I guess that the Tropicals Forum is where the amorphophallus lives. . . . .
I have a konjac that grew nicely in its first year with me, in a pot in well draining soil. It made what I guess is a typical, triple-split leaf that was decorative and different. (I know it is a few years from blooming, which is another, challenging matter.) Anyhow, with temps dipping into the high 50's off and on for the last 2 weeks, the leaves are rapidly yellowing and giving up the ghost. I am thinking that storing the pot, letting it dry out in a cool but not freezing place, perhaps under the house in the crawl space or in a relatively cool room, would give it a proper winter rest. Or taking it out of the pot and storing it dry, like a caladium or elephant ear? Can anyone give me their experience and advice?
Peter
amorphophallus konjac - how to overwinter?
ooops... many many many thanks to you for reminding me that my konjac died down last week, and yet the pot is sopping wet thanks to the 2 days of steady rain we just got.
I would also like to know what the best thing to do is. Last winter was my first, and I dug it out, dropped it in a paper bag, and tossed it by the balcony door. That's the only cool spot in this apartment, but it get humid thanks to condensation. It was a bit damp when I potted it up in the spring and was a bit shocked when it sprouted without rotting :-)
Plants Delight's site says it hardy to zone 6.
http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/00783.html
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/51598/
This message was edited Oct 9, 2005 1:59 AM
I had one last year that did not make it in the ground, due to my heavy clay soil, I guess. Hence the pot. So this one has to come in. With zone 6, though, it would be fine in my garage. Or maybe I will pull it out of the pot, drop it in a paper bag under my shoe rack, or behind the toilet. (I don't have a balcony!) This sucker is tough, as shown in the field trials by keyring!
ah yes, I'm also a balcony gardener and corms, bulbs etc do not do well left in the pot on the balcony. It gets zero sun during the winter so if it snows, it takes about a week longer to melt away.
I have been growing these guys for a few years now and What I do is let the plant die down ... Dig them up and dry them off.. Then I store in a shoe box or tupperware box(Lid open to air not shut tight) Both of these filled with dry wood shavings .. the type bulbs come packed in or you would put down for bedding for a rabbit.. Ive got alot of them so I make sure to lay them in the boxes so that the bulbs arent touching .. want to keep the air flow between them.
These seem to do better when they are stored at around 50F or below into the 40s but never freezing. They can be stored at room temps .. but for me the bulbs seem to dessicate more easily and the bulb will come out of dormancy much earlier.
These are hardy down to zone6 and I have a friend who lives in zone 5 who seems to have no problems leaving his in the ground.. though he says they tend to come back smaller the next year. If you are wanting to try this .. I would make sure it is a spot that gets very very good drainage and plant the bulb below the frost line.. I would also make sure I had a few backups sleeping in the garage just in case the ones in the ground rotted.
anyway .. good luck all ..
Chris
Thanks for your thoughts, Chris, and your experience. I will keep mine cool.
I imagine your friend's returning konjacs come back from new offsets, not the original. That would account for their being smaller.
I am going to take it or them out of the ground later today. I wonder if we will have babies, or if it is still too young.
Peter
A. konjac is one of the group that needs a very well drained soil and heavy wet clay soil in winter can rot them.
I agree with the others that say you can lift them (I mostly grew them in pots with a light humusy mix.) and store them dry. Pot up when the shoot starts to grow.
There is a woman in Gastonia, NC (right next door, so to speak) that has a huge stand of them in her yard and she leaves them in the ground. I leave my Sauromatum guttatums in the ground with no problem at all.
You might want to look at this: http://aroid.org/genera/amorphophallus/amcult.html#
raydio.