What is this

Thanks popper. Now what sort of soil mix do you use? And do you fertilize?

I mix my own media but you want something acidic & fast draining. A peat-pine bark mix is good with sand, perlite or something that will help with drainage. It should be something that retains some moisture but isn't soggy. You want to be able to keep it evenly moist when growing.

Fertilizing is important; to increase the size of their tubers Amorphophallus are heavy feeders. And if you want any chance of ever having a flower you need to get the tuber BIG. I use a variety of high quality fertilizers, both organic and chemical, solid and liquid. I am sure fertilizer brands are different in Australia, just don't get something cheap. A weak liquid can be used every week or two when growing. Organic is best added early in the growing season. And obviously don't fertilize when dormant.

On a related note-I grow lots of Australian stuff, you guys have awesome natives over there. Many of them must have little or no P. That is the opposite of these guys, they need it as P is important in tuber size.

david

The whole continent is P deficient, but we do have a lot of U (maybe explains the weird range of plants and animals, not to mention the third eye in the foreheads of some people, LOL). High P will kill a lot of our natives so it's a bit of a balancing act in gardens where you mix plants from all over the world.

Often wondered about A paeoniifolius as it's a native also but web sites recommend high P. Mine don't get anything. But they don't get the stink that I keep reading about in other countries. I wonder if that has anything to do with P.

My large paeonifolius is being evicted from its large pot to make way for the titanum which is about 6 years old. I'll throw some pine bark into the mix, the fertilizers I mostly use are liquid seaweed or fish emulsion which are organic and not very strong.

Thanks for all the advice, I'm trying to make sure I have all things covered. Titanums are from just over the other side of the equator from here. Hope it feels at home.

My yard is sand. Once they go into the ground in my yard, they are there until I decide to move them to another location. They go dormant and come back on their own. I don't do anything special regarding watering. If something in the area needs watering, I water and so far it hasn't bothered them. Every year I have more and more come up!

Here is a picture of my amorphophallus bed. The titanum is all the way in the back in the upper left hand corner, right underneath the copyright.



This message was edited Jul 17, 2009 10:55 PM

Thanks. Hopefully I'll be able to put up a photo of "my" titanum in a couple of months, we're half way through winter now. The other one on the left looks like a paeoniifolius. What's the dark coloured one?

This is a photo of a clump of paeoniifolius growing out bush. Have been watching them for a few years now while driving by. Forget about them until I see them above the grass.

the darker one is A bulbifer

Happ, I think I'm the "trader"... I will have more this fall.. my daddy bulb is about the size of a basketball. Glad you had fun.. very cool plant but kind of weird.. I love them.

(((((((Bonnie))))))))) Glad to see you! These plants are quite fun. Are they hardy outdoor for you there? Kim's is hardy in her Pennsylvinia garden, I think. Mine are hardy here, and I was wondering how come they're posted on tropical plants.

((((((Lily_love!!)))))) Hi!! I do have them still volunteering where I had my big ones in the ground about 5 years ago... I'm just too chicken to leave my big daddy's ones out there.. and I like to SEE the bloom in Spring. They bloom in Mar-Apr and if outside it would get frozen. I think they are very tropical-looking. Mine are slow this year (oh, maybe it's me) I have 2 big ones in a half whiskey barrel with some annuals.

Anyone and Everyone plse feel free to post your question here. I am learning so much about all of them.

Never dreamt they are hardy here! That is a surprise, but like AuntB said they would surley freeze the bloom if they bloom around here in Mar-Apr.

I have had a ball watching it grow and not having a clue what it was. Wish I was more organized cause I know AuntB sent me a tag.....but I am not and have come to acknowledge I never will and accepted it!

I have not fertilized it yet and it is still in a small pot, course I think it is potted in Miracle grow potting soil. Size of a basketball, holy moly!!!! Did you repot to bigger size pot slowly or did you pot it in a big pot from the beginning?

They're thought of as tropicals because they usually come from tropical climates. Going dormant allows the plant to withdraw deep into the soil and that avoids freezing which would definitely kill it.

Course I posted on the tropical thread because I didn't have a clue what the plant was and it didn't look like anything I had ever seen here in the midwest.....LOL I figured if no one responded I would try another thread until I found the correct one.

Happ, thank you for posting this thread. I'm learning along with you. :-)

Lily, feel free to ask anything you can think of, cause if I don't know I can't ask it.....LOL

Thanks Happ, when I purchased mine, it was marked Armophophyllus, but didn't specify which kind. So to me it's just plain "Voodoo lily". Here in my zone, I left the bulb/plant overwinter outdoor one winter, thereafter, I bring them indoor and they multiplied rather rapid. I learnt recently I need to fertilize them more than what I'm used to in the past.

AuntB talking about the size of a basket ball.....outrageous!
I had seen them for sale but honest was never interested, now is another story....LOL

Happ, ABOUT the size of a basketball... (I got pics from last fall...somewhere).. a kind of deflated.. flattened a bit basketball... they are kind of creepy looking when their canopies are just popping up, kinda like a chickens foot or something.. (anyone, please feel free to describe it).. I've learned some weird stuff about them by trying them in different spots and growing conditions.. The volunteers are coming up about 4ft from my south foundation.. I planted one there the first year my uncle gave 2, one small (flattened baseball size;) and the big daddy one that was about cantelope size.. I planted some out in my south property line last summer but, they didn't return this year, I will try again, only plant deeper. I've left them potted in winter in my basement.. (be sure to allow the soil to dry out) but I also like to store them bare. The bloom stalks were over 5ft tall this spring and for the first year... not TOO stinky. In some zones, they may be considered invasive, but for me in zone 5 they are like Kansas Palm trees. The trunks remind me of snakeskin. I have one (can't remember the name) that is kind of a blue color, not near as large a grower as Konjac but I bought it for the color... Tony Avent at Plant Delights has a great selection and I think DG's BWilliams of Brian's Botanicals has amorphs... I hope to have Konjac Konjac to share this fall. I put some young ones in a pot with coleus this year. (Missy kitty in front of amorph pot) I've learned too that feeding a bit helps the bulbs but they will grow and reproduce without special attention.

