In this, the second part of my “Elephants Ears” blog, I’ll explain how you can “grow your own” from corms available at many stores selling tropical foods.
(The best stores to try are Asian, Caribbean and Oriental.)
This is an inexspensive way of buying them if you just want to try your hand at growing them, or if you want to fill your garden with them without spending a fortune.
The corms in the picture cost me £3.50 the lot.
The varieties featured here, are just the plain common or garden type that you can buy from most shops.
However, depending on where the corms have been grown, you could end up with a novelty, its pot luck.
The corms featured in the picture, are as follows, from L to R.
Xanthasoma Violaceum "Blue Taro,"(X.Sagittifolium the true “Elephants Ears” has a white/cream or sometimes pale pink corm.) These are also called “Cocoyam.”
Next is Colocasia Esculenta v esculenta also called “Dasheen.”
The small corms are Colocasia Esculenta v antiquorum also called “Eddos.”
Examine the corms closely; only buy those that are firm and solid.
Reject any that have cuts or abrasions or show signs of mold, fungal growth or slime.
Finally, corms are sometimes sold with the growing point trimmed off.
This is pretty common with Dasheen, so try to buy the corms intact.
Once you’ve bought your corms, put them into pots only slightly larger than the corm itself and with the growing tip level or just above the surface
Any compost will do for this as it’s only a temporary home.
One important point, the compost must not be wet, just and only just moist.
The reason for this is that dormant corms are susceptible to rotting and wet compost encourages this.
Keep compost on the dry side.
We now come to the tricky bit, getting the corms to sprout.
The secret of achieving this is heat, 70f minimum for 24hrs a day until signs of growth appear.
(Trying to get these to sprout is the only time I’ve ever felt the need for a propagator.
Unfortunately, with some of the corms being quite large, once potted up you wouldn’t get many in a standard sized propagator.)
The next best thing is a warm airing cupboard and this is where I started mine.
Before you put them in the propagator or cupboard, give the surface of the pots a light spray with fungicide, this should give some protection against the possibility of fungal growth.
Check the pots regularly to see that all is well.
Once the corms have sprouted, leave them in the propagator or cupboard until the leaves are 5/6ins tall.
Once they've reached this stage of growth, take the pots out and put them in a warm spot in bright filtered light.
The plants will now tolerate a slightly lower temperature, (min.65f will keep them just ticking over, watch the watering.) however, for optimum growth, the more heat you can give the better.
Once all danger of frost has gone, you have two choices.
Planting them out in the garden or growing them on in pots.
Colocasia, Xanthasoma and Alocasia can all be planted out in the open garden and very good they look too.
Sun or light shade seems to suit them best.
The planting area, is best prepared a week or two prior to planting out.
It should be well drained and enriched with plenty of well rotted manure or compost.
After planting and watering, the corms will benefit from a good mulch of organic material.
Water and fertilize freely and don't let the soil dry out.
You can overwinter the corms in the ground or dig them up and store them.
If you want to leave them in the ground, allow the frost to kill the top growth and then cut it off.
Put a heavy, dry mulch over the corms and cover this with either a cloche or a plastic sheet to keep the corms dry.
Although the corms keep well and they're hardy with a mulch, the problems come with regrowth the following Spring.
Sad to say, in my bit of the W.Midlands at least, it just isn't hot enough in early Spring/Summer to promote regrowth, so I abandoned this idea.
( I dug some corms up in late July the one year and they were in excellent condition.
Unfortunately, there was no sign of the buds opening and putting on growth. )
To store the corms, cut off the old leaves, dig up the corms and wash and dry them.
Discard any that show signs of damage or fungal growth, dust with fungicide and store in a cool, frost free area.
For growing in pots, you need a rich, well drained compost.
I made mine up from a mixture of J.I.no3, well rotted manure, small bark chips, charcoal pieces and dust and gravel.
I added long life fertilizer granules to the mix and used Phostrogen as a supplementery fertilizer.
Keep well watered when in full growth.
( C.Esculenta "Dasheen" can be grown as a marginal plant or it can be stood in a tray full of water during the Summer. )
To keep these as houseplants during the Winter, you'll need to give them at least 65f plus just to keep them ticking over.
So, if you like your house hot during the Winter, you shouldn't have too many problems.
One thing to watch is the watering, only keep them just moist otherwise they might fall prey to corm or root rots.
The other way to store them, is to leave them in their pots, cut off the top growth, allow the pot to dry out and then store in a cool but frost free place. Posted by: Mike.
Note: If I can be of any further help, e.mail me.
At this time of year, the summer flowering bulbs, corms and tubers are beginning to appear on the shelves of garden centres and shops everwhere.
Amongst the usual crop of Cannas, Dahlias and Gladioli etc. you might well come across a little gem like this one.
Sauromatum Venosum, the Voodoo Lily or Monarch of the East. ( A much nicer name. )
This plant, has two claims to fame.
