A Question (fwd)

From: Don Burns <burns at mobot.org> on 1997.09.01 at 15:50:48(1137) Aroiders, Craig Smith sent me the question below as he did not receive any responses from the list when he originally posted it. I cannot, with any authority, answer Craig, except to recommend praying. But I want an answer to this one also, because I have one Amorphophallus titantum tuber that did not go dormant until late April of this year and remains dormant as of September 1. +More Don Burns Plantation, FL USA Zone 10b ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 01 Sep 1997 09:46:46 -0700 To: burns@mobot.org Subject: A. Konjac growing season : A Question Hello Don, A few weeks ago I sent out this question along with an offer to send people Konjac tubers. I got several requests for tubers (which I will send) but not one answer to my question. I thought that, since the question was attached to the end of the note, people might have missed it (or assumed that someone else would answer). Could you please help me with some advice??? My largest tuber came up very late this year. As a result, it will have a very short time to regrow its tuber. Around here, near Rochester NY, the leaf of an A. Konjac turns yellow and dies in mid to late September. I would like to prolong growth for a few extra weeks but I as not sure what the trigger is that causes the plant to wither. Can you please tell me if it is the colder temperatures in the daytime, the colder temperatures at night, the soil temperature, the shorted days (light), the dimmer light, or something else??????? If you can tell me the answer, I will try to accommodate the trigger and hopefully get enough extra time to offset the late start. Any suggestions will be welcome! Thank you for your help. Craig

From: Duane Campbell <dcamp at epix.net> on 1997.09.01 at 21:02:51(1139) At 10:52 AM 9/1/97 -0500, you wrote: >I as not sure what the trigger is that causes the plant to wither. Can >you please tell me if it is the colder temperatures in the daytime, the >colder temperatures at night, the soil temperature, the shorted days >(light), the dimmer light, or something else??????? I am one of the least expert members of this list, but since you seem desperate for an answer, perhaps even a wrong one will suffice. First, I suspect day or night length has little to do with it. Since it is native to equatorial regions, I would imagine that it has little photoperiodic response. And the same with light intensity. I assume that temperature is involved. I used to store tubers and bulbs in one section of the basement. When we added on I started storing them in the new, cooler part, and this noticably retarded sprouting on many different kinds of tubers. Further, I often give flowering sized tubers of Amorphophallus and Sauromatum to unsuspecting friends, explaining its unique flowering habit but not passing on all the details of its bloom. We keep our house considerably cooler in winter than most, around 60 during the day, fifty at night. So when friends begin to get excited about the sprouting tubers (which I suggest they put on their breakfast table), I start getting almost daily reports back. Usually these tubers that I give away open their blooms before mine even begin to grow. I grow most of my larger tubers in gallon or two gallon pots. Smaller tubers that I am trying to size up are planted in the garden, where I just let them get knocked down by the first frost and dig them. Since the roots are rather coarse, I would think (but don't know for sure) that you could dig up the growing plant, pot it up, and move it inside to complete its cycle. I would do this before the nights start getting cool and giving it a signal you don't want it to have yet. I would happily be corrected by more knowledgeable growers. Duane Campbell dcamp@epix.net +More http://www.epix.net/~dcamp/

From: Riley2362 at aol.com on 1997.09.03 at 00:44:34(1147) Dear Craig, My answer to your question about dormancy cycles in A. Konjac is a bit obtuse, but it has been my experience that one can "awaken" tubers, i.e. break dormancy in the spring with gentle bottom heat. I did this a number of times when I wanted bloom for a March flower show, I would give the tubers bottom heat beginning in early to mid January and it always prompted them into growth. Given their early season, they tended to go dormant a little earlier in the fall. What this might mean for your tuber which started late, is that it will remain in growth longer into the fall to complete its cycle. I have also had the experience that if dormant tubers are left too cool and dry in the spring, they will stay dormant longer which would be consistent with my first statement. My only "danger flag" is when a leaf begins to go dormant to stop all watering immediately or there is danger of rotting the tuber, regardless of the time of year. Hope this helps - Michael Riley

From: hallsa at sirius.com (Steve Hall) on 1997.09.03 at 00:49:00(1148) Dear Aroiders, I too would appreciate a response to Craig Smith's question because I find myself in the exact situation. My konjac and bulbifer tuber remained dormant all summer, until last week, when they awakened and started sending up leaves. I too am worried that they will go dormant before the tubers can regenerate to any significant size. I live in San Francisco and the days are growing shorter and the winter rains will begin in about 2 months. On the other hand my sauromatum have been up since April and are now just starting to wither. Thanks, Steve Hall +More >Aroiders, > >Craig Smith sent me the question below as he did not receive any >responses from the list when he originally posted it. I cannot, with any >authority, answer Craig, except to recommend praying. But I want an >answer to this one also, because I have one Amorphophallus titantum tuber >that did not go dormant until late April of this year and remains dormant as >of September 1. >

From: Craig Smith <craigsmith at sprintmail.com> on 1997.09.03 at 12:56:44(1153) Michael, Thanks for your input. I'm not too sure what I'll do but I'd better decide soon, it's getting cold and darker here in Rochester NY. The tuber I hope to help along was 8 pounds when I planted it and 13 before the flower so I'd like to see it a little bigger rather than smaller. Craig

From: MJ Hatfield <oneota at ames.net> on 1997.09.04 at 21:26:03(1156) Michael, Be sure and let us know the results of which ever method you decide to use. +More MJ Hatfield

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