AuntB, I was 'honing in' your pretty kitty cat and the many buds of your angel trumpets. :-) This was my original 'Konjac' (?) that I purchased back in 2006, it flourished outdoor just fine for me here. Since this big daddy, I now have many offspring. I highly recommend these unusual looking plants. They're so much fun to grow.
http://davesgarden.com/tools/blog/viewimage.php?did=30438

Lily, like you I got side tracked by the okra growing on the brugs....LOL

Lily, that is an wonderful pic.

AuntB, Can't wait until mine grows up....that has to be too cool to have in the garden. Do they need protected from the wind? I haven't brought mine out because I started it in the garden room and now I am afraid it will be too weak to stand up to the winds.....sides it seems happy and I am terrified I am going to do something to hurt it.

Need to go look at the other web sites and check these guys out.

They are very resilient to the wind.. their roots form on top of the bulb where the "trunk" comes out and they support the plant.. I've had them in the blue "brug" tubs and never had one topple, even with brugs blown over beside them.. I love them mixed in with all my other plants. Thanks on the brug buds... 6 ready to pop right now, including MW-so exciting out there. I posted a pic of the daddy one in the ground on the Aroid forum a few years ago, it was almost 6 ft tall with a canopy spread the same.. very eye catching and easy for the punch it packs. Not sure about it's strength being inside Happ, but I think I'd try to move it out for some sunshine. Pick a "cooler" day and shade... then slowly acclimate it to more sun and wind over the next 5-7 days.. seems like a lot of babying... hey IF you lose it, I can bring you lots more...(it would probably just go dormant or shoot up another trunk) I agree with Lily, so much fun- highly recommend it if you like tropical-looking/unusual plants...even if it isn't hardy to your area.

I have been MIA for awhile getting things done around the farm. Decks painted, bunk house painted, etc. GH passed a surprise inspection yesterday. I decided to check in today and WHAT A WONDERFUL SURPRISE..AUNT B IS BACK.
My dear friend, I have missed you terribly. I hope you are well and having a wonderful summer. A special Hug for you is sent herewith. JB

JB!....OOOX I think of you often... I am well after MIA from DG, :) Sounds like you've been busy, too! So glad we are back, I will D-mail you after the weekend.. (lots of company coming) and we will get re-acquainted :) I'm SO happy to "see" you again!
Great Amorph in the pot with my "blue" Atroviridis.... 2 more stems emerging!
I will post a pic of it in the PF after the weekend.

What neat looking dark leaves Amorph. AuntB, what variety is that? I've several little ones coming up in this pot after the big ones faded out.

AuntB, what a tropical paradise you have created in the Kansas, go figure. That is so cool, love it!
Beautiful Amorph!

Well, I'm glad I read this thread. I have seen this plant before but never paid any attention to it because I have heard it stinks! LOL! But now that I've read the discussion and seen the beautiful trunk, I'm going to have to add to my 'want' list - although I don't think I need another tropical plant right now. :)

Lili, LOL I understand completely. The more I have read the more interested I have become....LOL I can tell you I love the leaf that is growing in my garden room, and it huge yet, but it is beautiful with its spots, and the split like fingers of the foliage.

I love unusual plants. I just think it's so cool to have something interesting. I have a sunroom but to see the amount of plants I dragged in last winter - oh my goodness. If the plant is borderline for my zone, I keep one and plant the other on in the ground. :)

Lili, these 'lilies' are completely hardy in our zones. lol. I kept mine in containers because I've critters in the garden that may dig them up. They grow prolific here and multiply like rabits. lol.

Yeah! I have alot of wildlife here too - rabbits, deer, chipmunk....

AuntB, what plant is the one on the right side of the voodoo plant,the one with the large green leaves? All your plants are beautiful.

Here is one of my 4+ pound, 7 inch diameter Konjacs. For reference I am 5' 8" tall.

The corm is planted 4-5 inches deep.

Tommy, the trunk of your tree looks different than the one Aunt B has. Does it gets fatter if they are older? It seems that Aunt B's Konja's trunk has more spot on it.

There are numerous varieties of Amorphophallus with different trunk colors/motteling.
Mine is a Konjac.

I want the one that AuntB has with the spots. AuntB, can you tell me what you have there - the same one as happgarden.

Tom, yours is impressive!!! Wow, has that one in the pix ever made any flowers?

Not yet Lily but I hear the corm is about the right size so maybe next year!

Thank you, for sharing the picture with us. Thanks everyone for the thread.

OMG Tom, that is huge! How fun, I can't wait until mine grows up. Course I need to repot it to say the least, never dreamt that little tiny thing I planted would get that big!

I have one that I recieved in a trade. It was dormant at the time, but developed a new one as it woke up.

It was labeled as Konjac, but I Googled and it more resembles the bulbifer.