One of the most common questions I get at the start of each season is along the lines of ‘why haven’t all my tubers sprouted?’ While we can get blind tubers, tubers rotting or being eaten by rabbits & possums (yep been there!) most of the time we just need to be a little patient.
Tubers will start waking up and sending out shoots in their own time, contributed to by factors including storage conditions, temperature and climate, but despite this, some varieties are just plain stubborn and take longer than others. A bit like my husband and I……he is an early eager waker, but me, I am like the tubers that wait until the last minute possible to show any signs of life when waking up 😁
At this early part of the season it may be tempting to keep digging down and poking around to look for shoots, but unless you suspect rot it’s best just to leave them be for a few more weeks. If you need to dig (or simply can’t help yourself) gently dig from the side so you don’t risk breaking off any delicate new shoots from the top. Avoid pulling out the tuber and disturbing roots as this can slow the growth somewhat.
The photos attached are of two of my tubers both planted at the same time 3 weeks ago, both had bulging eyes when planted, both planted next to each other in the same medium, receiving the same amount of warmth & light. One is almost 40cm tall, the other just broke the soil 3 days ago (they can grow very quickly in a short period of time under the right conditions). My job today it to go around and top up the pots that have all settled in recent rain!
Of my approx 300 tubers this year, I have about 20 still waking up. The rest have been planted over a number of weeks as they wake. Approx half are above the soil with the rest still working on it. Whilst I’m tempted to dig & poke…it’s the time for me to be patient.
In summary, in a couple of months the plants have generally caught up with one another regardless whether they were fast or slow to wake up. We are still getting cold nights here (several frosts last week, then 32 degrees today) so I am never in a rush for them to get going too early, starting a few weeks later with more consistent conditions has a much better result in my experiences.
Happy growing everyone!
