Amorphophallus Bulbs???

I got these from a friend last Fall and remember him telling me that they were some type of "aroid"- amorphophallus, I think. He said to just keep them in dirt and dry during the winter. Well, I never quite got around to putting them into dirt until today. They've been kept bare and exposed in a plastic cup on my bakers rack. I plopped t hem into dirt today(no water) when I noticed the little pink sprouts on all of the bulbs. Tell me, should I just put one bulb per pot or can I leave them the way I have them? When should I begin to water the bulbs? This is all so new to me, so I appreciate any help you all can give me. TIA,

GH

One tuber per pot! You may want a larger pot for the larger tuber. I usually wait until i see little roots starting around the pink sprouts I keep mine in paper bags and check on them every few weeks. Plant them in a well draining potting mix (I use miracle grow potting mix with extra perlite and cover them with about an inch or two of soil. were they amorphophallus konjack possibly? They are really neat plants.

Steve

Just to confirm what STeve said, yes, they look very much like A. Konjac, nice tubers, easy to take care of. Let me know if you need anymore info.
Mark

Thank you Steve and Mark! Yes, I do believe they are A. Konjac. He said when th ey bloomed his wife refused to come in the GH with him. LOL

GH

I'll have to go out and check on mine. When should it bloom (if it's big enough)?

GH, I dig mine and store mine winter over in the basement. The big one may bloom for you.... I plant mine after they bloom and the stem dries a bit so I can pull it off. It does have to do with size and age for blooms. I think the small ones will bloom in a couple growing seasons. I'm no expert, my uncle gave me 2 a few years ago. They are very interesting and unusual. I love the tree like look of it and the nice canopy they have. I'm posting a picture (taken a couple years ago) of the stinky bloom, which usually comes anywhere from March to the end of April into May. The tuber was about 10 - 12 inches across that year. Last year the tubers split and now I have something that looks like what you have, weird, huh? I did plant in pots last year,... wonder if that had something to do with them splitting? The first couple years I planted directly into the ground.... I love em, no matter.

It will let you know when to pot it up. It will start sprouting, if it is old enough, about the size of a baseball it should bloom. The bloom comes first, then the pretty foliage stalk.

I have one now that is almost the size of a basketball that has 2 sprouts coming out. I never saw 2 sprouts on one before. Mine ususally blooms late May.

Aunt B- I absolutely LOVE that bloom! Is that A. Konjac you have there? I want to know if mine will look like that when it blooms. Is that a swing I see off to the side? Did you sit out there when that thing was in bloom? :) I hope someone comes along who can tell us if the behavior differs from pot to ground. That is interesting.

Should I be watering mine now, that I see those little pink thingies sprouting from the bulbs?

Thanks~
GH

I dont water mine until i see the small white roots coming out around the pink but thin i plant them and water them.
Steve

Once planted water sparingly until you see growth break ground. pphil, mine was about basketball size last year. It grew multiple "trunks" and then when I dug it, there were a bunch of small bulbs.... The year before I planted in the ground and it had 1 big trunk, bigger around at the botton than a soda can. It was about 6 ft tall with a canopy just as wide.... I didn't like it splitting. But that's okay, they'll grow.
NO swinging while it bloomed (p/u). The stench only lasts a few days, I just keep it down wind. :) I believe it is a konjac.

I have one sitting inside looking at me. LOL It has a pink nub coming out the top. I've been trying to decide what to do with it. I had thought someone told me to put it on top of wet gravel until it sent up a bloom or stem then plant it? Soooooooo, if it has a pink nub now, I should go ahead and plant it in dirt? It's been sitting here dry all winter.

I left mine in its pot from last year and it started to pop up 2 weeks ago. It is almost open now. I was just going to leave it in the pot it was in and not even change the dirt. Is that ok?

How deep do you plant them? I have huge Amorphophallus paeoniifolius and need to plant it ASAP.

mine is just sitting. Do I need to give it more light? more warmth? move it to the sun (it's in a dark corner of my gh).

