ee in standing water

We have just had major rain fall! My ee's are in new giant pots that apparently don't have drain holes because there is standing water in the pots! Help, I am guessing this will rot the bulb, but this is the first year I have every tried to do ee's.

Thanks
Joyce

Some EE grow in standing water, others don't. A photo would be helpful.

If you have a drill and a concrete drill bit you can put holes in you containers. If you want them in the bottom of the container you need to tip it on its side and drill. Or you can always drill a series of small holes at the base of the container, like the black plastic nursery pots have.

You have a real challenge, good luck.

They are not leafed out yet, but have roots. One I bought at walmart and it is called elephant ear mammoth, I don't even know if that is a 'real name'. The bulb was round bigger than a softball. I have very small sprouts coming up, but no leaf.
The other one I bought at the flower lawn & garden show in Feb I don't have any growth yet. The bulb was huge, weighed alot and more oblong and it looked what reminds me a palm tree where I am guessing they had cut the leaves off. I know this is a terrible description but I can't find the tag anywhere. The last one is Colocasia Esculenta Black Magic. Thanks for you help to a new grower of ee's.

Joyce

hg,
How concerned are you, about losing your new bulbs?

How about erring on the side of caution-removing them from these pots,, and replanting in the ground , or other pots with sufficient drainage?

Then, next year you would have some offsets to experimant with- or would have ID'd the plants on DG, for proper growing requirements.

That's just me, tho-as I ,personally, wouldn't want to lose them.

The standing water doesn't allow oxygen to the roots. Running water (like on the side of a stream),supplies the oxygen.

I was surprised to hear Dale say that some EE's can grow in standing water. I learn something new on DG every day.

Sasha

http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=elephant+ear&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

I know that some EE's will grow with the bulb under water and some won't. The best bet is to transfer them to containers that drain or get holes in the pot their in within the next few days. Another problem with containers is that the water can get stagnant (no oxygen) and that means rotting bulbs.

I grow just one EE Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Variegata'. It is in a regular clay pot, but, I have it in a tray that I keep filled with water. It is always wet at the bottom, but, not around the bulb and it grows like a weed, even without fertilizer.

Here is a photo from Plant Piles by CalifSue of a Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Variegata' growing in a greenhouse in SanFrancisco, if you look carefully you can see it is growing with the bulb under water, but, it is a pond with a fountain so the water is always 'fresh'.

Dale, what a beautiful leaf. Ok, I am drilling holes as soon as I end this. These are my first attempts and I don't want to lose any of them. I paid probably too much for the one I bought at the lawn show and I sure don't want to lose it.

Thanks,
Joyce

I had the same thing happen last year and mine ended up growing out fine, they actually seemed to enjoy it. But it's probably not worth the risk... drilling is a good option just in case.

Joyce, EE's are little more than weeds here. They grow wild all over the state, many different kinds, but, always near water. Some in road side ditches, others along rivers and streams. The 'desirable' ones never grow wild tho. We have to pay for them too.

I went over to Disney's Epcot, $75 to get in to see the flower show they have in early summer>

Wow, did not kow Disney had a flower show, that would be a great trip. I bet it is beautiful. Can you purchase plants? Well, I went ahead and drilled holes. Because I plan on moving the ee's in this winter I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that. I am excited to watch them grow. I have 3 black ones but the bulb is really small and I am not sure they are going to do anything (and they weren't sitting in water). I probably should of purchased a better bulb.

Thank you for your help. Would love to live somewhere you could garden all year. I can't even imagine.

Joyce

All the theme parks have large beds of bright flowers>

To dazzle the tourists

They sure look good

Some are subtle

Some are pretty LOUD

It is nice to see what a big plant budget can do.

If they offered me a job I would take it.

what great pictures. Love those "trees" in the last picture, how fun. Wouldn't it be great to play in plants all day long with a major budget....sometimes it just amazes me how I love to be in my garden.

Winters are really bad no fun outside, so I am having a garden room built a place to grow and putter around.