Cultivation Practices

1. Selection of site: Tuberose is very sensitive to wet-feet (root having over moisture) and should have plenty of sunlight. Warm and humid climate having the temperature range of 20– 30⁰C temperature with sunny situation is desirable.
2. Soil: Wide range of soil but loamy and sandy loam having good aeration with pH 6.5 to 7.5 and rich in organic matter with ample moisture is desirable. Good and deep tilth; properly manured (20 Mt/ha FYM) and incorporated with the soil about a month before planting; from weed and weed seeds etc.
3. Planting and bulb selection: Pre-plant storage is advisable.

➢ 1.5 – 2 cm or < 2 cm diameter size bulb are suitable. Bigger bulb (>3 cm diameter) is not desirable because they have poor germination capacity and weak respirator.

➢ Planting should be done 20 x 25 cm, 20 x 20 cm, etc. and depth should be 4-7 cm.

4. Manures and fertilizers: 200 (3 split doses):80:100-150 kg NPK/ha or 20 g of NPK/m2 is desirable.
5. Irrigation: Should not irrigate before sprouting and root formation stage.

➢ Twice a week in summer and once in winter months.

6. Weed control: Timely weed control should be done with hand weeding or chemical weeding or chemical weedicide Atrazine 3 kg/ha pre-plant application.

Harvesting time and stage

➢ A cool hour of the day is suitable for harvesting of spikes.

➢ For table decoration, the spike should harvest when the first pair of flowers (floret) fully open, with sharp knife and placed immediately in water.

➢ The small clasping leaves on flower spike should be retained for flower longevity.

➢ Reach maturity when flowering is over and plant growth ceases and soil should remove and grading should be done.

➢ Should be store at cool, dry and shady place and stir time to time.

➢ The bulbs are often left undisturbed and replanting is done after 3 years.

Post Harvest Handling and Packaging of Flowers

➢ Loose flowers are packed in bamboo baskets.

➢ Spikes are bundled 100 in numbers and wrapped in news print paper or tissue paper or polythene and kept in corrugated cardboard boxes for distant market.

➢ Sucrose and 8-HQC continuing preservative solution is used for improving the opening of flowers and enhancing the vase life.