Giant Tuber culture

From: "Carlo A. Balistrieri" <cabalist at facstaff.wisc.edu> on 1997.02.14 at 16:44:01(356) I have a question for fellow cold weather aroiders. I've been mulling around an idea for outdoor culture. I've heard some folks grumble the tubers eventually get to a size where they can hardly be dug anymore to be brought inside for their dormancy. How about this: instead of planting them in spring when the ground warms, WHAT ABOUT putting them on TOP of the ground and THEN burying them with a loose, well draining mixture of leaf mold and sand?--sort of a tuber mausoleum. Then when they go dormant simply uncover, tip into a wheel barrow or other suitable implement (if too heavy to lift) and cart indoors. What do you think? Carlo +More Carlo A. Balistrieri, J.D. Email: CABalist@facstaff.wisc.edu P.O. Box 327 Ashippun, WI 53003-0327 U.S.A. Voice: 414.569.1902 Telefax: same number, please call ahead.

From: Mike Bordelon <MNHBO102 at SIVM.SI.EDU> on 1997.02.14 at 21:31:21(357) Sounds like it should work. You could cut the bottom out of a pot and place the ring around it to keep the soil in place. Mike Bordelon Greenhouse Manager Department of Botany Smithsonian Institution 301-238-3130 +More MNHBO102@SIVM.SI.EDU

From: Rand Nicholson <writserv at nbnet.nb.ca> on 1997.02.14 at 21:35:30(358) >I have a question for fellow cold weather aroiders. I've been mulling around >an idea for outdoor culture. I've heard some folks grumble the tubers >eventually get to a size where they can hardly be dug anymore to be brought >inside for their dormancy. > >How about this: instead of planting them in spring when the ground warms, >WHAT ABOUT putting them on TOP of the ground and THEN burying them with a >loose, well draining mixture of leaf mold and sand?--sort of a tuber >mausoleum. Then when they go dormant simply uncover, tip into a wheel barrow >or other suitable implement (if too heavy to lift) and cart indoors. > >What do you think? > >Carlo +More Cats, dogs, squirrls, racoons, skunks, rabbits, et. al. would consider this a gift from God; in my neck of the world, at least. Regards, Rand

From: "James W. Waddick" <jimjim at sky.net> on 1997.02.14 at 22:18:31(360) Dear Carlo; I consider myself a fair-weather aroider-at least for those not hardy enough to weather our weather in Kansas City (Zone 5/6) . ...but I didn't quite get what you were asking for. WHAT giant tubers? Alocasia Amorphophallus Caladium? It sounds like you grow some giant tubered aroid, but the tubers are smaller when they go dormant at season's end. I need more data- names, places, size etc. Thanks Jim W. You wrote on 2/14/97 : I have a question for fellow cold weather aroiders. I've been mulling around an idea for outdoor culture. I've heard some folks grumble the tubers eventually get to a size where they can hardly be dug anymore to be brought inside for their dormancy. Voice: 816 746 1949 James W. Waddick E-MAIL: jimjim@sky.net 8871 NW Brostrom Rd Fax: 816 746 1939 Kansas City MO 64152

From: "Carlo A. Balistrieri" <cabalist at facstaff.wisc.edu> on 1997.02.15 at 04:31:12(361) >Cats, dogs, squirrls, racoons, skunks, rabbits, et. al. would consider this >a gift from God; in my neck of the world, at least. Do they dig for them when they're in the ground? Does anything really eat them? If so, how do you grow them at all? Carlo +More Carlo A. Balistrieri, J.D. Email: CABalist@facstaff.wisc.edu P.O. Box 327 Ashippun, WI 53003-0327 U.S.A. Voice: 414.569.1902 Telefax: same number, please call ahead.

From: Rand Nicholson <writserv at nbnet.nb.ca> on 1997.02.15 at 15:33:08(362) >>Cats, dogs, squirrls, racoons, skunks, rabbits, et. al. would consider this >>a gift from God; in my neck of the world, at least. > +More >Do they dig for them when they're in the ground? Does anything really eat >them? If so, how do you grow them at all? > >Carlo Hi Carlo: Yep! The wildlife, esp. squirrls and racoons, will dig them up the same as they do tulips and the like. They will eat them or try to eat them. I suspect that many of the tubers may smell like food but prove to be unpalatable after the first few mouthfulls. Which does not do the tubers much good. They will cut the (green) growing points off tubers. As yet, I only have smallish to medium tubers, but these can be carried away. A neighbour's dog likes to dig the things up and chew on them. Racoons just seem to get a kick out of digging up anything freshly planted and mangeling it. I grow most of them in pots and put them outside on the patio when the weather warms up. After a while a few of the larger tubers get plopped into the garden. These don't usually seem to get disturbed, but by then they are in full growth (maybe) and it is late spring/early summer (I go by the weather) and there is plenty of much easier to acquire, tastier and more natural food available for the various critters. If the tubers were within easy reach (ie: on top of the garden covered by a mound of soil), I'm pretty sure that there would be _something_ out there ready and willing to have a go at them. The tubers were only a few, at first, and were easy to care for as the animals did not seem to care to come too close to the house and I would often move the pots indoors if there was a risk of chilly night temps. Very occasionally, I would find some pots knocked around, but no real damage. (Do _not_, however, grow these plants next to carnivorous plants, if you have them. Racoons and skunks love chewing on the protein filled pitchers and will wreak havoc to anything around them.) Now, after finding the Aroid-L, I have six times as many tubers to care for and they are mostly very small tubers. Guess I'll just have to be six times as careful. I need a _really_ good fence. Kind Regards, Rand PS: We get heavy rains, spring to early summer and fall, and often hot summers (long daylight period in the northern summer). If you mound, or hill, your tubers; how do you counter soil erosion from rain and waterings and how do you keep the tubers cool in a heat wave? I know that the ones that I grow in pots have to be watered every sunny day.

From: "Carlo A. Balistrieri" <cabalist at facstaff.wisc.edu> on 1997.02.15 at 15:36:40(363) > It sounds like you grow some giant tubered aroid, but the tubers >are smaller when they go dormant at season's end. > > I need more data- names, places, size etc. > > Thanks Jim W. The question was a general one--meant for any tubers that get too hard to easily handle. Amorphophallus for one need to be brought in here in WI. All of my tubers right now are small and easy to handle but I've been told that some can get quite large and unweildy 20lbs +. I'd also be afraid of slicing them up digging them out. Carlo +More Carlo A. Balistrieri, J.D. Email: CABalist@facstaff.wisc.edu P.O. Box 327 Ashippun, WI 53003-0327 U.S.A. Voice: 414.569.1902 Telefax: same number, please call ahead.

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