This was in the Roanoke Times (Va.) Quite interesting...
http://www.biol.vt.edu/greenhouse/amorphophallus.htm
Have you ever seen anything like this? "stinky"
There is one blooming in the U.K. too. I have an aroid with a stinky bloom but it won't get that big.... (I hope?).. Those are really amazing!
Truely amazing. The smell must be herrendous. The article in the paper said that the woman tending to it had parked 100ft. from the greenhouse that morning & smelled it when she got out of her car!
I would imagine so. I have amorphophallus konjac and had to move it off the porch this spring... nice day out, had the front door open and "pew-ee", had to move it.. but the Titan is so big, packs a lot of pew-eee! I hope to see (and smell) one in person someday.
Fascinating, thanks for posting. Wonder where she got pollen and if she'll get seeds?
B, I have Konjac that was given to me this summer. It has the 'tree' now. I'm guessing that I should just move it to the gh this winter. I don't keep my gh much above 38-40. Will this be warm enough or do I need to bring it inside? What should I expect? I'm guessing again that the plant dies back to nothing, then the flower comes and goes, then the tree. Like I said, this is my first experience with an amorph. Any guidance will be appreciated.
Va. Tech. has access to almost anything. The article in the paper didn't say anything about where she got the pollen or if she'll get seeds, but I feel sure there will be seed collecting. There might be something online @ roanoke.com (the paper's website). The article was in the Aug. 8th issue.
Linda, the major concern in winter is moisture. It will rot the bulb. Is it potted or in ground? Mine was in the ground last year so I dug it up, I waited till the frost knocked it down, cleaned it off with the hose and let it dry for a couple days. Then just stored in my basement. In your zone, you can leave them in the ground, providing you have excellent drainage. As long as they don't freeze I THINK 38-40 would be fine. I potted mine this year, cause it was too scary digging last year; I didn't want to slice into it and have it rot. Got a couple little bulbs, too and volunteers this year. But it is to chancy for me to leave the parent bulb in the ground. Hope to have some to trade later this fall. -B
Thanks B, mine is in a pot. Can I just bring it in the gh or does it need to be dug and cleaned? I have a small one coming up next to the larger one. How should I treat that? Separate them this winter or leave 2 growing together?
A. konjac is reliably hardy in zone 6 if it's planted in well-drained soil... I have three plants I planted on a slope in a mixture of the native soil and pea gravel (mostly pea gravel, though), and hopefully they'll do just fine.
I would probably plant them in the ground in your zone. And I would separate them out of the pot, will get crowded if you leave them. Or, dig and separate this year, plant the little one out and store the big one till you see how the small one does over winter. Just so the bulbs don't freeze or stay wet. Hope I'm helping Linda, remember I've only had mine a couple years, and just my knowledge from my uncle, surfing the net and garden forums. Hikaro, how deep did you plant? My uncle said about 6 inches...
Thanks B, yes that's a big help. Hope the larger one blooms next spring.
I'll keep my fingers crossed, I bet it does!
they have had one blooming in Brooklyn today also... at the botanical garden here.. they had a webcam to watch it unfold.. Gordon
http://bbg.org/
That is sooo...cool! The webcam is a perfect idea.
Thanks Gordon, very cool, I do want to see one in person someday.
AuntB did yours smell as bad as they say? how long does the smell last? thanks for posting...what an interesting plant. are they hard to find?
Hi,
just thought I let you know, I posted my pictures of the BBG Titan Arum flower over at the Aroid forum this morning.
Ursula
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/639221/
Cool! Thanx!
Ashelykelly, I don't have titan. I have konjac, and yes they smell bad, kind of like dead mouse, if you've ever been so unfortunate to smell that, but just for 2-3 days. I don't think they are common like a tulip bulb, my uncle gave me two and I think I get a few baby bulblets each year. It probably takes 2 or 3 growing seasons before they bloom. But the foliage is cool.