Re: [Aroid-l] Growing arums in pots

From: DAVID LEEDY <djleedy at sbcglobal.net> on 2012.01.21 at 12:48:13(22515) Peter, I really appreciate your posts to Aroidl, as well as your book on Arum. As I continue, I will try to adapt my cultural procedures to those you suggest. I am now satisfied that growing arum in containers in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, is not a problem due to the cold winter weather. However, I am not sure if the long, hot summers will not prove to be the major obstacle I face. Although a bit unusual, last summer we experienced 59 days where the temperature was 100 degrees F. or above (37.78 C.). The night time temperature was 60 degrees F. or above ( 15.57 C.) and quite a few nights it was above 70 degrees F. (21.11 C.) during the summer. Any suggestions on how to keep the "resting pots someplace not too hot" and how to keep the resting pots [so that the planting mix] "do[es] NOT become excessively dry? David Leedy HTML +More --- On Thu, 1/19/12, Peter Boyce wrote: From: Peter Boyce Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Growing arums in pots To: "'Discussion of aroids'" Date: Thursday, January 19, 2012, 11:40 PM Hi Don, I grew a lot of Arum in pots in the past. You need to use deep straight-sided pots at least 12 inches, preferably 15 inches deep; the problem is that pots this deep tend to be very wide too, so you may have to shop around. Growing media for the Mediterranean species (such as those that you list) needs to have a good proportion of mineral soil and also should to be on the alkaline side of neutral (8.5 or thereabouts). I used to mix a proprietary peat-based soilless-potting medium with the same volume of good quality sieved topsoil. To every 10 gallons of this mix I would add a heaped 6 inch pot of 1/2 inch limestone chippings. Tubers need to be planted ca half way down the pot. I used to re-pot annually in late N Hemisphere summer (late August); by this time the tubers will be becoming active but there won't be much root growth. Plant and then water well and then don't water again until the shoots appear above soil. Arum are greedy plants and well-repay heavy fertilizing by producing larger tubers. I used to use a fertilizer branded for use on tomatoes. When actively growing I would fertilize on every watering and the manufacturers rate. Under glass Arum need a buoyant atmosphere and high light. Ventilate well on all but the very coldest days. The pots should also be given a fair bit of room between - too close together and the plants can become very etiolated and become prone to leaf fungus such as botrytis. Arum flower towards the late middle of their growing cycle. Some gardening books advocate easing back on water and ceasing fertilizer when the inflorescences appear. This is wrong. The plants still have a few weeks growing ability during flowering and it is at this time that nutrients from the leaves are absorbed by the tuber; curtailing the growing period can mean smaller tubers. I recommend that you keep the plants actively growing as long as possible to ensure a decent sized (or better still, more) tubers for the next year. Once it is clear that the plants really are dying back (most leaves yellow) stop fertilizing and reduce watering to just enough to stop the pot becoming completely dry. While the plants are dormant it is better to leave the tubers in the pot and not take them out. I experimented quite a lot of tubers of which I had an excess and can say that tubers removed from the soil and stored were always weaker than undisturbed tubers. It is also important that the resting pots do NOT ecome excessively dry. Despite the desiccated appearance of the Mediterranean countryside during summer digging down a few inches always reveals damp soil. Arum (indeed all Med. aroids) are always deep-buried in nature and certainly never become totally dry. It is also worth keeping the resting pots someplace not too hot and certainly not exposed to sun - again the soil in the wild is always cool at the level the tubers occur, no matter how parched the countryside. Hope this helps some Pete -----Original Message----- From: aroid-l-bounces@www.gizmoworks.com [mailto:aroid-l-bounces@www.gizmoworks.com] On Behalf Of Don Martinson Sent: Friday, 20 January, 2012 10:23 AM To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com Subject: [Aroid-l] Growing arums in pots I'd like to try growing some of the Arum species (A. dioscorides v. syriacum and A.creticum), but will have to do it in pots as I'm virtually certain they wouldn't be hardy in my climate. I have a cool greenhouse available in winter. Is there anyone else growing these (or similar) in pots that can give me some helpful hints (media, growing cycle, etc.)? Thanks, Don Martinson Milwaukee, Wisconsin mailto:llmen@wi.rr.com _______________________________________________ Aroid-L mailing list Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com target=_blank>http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l _______________________________________________ Aroid-L mailing list Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l --1944329922-1020716362-1327150093=:62582-- --==============H43764205624774774==

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