[Aroid-l] Helicodicerous question

From: crogers at ecoanalysts.com (D. Christopher Rogers) on 2007.09.26 at 15:47:38(16338) Hello Leo! Helicodiceros likes a cool wet (but well drained) winter as prelude to emerging. What I would suggest is that you store the dormant tubers in your fridge. Phoenix just does not get cold enough for them. When the plants go dormant, I would move them to the air-conditioned confines of your home for a month. Then, dig up the tubers, wash them, remove any rot spots, let them air dry, dust them well with cinnamon (especially where there was any rot), wrap them in damp (well wrung out) long fibered sphagnum moss, and put them in the refrigerator for a month or two, or until you see new growth. Then plant them, again in the confines of your air-conditioned abode for a month or so, gradually moving them back out side. In the wild and here in northern California, they need about 6 to 8 hours of full sun. But with the intensity of the sun in your neck of the woods, I would use bright, reflected light or 60% shade cloth. I hope this helps. Happy days, Christopher +More D. Christopher Rogers Invertebrate Ecologist/Taxonomist ((,///////////=====< EcoAnalysts, Inc. (530) 406-1178 707 Dead Cat Alley Suite 201 Woodland, CA 95695 USA ? Invertebrate Taxonomy ? Invertebrate Ecological Studies ? Bioassessment and Study Design ? Endangered Invertebrate Species ? Invasive Invertebrate Species ? Periphyton/ Phytoplankton ? Zooplankton Moscow, ID ? Bozeman, MT ? Woodland, CA ? Joplin, MO ? Selinsgrove, PA www.ecoanalysts.com -----Original Message----- From: aroid-l-bounces at gizmoworks.com [mailto:aroid-l-bounces at gizmoworks.com]On Behalf Of Leo A. Martin Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 6:41 PM To: aroid-l at gizmoworks.com Subject: [Aroid-l] Helicodicerous question Hello All, I live in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, where it's really hot in the summer and winters are mild with occasional overnight frost. Excellent winter weather for mediterranean climate plants. We get some summer rain. I have (still, I hope) a Helicodicerous muscivorous in a pot. I bought a small tuber four summers ago and, that fall, potted it into a glazed ceramic container holding about 6 liters/1.5 gallons of soil. I used local soil dug from a dry wash, which is fairly heavy and almost all mineral. I put the tuber about 2 inches / 5cm below the soil surface. The first growing season it did nothing all winter even though I watered it regularly. It then produced two or three small leaves in late April, when it was already good and warm here (upper 80s F / 20s C). I kept watering it until the leaves died down in July. The next growing season I again watered all winter, but it waited until early May to produce only one or two smallish leaves. Temperatures then are normally in the 90s to 110 F / 30C-45C. It remained in leaf about a month, then went dormant. The next growing season I watered all winter. It produced about 10 nice, lush leaves, though not as big as I read they are supposed to be. It waited until late April. It went dormant in June. Last growing season I watered all winter. It made 2 small leaves in late April, and went dormant in about a month. Obviously the plant isn't happy about something. I don't understand why it waits so long to grow, why it made such good growth one year, then such poor growth last year. It's just turning fall here. Any suggestions? Should I repot the tuber now? Should I try a different soil mix? Should I fertilize a lot more? Thanks, Leo Martin Phoenix Arizona USA _______________________________________________ Aroid-L mailing list Aroid-L at www.gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

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