"pruning" Amorphophallus

From: Michael Marcotrigiano marcotrigiano at pssci.umass.edu> on 1999.10.29 at 22:33:31(3804) Hi: My 20 lb. plus konjac corm (yes I still believe these are corms) sent out 3 leaves this year rather than its impressive 4 foot wide one of last year. Having just dug it up I discovered that rather than having the basketball of past, I have three grapefruits. The original basketball size corm, as expected, was nearly decomposed below the three grapefruits. I'd love to avoid this situation in the future and keep one giant leaf going rather than 3 misdirected ones. Has anyone ever tried getting rid of multiple leaves, just leaving one by pruning (carving out?) the extras?. I know I started with one giant corm, not three, but somehow it decided to send out 3 leaves and now next year I'll have three no-so-giant plants. I +More don't want to let this happen again. Opinions? -----Thanks ************************************************************* Michael Marcotrigiano (email: marcotrigiano@pssci.umass.edu) Professor Rm 211 French Hall Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences Univ of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003 USA ------------------------------------ voice: 413-545-5227 fax: 413-545-3075 att: Michael Marcotrigiano

From: Malvo25 at aol.com on 1999.10.30 at 17:17:55(3815) I've never tried to prune a konjac, but the growing tip from a two inch corm got "pruned" back to the soil line by critters this spring. I thought I'de lost a growing season, but then it sent up seven new leaves. I'm dying to dig it up and see if it has split into seven corms (not a happy outcome) but unlike all my other konjacs, it hasn't died back yet.

From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at email.msn.com> on 1999.10.30 at 18:33:37(3816) >I've never tried to prune a konjac, but the growing tip from a two inch corm got "pruned" back to the soil line by critters this spring. I thought I'de +More lost a growing season, but then it sent up seven new leaves. I'm dying to dig it up and see if it has split into seven corms (not a happy outcome) but unlike all my other konjacs, it hasn't died back yet. << I don`t believe one can or should try pruning an Amorphophallus sp.. This will probably encourage the division of the tubers into even MORE and smaller tubers, as happens when the growers of commercial Caladiums remove the central 'eye' or growing point, causing the rhizome to produce many growing points which 'better' fill a pot with leaves. I remember that Craig Allen from Fairchild Garden in Miami reported that if he wanted his plants of A. titanum to produce many smaller tubers (in other words to divide) he would 'under pot' them in a too-small pot, and if he wanted a larger tuber ever year which would ultimately produce a bloom, he 'over potted' the tubers in large pots, he mentions 35 gal. pots in his article, and I know that they are in even 'huger' pots now!!! He also 'feeds' them HEAVLY, and gives an impressive list of the 'groceries' he feeds them. He has an A. paeoniifolius that I saw the last Aroid show that must be 7-8 ft tall, 8-10 ft spread and a 'trunk' (petiole!) dia. of 10 inches!!!! Now THAT is good growing!!! I believe his guide would work on the Konjacs also. A visit to Fairchild Garden in Miami JUST to see the Amorphophallus species there grown as they are SUPPOSED to be grown to near their full potential by a devoted grower in Craig is an experience WELL worth anyone`s while!!! There is a wonderful article on Craig`s VERY successful growing methods in his article on A. titanum in Aroideana Vol. 21, which hopefully will encoura ge any Aroidophiles out there to become members of The International Aroid Society, a GREAT organization of FANTASTIC people, and a free Journal every year with LOTS of information!! Good growing, Cheers to all, Julius

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