Jerry! You can pre-arrange and get as MANY as you like, I don't want to hold anyone back....I'm just as competent enabler as the next plantnut..er person. lol It's more of an exhibition/plant pick-up, than competition, right? lol Although I WILL have my 'people' ;) strategically positioned, ready to pounce when you reach for my stash...
The REAL competition as I see it, IS LariAnn & Brian. Both want to claim title to growing the BIGGEST ears in the U.S./world?? I say, Game ON! I can't think of 2 greater people I'd want to be vieing for the title! (Lari Ann, put me down for a couple small Borneo Giant X Robusta:)
Brian, I'm ALWAYS interested in your creativity! My big Pink China is on winter vacation, I potted up many corms/bulbets, I hope to grow out this winter. Next Spring some will go in the ground for good, and my hardiness trials begin. I really don't hope for huge growth, but if it will return with some vigor, I'll be happy as a clam.. My basement is becoming an indoor growing nursery, but that was inevitable.
how much sun for variegated macrorrhiza
Welll, I hate to have to say it, but I have the edge, being in south Florida. Unless Brian moves to this area, I will always have the longer growing season on my side. But it's just friendly competition and what matters to me is coming up with GIANT Ears that all of you can grow, not just me or Brian! That's what Aroidia is all about.
LariAnn and Brian keep up the great job you are doing. Because here at Dave's, we really enjoy seeing all the pictures you have and the knowing of what is coming in the near future.
I LOVE those huge EE's and really enjoy growing them. I think what I enjoy the most is when someone comes to my house and they just stand there with there mouths wide open staring at my plants. Asking where did you find that huge of a Elephant ear, or they ask what is that growing there? I also love it when my mail man makes a special trip down to my house to deliver the mail just so he can see what is growing. My drive way from the mail box is almost a city block long.
Also I like having plants that are hardy, so Brian keep working on that.
Just can't get enough ears, can we? Friendly competition, that's what I like - and you both know, we'll scarf up what ever you offer. I was thinking what you said about having the edge, before you posted, LariAnn, but Brian is brilliant at mimicing a warmer climate and there is a definate magical quality about him and his Kentucky Jungle... I didn't get to see everything when I was there, I'd expect he's still in the running! (I always root for the underdog). You're both winners as far as I'm concerned and we appreciate your work and determination to give us what we want in our gardens.
AuntB, You are right, I may not be able to grow the biggest EE's but I do love to see the pictures of every one else's so i can enjoy their big EE's.It's something to keep aiming for right? The nites are starting to cooler and the white flyes are getting bad. Jerry
I sort of expanded my EE's this year. was glad to find this thread, cause I wasn't sure how much sun for these guys either. They get some afternoon sun, and seem to be happy.
I gather then I should pot this up for the winter and put in the greenhouse?
Hi Linda...!
Rj
Love your picture rjuddharrison, is that one of my babies?
nooo...but I have a musa from you that is looking pretty fine after a year or so struggle.
Rj
I was wondering about you the other day Rj, nice to "see" you. I hoped you and Rox are seeing these HUGE plants LariAnn is posting... maybe I'm just stuck in my watched threads, I need to get around DG more, but us ear lovers really have some cool stuff to look at and forward to. Jerry, DON'T even whisper "white fly", I can't believe I typed it... JUST got a month long infest under control... I wasn't looking forward to supplying them a nice warm winter vacation destination in my basement. Really, I was so frantic, I even allowed myself to explore the possibility I may have to let the frost kill them along with my tropical hibiscus's.. but I dosed them with everything I could think of.... and removed fallen tree leaves and morning glory vines from the deck and sprayed it with Bug Stop.... darn critters, sure tested my patience and strengthened my endurance- I won :) . Now, if I get home today and they are back.......I'll have to blame it on you.. lol
I went crazy on the EE's this year.
Interestingly after this last years weird freeze, the Plumbeas I have came back with a vengeance, beautiful and blooming all summer long. They are blooming right now again. I need to start the winter mulching. Yes I'm perusing the huge EE's and learning some things.
You know what helped me with white flies..was the fly strips...I had to change them every 3 days they were so caked up with white flies...they are attracted to that yellow. It seemed to have broken the cycle. Had to watch the lizards though as it was a smorgasbord for them and had to hang them strategically.
Rj
I've used fly strips inside for fungus gnats... I will certainly give it a try outside... so the lizards get their little lizard lips stuck to the strip?..lol Really, you think the color yellow attracts the fly? I figured they just kind of smacked into the strip like a bird into a clean window.... I'm wanting BIG and hardy! Which is asking a lot for living in zone 5, but not impossible... I get canna to return every year so I'll be doing some experimenting in micro climates in my backyard with some of the "hardier" types, next winter. I'll plant them out next spring and see what comes back in 2009. Or, maybe I should just find a new job in zone 9 or 10 and move. I kind of went wild this year with ee's too, but it's a healthy addiction and not the only one I'm afflicted with.
AuntB, get back to the Aroidia Research EEs - something there you've gotta see. . .
Isn't it beautiful, she didn't give us a name on it, did she?
Yes...I wrote in my blog about which were the most effective strips, but concluded that the regular fly strips were probably best because I did have to keep prying poor little lizard feet off of the "made for white fly " strips..that were extremely sticky. They are attracted to yellow (and apparently not the only ones)
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/rjuddharrison/1923/
Scroll down past the seaweed diaries.and the quick reference plant nutrition charts, and you'll find my blog on "Battling White Flies with Fly Catcher strips" with links included to a couple of companies for further research. Also you may find the "Seaweed Diaries" interesting in your quest for less pests. Of all plants though I am careful about seaweed solution around aroids and will use very weak solution compared to the rest of the garden.
Rj
That Robusta has seemed to really be moving even sense I last saw it.
Here are my biggest plants for the season.
Here is my largest variegated Macrorrhiza
And a nice size Xanthosoma violaceum
Thanks for the link, Rj, I AM interested in seaweed . . I'm going right to the link... I started using seaweed this summer.. BRIAN! Those are HUGE! That little girl isn't short, either! I love the stems on X.violaceum, LOOK at the size of those trunks!!! So these go in the greenhouse for winter? And stay in those pots till Spring?? I'm in awe you can just dig them up and put them in that size pot... the trunk almost takes up all the room! Gotta love those fall chores, huh?