From: Don Burns <burns at mobot.org> on 1997.01.14 at 18:44:23(126)
On Tue, 14 Jan 1997, William Perez wrote:
> I've been itching to ask a couple of questions but, as all other
> 'beginners' on the list can sympathise with, I've refrained from asking
> for fear of being branded a moron....
William,
I have found that everyone on this list is most tolerant of those of us
who need some basic information. It turns out that we all were in that
place at some time or other. It is also clear that there is not much
information in print on the horticultural treatment of aroids. But this
may be due to the fact that the genera are so diverse in habitats and
growing habits. I don't know how many plant genera have both tuberous
and non-tuberous plants, but this in itself makes handling Araceae unique.
In the case of Amorphophallus I have learned from Wilbert Hetterscheid
that certain tubers of this genus can be removed from the medium while
dormant while others must stay in medium. (See the web site pages for
this info.) I have also been told that Drancontium reacts negatively to
the disturbance of its root system. Certainly Guanghua Zhu can elaborate
on this for us. So ask away - many of us will benefit from hearing the
answers to your questions.
As for germinating seeds, I am fortunate to live in a climate that will
allow this to be done outside at almost any time of the year. But I
still provide the seed with protection from the elements. I have found
that the disposable plastic containers, many of which come from
bakeries are very useful for germination. I cannot speak for the UK,
but here bakeries will probably give some away. They can also be
purchased at stores that specialize in selling ingrediants for bakers and
candy makers. The containers are very handy because they can be closed
to maintain humidity at high levels, and since they are clear one can see
what is going on inside without opening them, similar to an incubator.
I have also germinated seed inside of plastic bags as Ellen has, but I
like the plastic containers because they provide physical protection as
well. Since these clear plastic containers are hard they can be stacked,
thus saving even more space.
I am sure some of the other list members will have their own unique
solutions.
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