Re: dividing tuberose (Polianthes)
Hi Julie
I am no expert on Polianthes, but have found that the more congested the
bulbs are the better they flower. Maybe the answer is NOT to divide them
very often. I only do so if asked for a piece by a passer-by.
regards Janet b
----- Original Message -----
From: Julie <jaknelson@shastalink.k12.ca.us>
To: medit-plants <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2000 1:33 AM
Subject: dividing tuberose (Polianthes)
> Several years ago I planted a cheap Costco bag of modest-sized tuberose
pips
> (each ca 1.5 cm diam., 3 cm tall) in a large plastic pot on my deck and
have
> left them alone since then. At the end of last summer I noticed they had
> broken the pot from growth. Today I tipped out the contents and had a go
at
> dividing them, and was astonished to find that each original pip (Sunset
> calls them rhizomes, but they don't look much like rhizomes to me) has
> produced literally hundreds of offsets to form a grapefruit-sized mass.
> Pulling them apart, they proved to be brittle and many broke off without
any
> rootlets attached. My question is: will those that come off with no
obvious
> rootlets regenerate roots, or are they goners? Do they have a base plate
> like narcissi? I carefully teased apart the first few hundred and then
gave
> up and replanted hunks of attached pips. Thanks for any advice you can
> give.
> **************************
> Julie Kierstead Nelson
> Redding, far northern inland California, USA
> USDA zone 9, Sunset zones 7/9 margin
> ****HOT summers****
>
>
