Alocasias, Colocasias and Frost?

From: Paul Tyerman tyerman at dynamite.com.au> on 2001.04.23 at 15:36:40(6244) Howdy All, I've been away at the coast this last weekend and succumbed to a couple of frost tender (as far as I know) aroids. I purchased Alocasia 'Amazon Queen' and Colocasia 'Black Magic'. Now I get frost fairly heavily here in Canberra (down to -6 to -8'C in winter) so I figure these are not going to be happy outside here. When I bought them I was told that they could be dried indoors during winter, or put in a very sheltered place where there leaves were not hit by frost. I thought that someone out there would know for sure what they require during winter. Could someone please tell me whether they will survive frost? If not, do I dry the pot and put it in my garage for winter? Do I knock the tubers out of the pot and dry them for winter? Do I keep the pot inside but keep it in water? Do I just tell myself I was an idiot and that they're going to die now? Any information would be appreciated. BTW.... if any aussies are interested, I have a number of offsets of the Amazon Queen that are available if wanted. They have spread healthily out of the pot and depending what the suggestions are I'll probably be potting them up. Thank in anticipation. Cheers. Paul Tyerman +More Canberra, Australia. USDA equivalent - Zone 8 mailto:tyerman@dynamite.com.au Growing.... Galanthus, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, Lilium, Aroids, plus just about anything else that doesn't move!!!!!

From: "van den Bergh" bergh at tpg.com.au> on 2001.04.24 at 14:16:16(6253) Hi Paul, Here's one Aussie that wants to enquire after A. Amazon Queen do you know if it is different from A. amazonica IF so can I put my hands up for an offset. I have C. Black Magic and could have sent you an offset, never mind if you lose it I always have it. You may want to try a couple of other Alocasias and Colocasias when the weather warms up so I can send some later if you are interested and don't have any. +More I have had a brief look at your list and am desperately anxious to obtain a small tuber of Amorphophallus abyssinicus if you ever have a spare. Also any arisaema tubers at all as I only have seeds and am not sure how succesful they are proving to be with survival after germination, a tuber may stand a better chance. Also I would like to try arums of any kind. I did notice some other bits and pieces of non aroid things, but I first want to interest you in some things you might want to trade and try down there, before I get carried away!!! So far I have offered the A. bulbifer tubers and the typhonium would you be interested in branching out into a few of the more hardy gingers or other stuff, like a native tacca that goes dormant for the winter. I reckon you had better keep your alocasia inside the house dryish in a pot if it dies down. The colocasia might not mind being kept dryish in the garage in a pot. Obviously I don't know much about frost so someone else may give you a better answer. Regards, Marilyn.

From: Bob Burns bobburns61 at yahoo.com> on 2001.04.25 at 02:26:32(6261) About the frost hardiness... I've grown both colocasia and alocasia, though of undetermined species, in our US Zone 8 climate (with winter minimum down to at least -10C for short periods) Ideally the plants would be of mature size before expecting them to survive well, and not too soggy as cold comes on. Frequently a large Alocasia will not recover its main growing point after a hard winter but will send up small shoots from the sides, forming a clump of smaller plants that might take a few years to reach blooming size. I have only had an Alocasia bloom once or twice in this climate in ten years. If you decide to pot them, remember not to keep them really wet if they must endure coolness. Some kinds have a rhizome but others, the Colocasias I'm thinking of, sometimes don't, or at least not till they are quite big. Bob Burns +More Macon, Georgia, USA __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/

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