Colocasia & Alocasia winter storage temp

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 1998.12.08 at 04:10:55(2788) The frost is about to hit us here in Long Island. We're delighted that it's a month late (although I'm upset that it's coming at all). I've now dug up all the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers and have them drying in the basement. +More I've learned that the best storage temperature for caladiums is room temperature (and so did quite well last year). What would be the best storage temperature for the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers? If it would be better at 50-60 degrees, then I'll have to move them to a friend's home. Thanks, Les

From: David Thornton <dave at dave-aroid.demon.co.uk> on 1998.12.09 at 01:31:53(2789) In message , Lester Kallus writes >The frost is about to hit us here in Long Island. We're delighted that >it's a month late (although I'm upset that it's coming at all). I've now >dug up all the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers and have them drying in the >basement. > >I've learned that the best storage temperature for caladiums is room >temperature (and so did quite well last year). What would be the best >storage temperature for the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers? If it would be >better at 50-60 degrees, then I'll have to move them to a friend's home. > >Thanks, > Les > > Les, I am fascinated to know if when you say "dig up" the tubers of Alocasia and Colocasia, does this mean you grow them out of doors in summer in New York ? Would it be possible to do this here in the U.K. with say Alocasia macrorrhiza ?? would love to do so ! Dave +More dave@dave-aroid.demon.co.uk -- David Thornton

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 1998.12.09 at 15:13:24(2790) Yes, I grow them outside all summer long. They flourished and grew quite large. Now the trick is to keep them alive till next summer. I did medium well last year keeping them warm in vermiculite but some of the rotted. I was advised to just pack them dry and ignore them. My question is whether that packing dry should be in a cool or a warm place. Les +More At 07:33 PM 12/8/98 -0600, you wrote: >In message , >Lester Kallus writes >>The frost is about to hit us here in Long Island. We're delighted that >>it's a month late (although I'm upset that it's coming at all). I've now >>dug up all the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers and have them drying in the >>basement. >> >>I've learned that the best storage temperature for caladiums is room >>temperature (and so did quite well last year). What would be the best >>storage temperature for the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers? If it would be >>better at 50-60 degrees, then I'll have to move them to a friend's home. >> >>Thanks, >> Les >> >> >Les, > >I am fascinated to know if when you say "dig up" the tubers of Alocasia >and Colocasia, does this mean you grow them out of doors in summer in >New York ? Would it be possible to do this here in the U.K. with say >Alocasia macrorrhiza ?? would love to do so ! > > >Dave > >dave@dave-aroid.demon.co.uk >-- >David Thornton >

From: "Eddie Vernon" <eddie_vernon at hotmail.com> on 1998.12.09 at 15:33:23(2791) Dave, I don't know much about growing colocasia and alocasia, but being from England and having worked on Long Island, I know that the summer weather is warmer there than it is in the UK; e.g. I was helping grow apricots and peaches on Long Island which you can't grow very well outside of greenhouses in the UK. Eddie. +More >Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1998 19:31:07 -0600 >Reply-To: aroid-l@mobot.org >From: David Thornton >To: eddie_vernon@hotmail.com >Subject: Re: Colocasia & Alocasia winter storage temp > >In message , >Lester Kallus writes >>The frost is about to hit us here in Long Island. We're delighted that >>it's a month late (although I'm upset that it's coming at all). I've now >>dug up all the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers and have them drying in the >>basement. >> >>I've learned that the best storage temperature for caladiums is room >>temperature (and so did quite well last year). What would be the best >>storage temperature for the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers? If it would be >>better at 50-60 degrees, then I'll have to move them to a friend's home. >> >>Thanks, >> Les >> >> >Les, > >I am fascinated to know if when you say "dig up" the tubers of Alocasia >and Colocasia, does this mean you grow them out of doors in summer in >New York ? Would it be possible to do this here in the U.K. with say >Alocasia macrorrhiza ?? would love to do so ! > > >Dave > >dave@dave-aroid.demon.co.uk >-- >David Thornton > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