The first, is its ability to grow and flower without soil or water, simply place it on a dish on a warm windowsill then stand back and watch it grow.
The second is the atrocious odour given off when the plant is in flower, a trait it shares with that other "Voodoo Lily" Dracunculas Vulgaris.
Although in nature it grows in sub tropical/tropical climates, it's proved to be very hardy in my garden flowering every year if given the right conditions.
You can take it from me, that a few corms planted together look and smell very impressive when in flower.
The usually solitary leaf, is also pretty large considering the small size of some corms.
So, if your looking for something a bit different or something to grow as a novelty, give "The Monarch of the East" a try.
Cultivation is easy.
Planted deep, in a well drained soil enriched with plenty of well rotted manure and some bonemeal if you wish will suit it fine.
If a warm spot against a west or south facing wall or fence can be found, then so much the better.
I've tried growing S.Venosum in shade but in my garden they've had a tendency to fade away after two or three years.
The best results, have come from corms planted in sunny areas, with very light shade being passable.
In very cold areas, a good mulch will help it along and give extra protection during the winter.
Growing S.Venosum in pots poses no real problems.
Deep clay pots of the "Long Tom" variety are the best.
I use a well drained compost made up of J.I.no2/3, well rotted manure, charcoal pieces and dust and gravel or Perlite.
I add long life fertilizer granules and use Phostrogen as a supplementary fertilizer.
Don't water the pot until you see signs of growth, then only moisten the soil.
As growth picks up, increase the watering and begin to use supplementary fertilizer.
Move the pot into good light and continue watering and feeding.
Once the flower has died down, the leaf will emerge and growth will continue.
When the leaf turns yellow and growth stops, stop all watering.
Allow the pot to dry out and store in a cool frost free place. Posted by: Mike.
Originally, I’d intended to lump all the “Elephant Ears,” that is Alocasia, Colocasia and Xanthasoma together in one blog.
However, I found that the differences in over wintering these plants were significant enough to warrant splitting the blog into two parts.
The two parts, are based on notes that I made while growing these fantastic plants.
In this the first part, I concentrate on Alocasia Macrorrhiza.
Like Colocasia and Xanthasoma, A.Macrorrhiza is easy to grow through the warmer months of the summer.
Where it really scores though, is during the winter months, where with a modicum of care it can be successfully grown as a houseplant, all be it a very large one eventually.
(It looks particularly good in a conservatory, where with a palm or two and perhaps an exotic climber it will give a definite "Look of the Tropics.")
Native to tropical areas of S.E.Asia, A.Macrorrhiza has now spread to other parts of the sub tropical/tropical world.
In ideal conditions, it grows to massive proportions, up to a height of 12ft.plus and with a spread of up to 6/8ft.
Unfortunately, here in the U.K. we can only dream about growing plants this size, never the less it's still one of, if not the largest perennials we're ever likely to grow.
Truly an imposing plant in every sense of the word.
For tips on growing A.Macrorrhiza either in a pot or in the ground, follow this link to Part 2 of my blog : colocasia,xanthosoma, elephants ears.(Part 2)
Here, are a couple of other tips.
Tip 1 If you prefer to grow your "Elephants Ears" in pots, then I'd recommend that you stick to plain, unglazed crock ( clay ) pots.
Although these plants are moisture lovers, they do not like waterlogging.
Plastic pots, even with fast drainage, tend to hold lots of excess moisture.
This leads to the soil going "sour" and can lead to root and corm rots.
( Unglazed clay pots "breath" plastic and glazed clay pots, do not. )
Tip 2 If you want to grow your Alocasia in the garden but still overwinter it indoors, the easiest way to do it is to plant the pot.
Pick the place where you want your plant to go, then dig a hole to the same depth as the pot.
Make sure the drainage at the bottom of the hole is o.k.
Plant the pot, with the plant in it of course and put a mulch around the pot to hide the pot edge and keep the area moist.
Continue watering and feeding.
At the end of the Summer, lift the lot out of the ground.
Wash and clean the outside of the pot, trim off any roots that have grown through the drainage hole and bring the lot indoors ready to overwinter.
The first time I tried to overwinter A.Macrorrhiza, it ended when the whole plant collapsed in a heap.
Looking at the remains, it was clear that a different approach was needed, so, in the Spring I bought another small plant tried again.
The first of my changes, involved repotting the plant.
I discarded the plastic pot that it had come in and washed much of the old soil from around the roots.
I then repotted it using my own compost mixture into a clay pot.
After an initial sulk, it began to grow slowly through the Summer.
I watered it modestly and used a weak solution of Phostrogen to help things along.
At the end of the Summer, I brought it indoors and put it in an unheated South facing room and this is where it spent its first and subsequent Winters.
The second of the changes I made was in the watering regime.
First, I stopped watering the pot from the top and switched to watering from below.
Next, was the amount of water.
