My trick to overwinter alocasia and colocasia

From: "Philippe" <valphy at club.lemonde.fr> on 2004.08.16 at 13:16:41(11992) Also, if you keep them inside during the winter you absolutely need to recreate a warm, humid atmosphere. Fill up the biggest plastic dish you can buy with hot water. Put one or more aquarium heaters in it, place the pot with the plant at the center on some kind of scaffolding so the pot is not in water. I use smaller dishes on top of one another to raise above the water. The hot water will be kept hot-warm by the heater, and will constantly evaporates and bath the leaves of the plant. Mine used to die in the winter from dryness, now since I do this they not only survive the winter, they even grow leaves in the winter. Be sure that evaporating water does NOT get in the pot by any way, even evaporation through the holes at the bottom of the pot or water can really accumulate at the bottom of the pot and roots will rot. Don't let the heater run dry or it'll die. Philippe.

From: "Bryant, Susan L." <SLBryant at scj.com> on 2004.08.16 at 13:50:02(11996) Good suggestion, Philippe. This should also help with the dreaded spider mite infestations that attack us northern aroiders during the winter. My husband scolds me for peeling the paint off the window trim in our winter plant room, though (from the humidity) Susan

From: "Philippe" <valphy at club.lemonde.fr> on 2004.08.16 at 14:47:59(11997) Yes, humidity is a problem if you use my technique. I know people who winterize their alocasias in the bathroom, where they thrive on the steamy warm air, but it's not always practical. I'm also thinking about building a small greenhouse for inside, but now I have to convince my wife to knock down that wall. +More Philippe

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