From: Al Wootten <awootten at NRAO.EDU> on 1998.12.09 at 16:42:09(2794) I didn't bring my Alocasia mac. in last winter until frost had cut it down in Deltaville, Va (7b). Usually I pick the last tomatoes around Christmas, when cold sets in until late February. Normally the lows don't go below the low to mid 20's (an oleander is in its third year nearby without winter protection). It sat in a bucket in the basement until spring when I planted it out. It was clearly set back but performing fine last time I visited it 14 Nov--no bigger than last year, though. I do plan to bring it in if frost doesn't get it tonight. A patch of Colocasia growing next to it have wintered over for four years now. The usual pattern is the big central tuber gets badly frost damaged, turning to mush, but lots of little ones sprout all around it. It did very poorly in this year's drought, which affected it more than winter seems to. I suspect, however, that if I wanted big leaf production I should bring it in, as it seems to be slowly declining. Clear skies, Al +More +--------------------------------------------------------+ | Alwyn Wootten (http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/) | | Project Scientist, The Millimeter Array | | Astronomer, National Radio Astronomy Observatory | | 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475, USA | | (804)-296-0329 voice Help us build The Millimeter Array| | (804)-296-0278 FAX {> {> {> {> | +------------------------------^-----^-----^-----^-------

From: dave-poole at ilsham.demon.co.uk on 1998.12.10 at 14:14:44(2796) David Thornton wrote: >I am fascinated to know if when you say "dig up" the tubers of Alocasia >and Colocasia, does this mean you grow them out of doors in summer in >New York ? Would it be possible to do this here in the U.K. with say >Alocasia macrorrhiza ?? would love to do so ! David, C. esculenta grows out of doors throughout the year down here in the South West (Torquay) and survives remarkably well if planted very deeply (approx 8" deep). In Plymouth, there is a town garden with a huge A. macrorhiza that has been in the same spot for about 8 years. Again it was planted deeply, in a sheltered corner close to a wall. It is given copious amounts of water during summer and given a gallon of dilute tomato fertiliser every 10/14 days. During frosty weather, the leaves are often killed but the plant soon recovers with the return of warm, spring weather. Generally speaking, our summers are not quite warm enough to help repair severe winter damage, but generally speaking temperatures rarely drop much below 1C (34F) for more than an hour or so at the dead of winter. So far this winter despite some pretty chilly weather, my clump of C. esculenta is still looking fine with only one or two of the oldest leaves appearing 'stressed'. I had planned to lift the tubers and store dry in newspaper until March, but encouraged by excellent plants in a nearby garden, I'm going to leave them and if necessary, give a thick mulch of coarse bark. +More Whether either plant could succeed as well further east where sub-zero temperatures are much more common, remains to be seen. David Poole

From: "Mansell, Richard" <mansell at chuma1.cas.usf.edu> on 1998.12.10 at 14:22:01(2797) My suggestion would be to just through them in a bucket and keep in a closet and dry. No lower than 55 degrees for safety. Sure the tuber gets smaller due to desiccation but that doesn't affect next years growth. I kept a 5 gallon pail full 9 months last year without any problems. BTW. the pail had tubers in it. Dick Richard L. Mansell +More Professor Emeritus Home: 13508 Little Lake Place Biology Department Tampa, FL 33613-4134 University of South Florida Tampa, FL 33620 813-974-1588 (W) 813-961-7072 (H) e-mail: mansell@chuma1.cas.usf.edu > -----Original Message----- > From: Lester Kallus [SMTP:lkallus@earthlink.net] > Sent: Monday, December 07, 1998 6:15 PM > To: mansell@chuma1.cas.usf.edu > Subject: Colocasia & Alocasia winter storage temp > > The frost is about to hit us here in Long Island. We're delighted that > it's a month late (although I'm upset that it's coming at all). I've now > dug up all the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers and have them drying in the > basement. > > I've learned that the best storage temperature for caladiums is room > temperature (and so did quite well last year). What would be the best > storage temperature for the Alocasia & Colocasia tubers? If it would be > better at 50-60 degrees, then I'll have to move them to a friend's home. > > Thanks, > Les >

From: Clarence Hester <hesterc at leguin.acpub.duke.edu> on 1998.12.10 at 15:12:38(2802) Regarding winter storage of alocasia and colocasia, in my experience it varies greatly from plant to plant. I've found that those that form true corms +More can be carried over winter either at room temperature or at cool temperatures, such as in a basement or under the house. I really don't think it matters as long as the corms are kept dry and in the dark. Those that are more "fleshy" in the root system (e.g., Colocasia fontanesii or C. antiquorum--excuse the certain spelling) have not survived for me if dug up and stored; it seems much better to leave these in the ground or in a pot. Either mulch well or put the pot in your garage, etc. I have a story you may find hard to believe, but it is true. I moved to a new house in September of '97, which meant I had to dig up all my plants and move them too. In the process, many miscellaneuos tubers, corms, etc. ended up in my garage. This summer, in August, I was sweeping out the garage and found a dry, shriveled clump of debris--this was a dried tangle of roots and matted dirt, but no "corm" that I could feel or see. Anyway, I planted this "mystery" thing just for the heck of it. Lo and behold, it sprouted and is now growing vigorously. It is a Xanthosoma. If that's any indication, there are at least some aroids that may have a truly remakable ability to resurrect themselves, even after a year or more in storage. Clarence Hester

