Mary,
Plenty of free manure down this way - you just have to get out into horse country a bit - they're dying to give it away.
Are you going to the RU, by the way? I've been looking forward to meeting you.
Steve
Who's got the biggest?
Brian, do you mean I should not have removed the burnt leaves? Thanks John
If you cut the flowers off the plant will produce more leaves faster. I would recomend leaving any burnt leaves on unless they have spidermites.
Thanks, Brian, it is to late for the two I just removed, but they were so ugly. It has not bloomed yet this year but had 6 or 7 blooms last year. John
i've heard i should leave my burnt leaves on, but never really understood why. could you please explain.........
Yes, please tell us about that. I've been cutting my ugly leaves off as soon as they start looking bad. I haven't had any blooms yet, but would love to have some seeds to try to grow out.
Here is my EE - last year it was much bigger, but had no rain this spring...
Leaf- 4Ft 8" & it is 9ft 2" tall- put my sis & golf cart for ref.
OMG!
Tried to get a good pic so the tape could be read, it is 3ft 11in x 2ft 10in and is 7ft 4in tall. John
Well with most plants If the leaf is still green it is producing food for the plant. In a few cases were they are covered in spidermits is about the only reason I will remove most of a plants leaves. As long as their is green it is using the suns light to feed the tuber.
Just a quick note for the 'northern' EE'ers.
Especially those of you who are new to EE's or The Tropical Forum.
Fear not about how your EE's are doing size-wise and please don't get discouraged. LOL
Brian and John are pros at big EE's and in Zone 7.
The others are in the deep South.
You will catch up but it will be a while.
Your best sized leaves aren't until mid September.
How about a Zone by Zone contest.
6 against 6, 7/7, etc.
It's all in good fun anyway so............
Ric (haven't had time to measure yet but have 7 spathes on the macro, three on 'Polly' and two on the odora)
Ric why not put som eof that polly pollen on that odora?? If I could I would.
Want to post a friend of mines' EE. Not a normal kind of ear - for some odd reason - his gets huge - and I can't get mine to do anything. I agree with Rox_Male above. We have to dig all of ours up and winter, where we only have the real growth during the summer months. This one is a real beauty (oh - it's his mom in the picture and she is a sweetie !)
It was impossible for me to hold a tape and snap a pic this morning but I measured the newest leaf and it is 4ft 1in long and is 8ft tall. will take a pic when my son comes home. John
I was going to email you and see if that could be done Brian.
I have tons of odora spathes.
Should I remove the male parts from the odora first?
Mine self seed pretty regularly.
Odora to Polly also?
Ric
How do you know when the pollen is ripe? I haven't had alocasia blooms but have had lots of caladium blooms. The male part of the stamen(?) doesn't seem to get powdery.
N2birds that is one of the largest Xanthosoma lime zingers I have seen very impressive.
If it produces pollen in most cases the female section will not be receptive. But you can put pollen on early If I have fresh pollen I will usually cut away a portion of the bottom of the spath to get to the female section and place the pollen. It would be best to put pollys pollen onto your Odora or macrorrhizas
I have a about 3/4" in a baggie of macro pollen in the fridge also.
I'll see if the Polly is ripe.....
Ric
Yeow, that's Lime Zinger!!! My little baby is tiny beside that, what do you feed it?
That is an AMAZING Zinger! Kudos!
The 'Polly' male flowers are spent.
It looks as if it's already setting seed also.
hmmmmmmmmmm..............I think we may have a paternity suit in the making.................
Ric
Here's my "giant" black magic. I actually thought it was completely gone to the cold of last winter, but one small offset managed to hold on and surprised me around the first of July with a small, but identifiable leaf. The largest leaf here is about 4". I wonder how big I can get it before the end of the season in October?
A bit larger, this is 'Illustris'. The red and yellow spots are actually from dappled back-lighting, though it does make a nice effect. I think I accidentally misnamed this one black magic on a different thread. The central leaf here is about 20".
