How to Grow Tubers

Choose tubers that feel firm. Avoid tubers with visible signs of mold or mildew. Squeeze the tubers with your hand to detect soft spots, and discard any tubers with soft spots. Smell the tubers, and reject any that indicate they have internal rot.

Select larger tubers to produce larger plants.

Decide whether you will grow your tuber in a container or in the ground. Match the size of the tuber to the container.

Provide tubers in their early stages with warmth, sunlight and soil that drains well. Assess the specific conditions for your tuber based on its species. Place caladiums and elephant's ears in shaded locations. However, place dahlias in sunny locations.

Avoid over-watering your tubers in their early stages because you will increase the chances that your tubers will rot in the ground. Water, fast-growing elephant's ears frequently during the height of their growing season.

Plant most tubers close to the surface where they should warm the fastest and suffer less from sitting in soggy soil. However, plant potatoes deep in the soil, and protect the tubers from direct sunlight.

Dig up tender tubers in the fall after the first frost sends the plant into dormancy. Store the tubers in a frost-free location over the winter and replant in the spring.