How to Store Tuberose for Winter

Tuberoses are summertime bloomers that feature sweet, heady scents like traditional rose bushes, but are not actually roses. These perennials grow from bulbs and feature many long strap-shaped leaves, tall flower stems and tube-shaped flowers. Tuberose blooms are two inches long and last many weeks as cut flowers in the house, but flower only through fall in the outdoor garden. At that time, the foliage yellows and dies to the ground, and the bulbs go dormant for winter. Winter storage techniques depend on your growing zone and personal preferences.

Spade
Box or plastic bin
Topsoil or peat moss

Instructions

- 1
  Allow tuberose foliage to yellow and die back on its own to store nutrition for spring growth and summer blooming. Cutting the foliage ahead of time damages the bulbs' resources for future growth.
- 2
  Keep tuberose bulbs in the ground throughout the winter in warm U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 8 to 11. The bulbs are hardy down to 50 degrees F and don't require any protection or special care during winter in these areas.
- 3
  Dig bulbs and store them in zones 7 and below, or if you want to plant winter annuals in your garden. Prepare a 10-gallon pot or plastic bin for storage. Set the bulbs in a cool, dry, protected spot to dry for a week before you pack them for winter.
- 4
  Fill the pot or bin one-third full of topsoil and lay bulbs on top of the soil. Cover these bulbs with one to two inches of soil, and add another layer of bulbs. Continue layering bulbs and soil. If you run out of room, start another storage bin. Place the bulbs so that they are close but not touching, since bulbs are inclined to rot when touching.
- 5
  Put the bin in a cool, dark spot for winter storage. Make sure that your storage space offers good air circulation and temperatures over 50 degrees F for the entire winter. Replant the tuberose bulbs in spring after the last frost of the season.

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