IAS Aroid Quasi Forum

About Aroid-L
 This is a continuously updated archive of the Aroid-L mailing list in a forum format - not an actual Forum. If you want to post, you will still need to register for the Aroid-L mailing list and send your postings by e-mail for moderation in the normal way.

  Overwintering alocasia and colocasia
From: ken at spatulacity.com on 2004.08.15 at 17:29:30(11982)
For those of us in northern US states, the Amorphophallus are attractive
for two reasons - their flower and form, and the fact that most of them are
dormant in the winter so they're easy to store. Like many of us, I grow
many more plants in the summer than I could ever house over winter.

Now that I have a number of Colocasias and 5 Alocasia macrorrhizos I want
to make sure I can overwinter them. I believe I read that the A.
macrorrhizos can be dug, cut back, cleaned of dirt and stored dormant. Is
that true?

+More
From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at msn.com> on 2004.08.15 at 17:55:33(11984)
>From: ken@spatulacity.com
>Reply-To: aroid-l@lists.ncsu.edu
>To: Aroid list
+More
From: "Harry Witmore" <harrywitmore at witmore.net> on 2004.08.15 at 20:20:15(11987)
I have over wintered both types of Colocasias. What I always do is dig
them up and place the entire rootbal with soil and place it in a trash
bag. The bag then goes under the house for storage during the winter. It
works great.

Harry

+More
From: <plantguy at zoominternet.net> on 2004.08.15 at 22:30:21(11988)
I have also had no problems overwintering the Colocasia and Alocasia that
form large tubers here in zone 6a. I simply dig them up and let the leaves
completely dry back and toss them in some peat for the winter in my
basement. Us northern gardeners do this for lots of tropicals, including
Curcuma, Crinum, Canna, Dahlia, etc. It's just the cost of doing business
in the northern climate zones. For those that do not form large
tubers.....illustris, Nancy's revenge, etc. you should keep them growing in
front of a window or under a grow light if possible. They may end up going
dormant, but will likely pop back up next spring. Best of luck, Dan

Dan Devor

+More
From: ken at spatulacity.com on 2004.08.16 at 00:29:01(11989)
Thanks, Julius. I dug some of the new colocasias and they were not
tuberous at all - no corm to overwinter like an Amorph.

I'll try to overwinter one of each in pots in my big sunny living room.
Some others I've already dug chopped and boxed for the flight to FL on Friday.

You're right about the greenhouse - except I *do* have one, a big one
(23x52 feet, teak and glass)! Unfortunately it needs quite a bit of
restoration. I hope to replace all the glass with polycarbonate this fall,
but it still isn't heated. Last year I had extensive concrete repair, this
year I had to have a new roof on the headhouse and a proper seal between it
and the greenhouse - very expensive! Heat maybe next year... It seems
there's always something to spend money on!

-Ken Mosher

+More
From: "Bamboo Chik" <bamboochik at earthlink.net> on 2004.08.16 at 13:22:09(11993)
Do you punch some air holes in the bags? What is your climate? Rot would
set in here in my AL zone 8 because of our irratic temp. swings during the
winter yet I have to dig because of voles. ..b.f.n...deb

> [Original Message]

+More
From: "Harry Witmore" <harrywitmore at witmore.net> on 2004.08.16 at 13:43:35(11994)
I don't tie them up tight. I'm in Zone 7 NC. I have done them this way
for years and hardly ever loose any to rot. Of course many can stay in
the ground here in the winter also. It stays no lower than 40 under my
house. I also do bananas this way but no bag just toss them under there.
+More
Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.