How much sun to you give your variegated macrorrhiza? Mine may not be getting enough. They seems to be leaning toward the sun.
how much sun for variegated macrorrhiza
That is sure pretty. I have never seen one before.
It is one of my favorite elephant ears.
Mine get some burn in full sun but they grow well in it. I would suggest full to part sun. In Floirda you may want it in a bit more shaded or partial sun areas. Epson salt seems to help keep it from burning as much.
In our zone the EEs go dormant, what's the best time to apply the Epsom Salt?
Rylaff,
May I ask where you found yours?
I think from Buried-treasure.net.
rylaff, This is my most favorite EE and the most difficult to raise for me anyway. They go dormant but they do'nt come back as big .My old macrorrhizas over wintered in green house keep getting bigger. The first one i saw was a picture in A.B. GRAF's book. It took me 10years to find one. Use verry little Epson salts and fertilizer on them in spring because they revert back to all green,well for me anyway.Then the new leaves will be variegated again.I love every one of these beautys as every leaf is different. Keep them tropical and Variegated. jerry
I'll have to see if I still have the picture of one I saw years ago. That plant was growing in a planter bed in a shadehouse in the Orlando, FL area, and it was well over 6 feet tall! I was completely agog when I laid eyes on it; never seen anything like it. Never seen one like it since then.
Also, a tip: plant tissue without chlorophyll (flowers, tubers, variegation, etc.) requires more phosphorus from the fertilizer. So if you want to keep the variegation, you need to up the phosphorus number on the fertilizer you provide them. In NPK, the P is the phosphorus. I had a variegated ginger that when fed with regular fert, was a pale green. I gave it some 14-26-6 and it greened up really well with bright white variegation. Try it and see what happens.
This message was edited Oct 8, 2007 9:31 AM
LariAnn, I have not seen this kind of fertilizer before what is the brand name of it? It is so helpful to have an expert to help us novices along the right aroid path. Thank you verry much. Jerry
Mine goes dormant in zone 9b also. Here is a picture of mine. I keep it potted and bring it in each winter. Otherwise, as Texasbigleaves said, it does not come back very large at all the next season. This year is the largest it has ever been for me and it's about 3 feet tall. Now since LariAnn's posting, I'm on a quest for a 6 footer. This is one of my favorites as well.
It does get a good amount of filtered afternoon sun. I was worried it would burn, but it seems to grow very well where it is, better then in full shade. Since I keep it in a pot, I can turn it when it starts leaning toward the light on one side.
This message was edited Oct 8, 2007 7:25 PM
This message was edited Oct 8, 2007 7:25 PM
OK, here are a couple of fertilizer options:
http://www.lesco.com/?PageID=27&ItemNumber=080411
LESCO has changed the formulation since I first used it (it's now 13-24-6), but the P levels are still where they need to be.
And Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster 15-30-15.
Watch out if you use these on Amorphophallus in mid-late season; the tubers will break the pots open! It's no joke; I've had it happen more than once.
Also, this evening (Monday, Oct 8), I found my old pictures of the giant variegated A. macrorrhizos. You'll all have to wait 'till tomorrow when I can get back to the office, scan them, and post them. It's worth the wait!
LariAnn
This message was edited Oct 8, 2007 7:51 PM
This is one of four pictures. The resolution is not great but remember, these were taken in the early 1980s with an inexpensive camera. I think, though, you can get the idea of what I was looking at!
Second picture in the group. Notice that there is more than one of the big Alocasias, and in the previous picture, there is also an Ae-Ae banana plant.
Here's the third picture. Look closely at them all and see what you can see there. The shade house is at least 8 feet tall so that gives you an idea of scale.
The fourth and "grand finale" picture. No words can describe this plant, just look at it in awe!
Here is a picture of one of mine fresh out of the GH in May of 2006
Here is another picture of it in July 2006
This is a picture of the same potted EE that was taken on 8-11-07. Since this picture was taken I have removed a lot of the pups and used them in trades.
Nice Pics everyone! (B clapping) I am a lucky recipient of Linda's pups.. I hope they get huge, but will be happy to keep them growing over winter and see what happens next spring...Thanks again, Linda! I usually don't feed my ears, unless it's well aged cow manure...
I read somewhere that the Variegated macrorrhize didn't like salt. But I am planting on using some Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster 15-30-15 on them.
I just can't bring myself to use any on mine... you are talking about next spring? Are you going to use it full strength?
http://www.centralfloridafarms.com/elephantearcare.htm
Stroll down about half way and see what they say about Epsom salts, under Helpful Tip.
I don't remember where I read that varieg. macrorrhize didn't like salt. But I sure need to re-educate myself on this. They are saying to use about a cup full each month on all EE's and bananas.
If I remember right it said the word salt. Maybe they weren't referring to epsom salt, but to table salt.
This message was edited Oct 9, 2007 4:49 PM
Here is a pup from 2pugdogs and a yellow splash from texasbigleaves. Thank you both.
Rita it is looking good. You are a good parent. I will have to take some pictures of my new babies that you sent me.
Thanks for the link, Linda, very interesting read, thx... I think they are talking about plants in the ground, that sounds like a lot of salts for potted ears... Rita those are beautiful. I love how white the white is and that splash is lovely too! .. Linda your variegated mac has family all over!
Did anyone see my pictures of the 6 foot variegated macs earlier in this thread? I thought they would be inspiring, but no comment makes me wonder if I'm the only one who can see them!