At my first attempt, I'd kept the compost fairly moist, at times, not far of wet and this is where I made my big mistake.
Although my A.Macrorrhiza was growing very, very, slowly, it simply did not need the amount of water that I'd given it.
As a result of this, the roots rotted, followed very rapidly by the rest of it.
A change to a much drier watering regime, including letting the pot dry out for a short period put things right and I had no more problems with overwintering my plant.
( Apart from Red Spider Mite.)
Sadly, my A.Macrorrhiza met its end during Feb 2000 after three nights of minus 6c of frost.
At its end, it was in a 14in. clay pot, the plant alone stood 5ft high and had a spread of 4ft.
Unfortunately, it weighed a ton and I couldn't even lift the thing let alone move it indoors.
I gave it a covering of fleece and hoped for the best.
It actually stood a couple of minus 2s' quite well but sadly, the lower temperatures finally did for it. Posted by: Mike.
Note : There's no doubt in my mind, that to overwinter A.Macrorrhiza successfully, you need to cut the watering drastically.
I stood the pot in a saucer and filled the saucer once a month and that was it.
In its third year, in early December, I had two flower spathes, both of which opened and lasted several days.
I took the picture used in this blog, in the tropical house of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
I would have liked to have used a picture of the plant that I grew, but I had no plans to do a blog and in fact, I didn't know one end of a computer from the other.
The picture I'm afraid, went in one of my periodic clearouts.
So, until I get another one, or I can get some seed, I'm afraid that this photo will have to do. Posted by: Mike.
A Happy New Year to everyone and Welcome to my first Blog of 2007.
If you've read my previous blogs about Puya Alpestris and Aloe Striatula, you'll see that both are planted out in gravel beds.
Originally, I made these beds to provided a home for many of my alpine plants.
As luck would have it, their south facing position and very fast drainage has proved ideal for growing Mediterranean type plants which require these type of conditions.
So, for gardeners who fancy a bit of mind broadening and moderately hard work for the New Year, here's how I made mine. ( It's easy, Honest! )
First thing to do, is to pick a site, my beds face almost due south and they're open to all that the weather can throw at them.
If you can pick a south to west facing site, perhaps close to a wall or something that gives a bit of protection from the elements, then this would be even better.
You don't need much in the way of materials, pea gravel, something to edge the bed with and some well rotted manure. ( optional )
Now for the work.
First, mark out your site and dig out the soil one spit deep, the soil should be placed to one side.
You'll only need a small amount of this soil, so the rest can be spread over the garden.
Thoroughly break up the soil in the bottom of the hole, digging in some of the gravel as you're doing it.
Any clay lumps should be removed and if there's a hard pan, as much of it as possible should be broken up.
You can now put in the edging material making sure its above the soil level.
Next take some of the soil you've put to one side and mix it with the gravel ( and manure if you wish ) at a ratio of 2 parts gravel to 1 part soil.
Fill the hole with the mixture to between 4/6 inches from the top, blending it a little with the soil below.
Finally, blend in some of the pea gravel into the previous layer and top it off with just the pea gravel.
The final layer of gravel should be a minimum of 4ins. deep.
Allow the soil to settle for a couple of weeks before planting up.
This is a very basic bed that works well on my clay soil but there are as they say, "variations on a theme" so here's a couple or three.
By raising the overall height of the edging, a raised bed proper can be made, this makes it easier for someone less mobile to be able to enjoy gardening.
For super, superfast drainage, builders rubble can be used to replace the bottom soil.
For those with an artistic bent, you can create a mini landscape by part burying various size stones or rocks in the top layer of gravel.
By using small or slow growing xeric plants some very nice effects can be created using this method.
The only fly in the ointment is winter wet and like it or not, there are many xeric plants which have a very low tolerance to getting a soaking at this time of year.
Remember, many of these plants may experience frost in their natural habitat but in this case, winters tend to be dry cold not damp or wet like ours.
Some plants, such A.Striatula and P.Alpestris take it in their stride, others such as members of the Agave clan can be badly affected.
Fortunately, its easy to provide some protection from the more inclement weather.
For those who can provide the protection of a wall, then the easiest way to protect the plants is to prop old window frames ( in case anyone asks, complete with the glass ) at an angle against the wall and the front edge of the bed forming a kind of tent structure.
These can be removed for the summer and stored somwhere out of the way.
With beds like mine which are in an exposed position, you have to call on your diy skills.
A hooped frame, ( like plastic greenhouses ) can be made out of the plastic tubing which is used for water overflows. ( toilet, sinks etc. )
This is then covered with clear plastic sheet which is pegged into the ground but leaving a gap at the bottom to allow air to circulate.
Although these modifications work, in that they keep the rain off, they can never take the place of the previously mentioned dry winters.
Condensation, especially with the plastic is still likely to pose some problems and only you can decide if its worth while. Posted by: Mike.