time to plant bulbs and tubers

Question

I bought a large bulb/corm called colocasia (elephants ear) and 4 mirabilis jalapa (japanese wonder flower) tubers. They all look as though they are starting to shoot. When should I put them in the garden and where (ideal position)? I bought them from a stall at the sandringham flower show specilising in large bulbs. I think they were from dutch growers).

Answer 1

It is hard to say when you should plant them because those bulbs are treated differently depending on where you live.

If you live in zone 8 or greater, these bulbs can be planted now and left in the ground year round. If you live in a zone lower, they need to be brought in for the winter as they will not survive year round outside. If you are in zone 8 or lower, as these are sprouting, I would recommend putting them in a container for now so they can store some energy before winter. In the fall, dig up the bulbs, remove the foliage and wrap them in newspaper and store them in a cool, dry place. In the spring, they can be planted out in your garden (and dug up again in fall).