Linda, don't put it in direct sun. I'd wait for it to "nub" and don't water much till you see it break ground. I left one in the pot last fall, too, Kell (I let the dirt dry before I lugged it down there). I think they will be okay to just let grow. When I planted them in the ground, I plant them about as many inches down as they are tall....if the bulb is about 6 inches from top to bottom, I put 6 inches of dirt on top.

Revisiting....mine had a pink nub so I potted it. No sign of anything so I dug down in the pot. The nub after all this time is only twice as high as it was. Am I being impatient? The bulb is firm, no rot, should be warm enough.

I did the same thing, still only have a pink nub. How long before this baby starts growing?

I'm wondering too, the same thing is going on here.

So glad I'm not alone in my confusion. I have two paeonifolius in pots that have been sitting dry under the porch all winter. I dumped one out to repot and found that the tuber had a pink sprout so I replanted it and watered both of them. The one I looked at is about the size of a softball but flatter. This is my first experience with the tubers so I don't have a clue about what to expect. I found the plants at Home Depot last summer and did a big happy dance in the aisle. If either of them blooms I will be so proud! Actually, if they even come back up I'll be happy.

I just bought more of these and want to row them right. :)

Found this: The dormant tubers of the Amorphophallus species should be planted in late winter or early spring in the ground where weather conditions are favorable for it to grow outdoors year round, otherwise plant it in a pot and keep it indoors. The tubers should be planted four inches deep, and grown in warm, barely moist conditions with frequent watering that includes a balanced liquid fertilizer applied monthly during the rapid growing season. The larger the tuber is the greater the chance that the plant will bloom. From: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art10980.asp

A. paeoniifolius: http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2002/amorphophallus-paeoniifolius.html

WOW! http://exploraculture.blogspot.com/2006/03/amorphophallus-bulb.html

I've found they emerge VERY slowy in spring... I have one in a pot in the basement, no water all winter, it now has 2 (bud)bloom stalks (it'll be put outside..soon!). I stored some smaller ones dry out of the pot, too. They have the little pink nub... I will plant them all, once the blooms start to die back on the big ones. Just watch the spot or pots where you have them planted, don't let them be soggy. -AB

I think what I am finding confusing is that someone had said at one point, that they set them on top of pebbles with water until they bloomed (or left them dry) then potted them. I know some can leave them in the ground year round which would make that impossible. LOL I have mine in pots and am eagerly awaiting foliage! I don't think mine are big enough to bloom.

Holy Moly Badseed...that is one BIG HONKIN bulb!

They're up! They're up! Just poked through the top of the soil today!

Well the one I had potted still has not broken soil but the ones I got in the tropical co-op are doing something..................I'll know soon what that is poking through. LOL

I don't know exactly what's poking up either, LOL! I'm just thrilled that they're coming up at all. I was really flying blind with these last year.

Okay!! I'm pretty darn sure two of mine have sent up leaf stalks. LOL They are starting to unfurl. I'm going to move them out of the greenhouse and put them in the shade in front of the house later today. I'll have to get a pic!

I can't wait to see them Chele. I now have a little tit (don't know what else to call it) poking up and I'm thrilled. I was about to toss it and I'm soooo excited that it's alive. I have no clue what to look for with this as it's all new to me.

LOL Brinda! I always call them nipples! I refer to all the aroid growth tips that way.

I had thought I was waiting for a flower on the older one and leaves on the new ones. Maybe none of them are big enough to flower??

I was headed out to take pics but decided to make a list for something else first. Good thing I did as we just had a glorious rain storm which just cut down on some work for me! LOL I'm happy I did not take my month old camera out there with me!

Oh! I need to email you too! And I will before I forget. ha!

Here is a picture of my four new babies from the tropical co-op with Buried Treasures.

Here are the two that are going gangbusters, from the top.

Nice pics Chele! Aren't those we got from the co-op the Voodoo lily? Mine are growing great, but not as big as yours.

Yes! They are from the co-op! I hope I can winter them over and have big smelly blooms next year. LOL

I have leaf stalks too. No blooms this year but that's ok. I'm just so happy that they survived the winter!

Remember my pics from above?? They got new homes! http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/733966/