Here is my largest Colocasia leaf so far for the year. It's just over 3 foot. I hope it will put out a few more monsterous leaves before winter comes.
I have been lurking and waiting....and admiring all the posts so far.
My Ohio EEs are never going to be the gorgeous giants of the south, but a few EE are getting large....
Tomorrow I'll take a measurement. SO I definitely encourage the non-tropical zones to post as well.
Also, as a way of honor to the one who started this thread and who inspires us to grow tropicals in non tropical zones... I will send one Pink China pup or one Big Dipper pup (both named by Brian) to the person with the largest Colocasia or Alocasia from Zone 6 or 7.
ROX
Great starts so far.
Remember this is a Marathon not a Sprint.
There are still at least 2 months of growing left so don't get discouraged.
I really haven't done any 'size only' growing for many years.
I've been more interested in learning about breeding and increasing my number of different Aroids.
All those interested in the Family Aracea I urge to join Aroid.org
They are tops!
Here's a shot from two years ago.
These were 2" tubers started in late May.
The largest measured 42" from top shoulder to point.
They weren't really ramped up at all. Just thrown and grown. lol
Ric (I have measured my Musa basjoo leaf. Biggist has a 55' blade.)
Rox and everyone else I am very glad to be a part of this group and I do enjoy answering all the odd questions and helping out as much as I can. Tropicals are my passion and I feel right at home here. I also plan to send the winner of this little contest a Alocasia Borneo giant. So hopefully with all thats on the line it will help promote a bit more fertilizer sales.
I had found it interesting that my father had done this contest years before and his memories of a 10 foot colocasia with 4 foot leaves sounds extremely interesting to me. We are trying to contact my fathers old friend who has exact measurement on his what seems to be record for the common Colocasia esculenta seen in stores.
I would be interested in seeing other froms and species that might not really make it but largest Black Magics always interest me Atlanta botanical garden had one around 7 to 8 feet tall around 3 to 4 years ago. As we came into the garden they began to cut it down for the season. It has sense been the largest black magic I have seen.
Here is a picture of big dipper over wintered now for 4 years here.
Not mine, this was made yesterday at our Botanical Garden. I couldn't get to it and didn't have a measuring tape any way, but using my friend for scale I would say the leaves were at least 5 ft.
Love your Big Dipper, mine doesn't get much sun and is still trying to get established. Hope next year mine will be bigger.
At the Botanical Garden, they have used these huge planters with colocasia and underplantings all along the water feature.
How pretty!
ill take a nother and use a ruler paul
Everyones EE's are so great and I have enjoyed all the pictures..This is my first year to plant one of these bulbs and so far 32" is the largest leaf I have but I could not take a picture and hold the tape too..I took this picture a few weeks ago so it has grown a taller since then and I sure hope they will come back next year. I know I see a bunch in other yards that do. But just in case I will cut a little pup off and bring it into the greenhouse this winter..Anyone have them come back in my zone..
Bugiha, where did you get those ears? I have to get some.
They're gorgeous.
Mine are getting along well too, they love this summer heat.
A. 'Chicago Harlequin'
dale, that is gorgeous! you always have the coolest plants. any idea where i could get some?
With hopefully 2 months more of growing season...here are some pics.
A. macrorrhiza. I have had this for 4 years. I overwinter as a house plant (it reached >7 ft last winter) and then plant it in the ground in the spring. The leaf is 36".
My biggest Colocasia are my Fontanesii.
Leaf 28"; plant 60" high.
[Same care as the A. macro, above]
ROX
That first one must be extra tall too...I notice you had to rent a crane and hang in the air to measure it.........
I love that Fontanesii. Mine set back terribly from a move. It's just now recovering. Does yours throw those 15' runners too?
Ric
Ric-
Yes. The Fontanesii runs through the mulch all over the place. Gotta watch where you walk!
ROX
Dale, that's Chicago Harlequin? They are beautiful! I've never seen them marked like that.