear with many inflorescences (up to 30 pieces) have dense waxy petals. The size of the flowers is 5-6 cm in length and 3-4 cm in diameter. When opening the buds, they emit a very pleasant and strong smell. For several centuries, as a result of breeding, various forms and shades of flowers were bred: terry, pink, yellow, purple, salmon and lilac.
Flowers on one stem begin to bloom starting from the bottom of the peduncle. Tuberose, planting and care in the open ground for which are carried out correctly, blooms for almost 3 weeks, while maintaining a beautiful decorative look and smell. If the flowers are cut, then in the bouquet they can stand for almost 2 weeks, and when vinegar is added to the water, it can last longer. After flowering, a box with flat seeds is formed.
Tuberose: a description of breeding, care
Tuberose propagation is possible in 2 ways: using seeds and daughter tubers. The most widely used method is tuber division propagation. At the end of the season, 10-20 bulb bulbs are formed near the uterine tuber, which, when they reach a size of 2 cm, can already be grown individually.
It is better to dig out the bulbs after the plant itself dries in the fall, after which they need to be cleaned of soil and treated with a solution of potassium permanganate from bacteria. It is better to store them until spring in a cool room at 10-15 ° C, putting them in a substrate from a mixture of dry sawdust and sand.
It is better to plant nodules before planting in February in peat or a mixture of humus, turf and sand in special boxes for seedlings to a depth of 3 cm, leaving it tip on the surface. Distillation takes a certain time: seedlings appear only after 3-4 weeks, put the boxes in a bright and warm place and water well regularly.
For successful tuberose cultivation, planting and care are essential. Nodules can be planted in open ground only when the threat of spring cold and frost is over, and the air temperature will be at least 10 ° C. Tuberose prefers light soils and good watering. Before planting, it is better to add compost or humus to the ground.
The distance between plants when planting is 25 cm, so that there is enough space for the formation of new children and there is enough food for everyone. When planting children, the distance for large is 15 cm, for small - about 10 cm, the depth of embedding is 2-3 cm.
Plant care
It is very important after planting tuberose and when leaving in the open ground to provide optimal conditions for good growth and plentiful flowering:
- polyantes is a plant thermophilic and loves moist soil, therefore it is necessary to water it regularly only with warm water, making sure that the soil does not dry out, and moisture does not accumulate, because root decay may occur;
- after each watering, do thorough loosening and make sure that the earth does not get to the top of the tuber;
- regularly destroy weeds around planted plants;
- complex mixtures are used for feeding, given that the plant does not like excess nitrogen; the best option is the use of organic fertilizers 2-3 times per season: immediately after the planting of tubers and before flowering;
- not to allow thickening of planted plants, because polyantes is very freedom-loving;
- after flowering (late September - early October), watering should be stopped, and the tubers are left to ripen until the cold snap begins;
- Digging nests with nodules is done in October before the onset of frost.
Recommendations and features of care
There are several rules that will help accelerate the appearance of peduncles in the first year of the plant's life.
Features of tuberose care and planting:
- tuberous babies can be separated from the main bulb in the summer, they are planted separately, which will allow already ready material to grow by autumn, which can bloom next year;
- in autumn, a plant that has already blossomed can be transplanted into a pot and put in a greenhouse or on a warm veranda for a month until the whole stem is dry and yellow, only then the ripened children are dug up and laid for storage;
- in the spring it is recommended to plant the children only separately, disconnecting them from the mother’s bulb, otherwise they will slow down its growth.
Diseases and Pests
Tuberose, landing and care in the open ground for which is carried out according to the rules, is usually not affected by diseases, but insects are scared away by the pungent smell of flowers. However, occasionally there are cases of attack by pests (spider mites, aphids), damage by gray rot. If some signs of the disease appear (dark spots on the leaves, etc.), the plant should be treated with fungicides.
In spring, it is necessary to protect it from the bear, who like to dig up the tubers planted in the open ground.
The use of tuberose in landscape design
Such a beautiful and original smelling plant will become an adornment of any flower garden, in which it can be combined with many other flowers. The optimal neighbors are gladioli, which have a similar growing technology. Tuberoses usually bloom a little later and become the successors of gladioli, providing continuous flowering in the flowerbed.
Polyantheses have a fairly high stalk-peduncle, because in front of them you can plant undersized flowers or deciduous plants.
To decorate balconies and loggias, pots with tuberose are used to longer enjoy its beauty and aroma. However, it is not recommended to leave them in a poorly ventilated area, because a strong smell can adversely affect susceptible people.