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Post by esther on Oct 8, 2011 16:27:10 GMT
What do I do with my Colocasia now ,please? It was planted very late,has 3 leaves and is in about a 12" pot at the moment  |
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Post by steve on Oct 8, 2011 17:00:35 GMT
Is it the normal green esculenta Esther? I let it dry out, the leaves will die off and the bulb goes dormant until next spring, I store it under the staging until then |
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Oct 8, 2011 17:01:58 GMT
Steve has been growing them longer than me so he is prpbably the best one to ask.
I have read up on overwintering them and it says they like to be on the dry side, and above 6 deg C or it may go dormant and the plant collapses. If this happens dig out of the pot and store the rhizome dry until spring. Then start in to growth again using bottom heat.
I am going to stop watering mine and keep them as warm as I can. Black Magic is the hardest to keep over winter, I was doing well with mine last year until we got that very cold snap and I couldn't keep it warm enough, I didn't know about digging the rhizome up so it rotted. Mine was still very happy at 3 degrees.
Both of mine are over five feet tall and as wide. I wanted to put them in my heated greenhouse but they would fill it, they are too big to bring into the house so they will have to take their chance in the conservatory.
Both are still growing so I will wait a while before I stop watering them, I was going to stop when the temperature drops below 10 degrees.
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Oct 8, 2011 17:02:46 GMT
I just don't type fast enough ;D
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Post by steve on Oct 8, 2011 17:53:29 GMT
You are right if you can keep it warm enough it can slowly grow through winter in leaf, it's the only way I have ever kept 'Black magic' through winter on a bedroom windowsill (as a small offset) it doesn't seem to make a bulb of any size to dry off
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Post by esther on Oct 9, 2011 4:31:35 GMT
Thankyou both Yes - it is the green one Steve - I will do what you say |
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Oct 9, 2011 8:58:48 GMT
When do you stop watering yours Steve? It would be a lot easier to let my large ones die down over winter. I was going to try to keep them going because I thought letting them die back might harm them.
All the babies will come into the house over winter, I doubt if they have formed tubers yet.
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Post by steve on Oct 9, 2011 9:37:46 GMT
I keep my greenhouse just frost free (with bubblewrap inside) so they die down from now to about end of Nov naturally due to the colder temps, while they are in leaf or growing I'll water but reduce the watering as the growth stops or dies off
You can remove the bulbs altogether similar to dahlias if you prefer, I leave them in the pot they were growing in over winter but it has to be dry or in Spring you have a ball of white smelly mush ;D
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Oct 9, 2011 13:54:49 GMT
It will be interesting to see what the tubers look like. My two plants grow very differently. Black stem has one main plant with one off shoot. It produces lots of runners.  Black Magic is a clump of stems.  |
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Nov 2, 2011 16:40:25 GMT
I had a look at both of my large ones today and both are still growing new leaves so I shall keep up the watering of those until they show signs of slowing down. I have six baby Colocasia which I will bring into the house over winter, how wet should I keep them indoors? Should they still be kept very wet or should I keep them damp or almost dry?
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Post by steve on Nov 2, 2011 17:51:07 GMT
Let them dry out between waterings WF |
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Nov 2, 2011 17:57:51 GMT
Thank you kind sir. I had an inkling you would know  |
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Jan 25, 2012 21:10:57 GMT
My ‘Black Magic’ started to go a bit mushy so I took it out of the compost, I have quite a few corms of varying sizes, the largest is about the size of an orange. The corms are solid.  The ‘Black Stem’ is still in full leaf. |
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Post by Lou78W on Jan 25, 2012 21:15:02 GMT
They look ok WF......they are a root vegetable in some countries. Our local GC have some for sale.... but at £8.99 I thought they were expensive when you can buy a plant with quite a few leaves for a few quid more  |
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Post by steve on Jan 25, 2012 21:59:08 GMT
They all look healthy WF nd should get through the winter ok |
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Sept 6, 2018 17:58:08 GMT
Sept 6, 2018 17:58:08 GMT