No I didn't see the 6 footer where do I go to see it.
Go back in this thread to right before you posted your first pic on 10/9; I have 4 pics there.
OH, LariAnn, YES I DID see them, I ruined my keyboard drooling..... , actually, I thought I posted a reply! "in a planter bed in a shadehouse" I NEEEEEED on of those! That plant is AWESOME! I'm surprised you haven't grown one like it.. Thanks for finding the pics and posting them... was it a private yard/ commercial grower? I could only dream of getting it big, like that. But we've determined they need to grow, not go dormant in winter to gain size, right?
It was in a small commercial shadehouse, and you are right, they need to keep growing to get that size. Being in a planter bed with nursery soil and fert helped too. Now I think I have the formula for growing really big Alos; I'm taking bids as we speak . . .!!
Only reason I haven't grown one like that is I need my space for breeding giants, and the variegated mac doesn't bloom, or at least I've never seen it bloom. Besides, that kind of variegation doesn't breed true.
Not for breeding, but just to see if you can grow it bigger....... I'm sure you have many projects working that give you more stimulation and excitement than growing a v.mac to largest you ever seen..... It seems kind of lost or forgotten in the shadehouse, I'd have to put up flashing lights and motion activated sirens or something...
Yep, you are correct; for example, right now I'm pretty focused on trying to grow the largest Alocasia robusta in the continental United States. It's probably big enough now to take the title, but I want to be sure I got it locked up tight, and especially for the BIG Ear Fest. I need to post a "progress pic" because it is already pretty impressive.
Ooooooooooooooh, yes, please, do post a pic of it.... Alocasia Robusta - Largest known specimen in the Continental United States can be viewed personally by appointment, at Aroida Research, somewhere on the backroads of Miami, FL. AND right here on the Aroid forum at DG- LariAnn's lockin' it up! How exciting! I'm needing to start my BIG Ear Fest at Aroidia shopping list... Ok, ready to be impressed, keyboard covered with plastic.
Keep your eyes on the screen this evening; if the weather permits; I think I'll start an Alocasia Robusta thread because I have other pics that show some of how I'm doing it, "before" and "after". (After all, don't you all want to grow your very own giant Robusta?) I've got to get "back to the ranch" first, though, as I'm not there now. Patience pays, speed kills!
The largest Variegated Mac I have seen was 6 to 7 feet tall in the conservatory at Fairchild gardens a few years ago. It has sense seemed to reverted to totall green now. It is not near as impressive as it use to be but I doubt anyone was really taking care of it. My var mac is around 5 feet at the moment though the one that is that large have less variegation than most the others I am growing.
As for the Robusta that Lariann is growing I would say it is the largest in the US. I have been to most every place that would be growing them and no one seems to have any over a few feet tall. I saw a nice 2 to possibly 3 footer at shelby botanical gardens. One was thrown out in a ditch in the front of Palm Hammock that was very impressive base but only had one leaf around 3 maybe 4 feet tall. It looked like it could do something but not sure what kind of attention it was getting. A few years back I believe Enid had some growing 2 to 3 feet tall. This was when everyone was crying for them.
Not to brag to much but I like to think I was one of the reasons this plant ever got over here. About 8 years or so ago I went to visit Dewey and he showed me a picture of a really nice robusta. I went crazy for it. At that time Peter Boyce was soon working at Melasian tropicals. I literally bugged them to death about this plant. I am not sure if all that bugging helped or not but soon after they seemed to have seeds and small plants availible. I have sense found that keeping my mouth shut may help keep prices down. I ran my mouth so much about a few plants that when they finally did start showing up the prices were very high due to everyone wanting it. I know this was the same for Philo gigas, Philodendron splendidum. I show a few friends the pics and ask everyone about it pretty soon everyone has it on their must have list LOL.
Lariann I have a question for you. What plant do you think has the worlds largest solid leaf? I have heard it could be Alocasia robusta , Cytrosperma merkusii, Other than that. The one plant I think takes the cake is this Xanthosoma species Croat had a photo of which looked like some cartoon picture. The way I recal the plant looked to be 15 feet tall with leaves 8 to 10 feet long and possibly as wide. I think I maybe getting a piece of the plant soon. I am paying a pretty insaine price for it so I hope it is the right species. The leaves get this same odd ruffling that you see in a lot of these larger plant like Colocasia Gigantea and Alocasia borneo Giant. I will try to bug Croat about it once he returns.
AuntB ,No time to make shopping lists. Time to put covers on greenhouses for winter. And start to thin out and make room for the new EE's from LariAnn at the BIG EAR FEST!!!! Jerry
I could get really cheeky, Brian, and say that the largest solid leaf is on whichever of those plants I'M growing, but I won't. I really want to see a pic of that Xanthosoma, but I still think the A. robusta is the leader, if only by a foot or so. I think that under cultivation, the Robusta could become even larger than in habitat, but that will take some real skill. Other than that, I'm planning on hybridizing the Borneo Giant and the Robusta and going for that record myself. Spring 2008 - be there or be . . .absent!
LariAnn, What ever AuntB bids for your formula fof growing big EE's I'll bid $1 over! Do'nt worry AuntB,I'll share with you!!! Jerry
Lari Ann, I'll be there with my camera, cotton sacks, and a really big STICK to fight off AuntB from getting more EE'S than me! HA HA Live music,m'ritas,meeting new friends,giant EE's and hopefully sunny weather.This will be better than Great!!! Jerry