From: StellrJ at aol.com on 1998.12.10 at 18:54:46(2806) In a message dated 12/10/98 7:00:54 AM Pacific Standard Time, hesterc@leguin.acpub.duke.edu writes: > Those that are more "fleshy" in the root system (e.g., Colocasia +More > fontanesii or C. antiquorum--excuse the certain spelling) have not > survived for me if dug up and stored; So, am I again behind on nomenclature? Last I heard, C. antiquorum ("eddoe") was a subspecies of C. esculenta ("taro"). Jason Hernandez Naturalist-at-Large

From: Clarence Hester <hesterc at leguin.acpub.duke.edu> on 1998.12.11 at 14:41:26(2809) S > So, am I again behind on nomenclature? Last I heard, C. antiquorum ("eddoe") > was a subspecies of C. esculenta ("taro"). > > Jason Hernandez +More So? That doesn't mean every subspecies has the same characteristics. I'll be the first one to admit I'm not sure of the nomenclature, but there are several that have fleshy tubers, are stoloniferous and do *not* do well in bare root storage. Two of these include a purple-stemmed colocasia and also one that has green leaves heavily covered with irregular purple blotches. I have seen these referred to as Colocasia fontanesii and Colocasia antiquroum "Illustris", respectively. We can leave nomenclature to the true experts, but if I'm wrong on these names, so are a lot of people. Clarence

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 1998.12.11 at 18:12:05(2811) Well the explains why I've done so poorly with illustris & fontanesii in the past! I did even worse with burgandy stem. I found an antiquorum illustirs offshoot about 4" high and decided to transplant that rather than try to store it. Apparently that decision (before I learned what you say) has insured that I'll have that for next year. Can I assume you're suggesting I replant my fontanesii right away? How does the all black colocasia (the one with a thousand names including "black magic") do? Les +More At 08:42 AM 12/11/98 -0600, you wrote: >S >> So, am I again behind on nomenclature? Last I heard, C. antiquorum ("eddoe") >> was a subspecies of C. esculenta ("taro"). >> >> Jason Hernandez > >So? That doesn't mean every subspecies has the same characteristics. >I'll be the first >one to admit I'm not sure of the nomenclature, but there are several >that have fleshy >tubers, are stoloniferous and do *not* do well in bare root storage. >Two of these include a purple-stemmed >colocasia and also one that has green leaves heavily covered with >irregular purple blotches. >I have seen these referred to as Colocasia fontanesii and Colocasia >antiquroum "Illustris", respectively. >We can leave nomenclature to the true experts, but if I'm wrong on these >names, so are a lot >of people. > >Clarence >

From: alistair_hay at rbgsyd.gov.au on 1998.12.14 at 03:32:20(2817) Dan Nicolson (Flora Vitiensis Nova 1, 1979) and I (Sandakania 7, 1996) came to the conclusion that subspecies and botanical varieties of Colocasia esculenta are pretty meaningless. The whole thing (wild types and cultivars) should botanically just be called C. esculenta, and diversity of cultivated forms reflected in cultivar and cultivar group nomenclature set up within the domain of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants - an interesting little job for someone.....! Alistair +More ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Colocasia & Alocasia winter storage temp Author: at mailgate Date: 12/11/98 8:43 AM S > So, am I again behind on nomenclature? Last I heard, C. antiquorum ("eddoe") > was a subspecies of C. esculenta ("taro"). > > Jason Hernandez So? That doesn't mean every subspecies has the same characteristics. I'll be the first one to admit I'm not sure of the nomenclature, but there are several that have fleshy tubers, are stoloniferous and do *not* do well in bare root storage. Two of these include a purple-stemmed colocasia and also one that has green leaves heavily covered with irregular purple blotches. I have seen these referred to as Colocasia fontanesii and Colocasia antiquroum "Illustris", respectively. We can leave nomenclature to the true experts, but if I'm wrong on these names, so are a lot of people. Clarence

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