The New Colocasia

[Chad]

Farmer Gracy currently have a lot of Colocasia varieties on special offer.

Has anyone any experience of overwintering these?

I failed repeatedly to overwinter 'Black Magic' and it rather put me off the genus, but I'm tempted by the range of 'new' [to me at least] varieties.

Chad

[AndyC]

I don't recognise most of the names of the Colocasias being sold by Farmer Gracy but I have tried some fancy ones in the past. I just found them all a pain in the bum to get through the winters in North Hampshire so as soon as C. gaoligongensis and C. 'Pink China' came into my life I ditched them all apart from C. fontanesii.
C. gaoligongensis and C. 'Pink China' need no winter protection at all here in my Cornwall garden and C. fontanesii just a mulch over the tubers.

[Paul S]

I tried one of the glossy black ones last year - possibly 'Black Coral' - and it went rotten very quickly in what was a fairly mild winter here. For me, as Andy says, 'Pink China' does all I want from a colocasia - here a stronger and more relaible grower than goaligongensis. It has been reliably hardy in situ in my pond for several years now, sprouting back vigorously as I type this.

[JohnH]

I have grown a few of the varieties Farmer Gracy have on their list, but I only buy them as actively growing potted plants from nurseries in the UK. 'Tea Cup' was fun to grow and surprisingly vigorous, but ultimately an expensive bedding plant for me.

I have failed to kick start dried Colocasia tubers more times than I dare to remember. What is the secret?

[flounder]

I soak colocasia tubers/corms or whatever you call them for a couple of hours, drain them, put them in a zip lock bag and then pot up once I see signs of growth. You leave it too long and you end up with a smelly bag of smelliness. Even if I've done this dozens of times with a dozen different varieties, it's still hit or miss. I'm going to stick with C. gaoligongensis and C. 'Pink China' as they're fine left to their own devices unless I can find another semi easy type

[BenC]

The secret with growing these 'new' Colocasia varieties is not to bother!! Unless perhaps you find a nice sized plant for sale that is already in growth.

As is common with all tuberous Araceae, the tuber is a solid mass of starchy tissue and is not made up from scales like many true bulbs. The tubers are grown abroad, packed in boxes and bumped around the globe to the UK. This inevitably causes bruising to the tuber (even if not actually visible) which then causes rot and damage to spread through the whole tuber. In a bulb with scales, only a single scale may be lost and the plant will be fine, but this isn't the case with tuberous Araceae. Often a plant will start to grow, and then collapse later on. But the damage to the tuber had already been done. This applies to a lot of Colocasia, Caladium etc.

Best of sticking to G.gaoligongensis and 'Pink China'. Or even plain old C.esculenta.

Buying dormant imported tubers is a hit and miss thing, even to the most experienced growers and no matter how careful you are. In my experience, many of these newer Colocasia need more heat than we can provide here in the UK.

Sometimes they are available as plug plants - but again, they need more heat than we can realistically give them, and by the time winter arrives, the plants are still too small and haven't bulked up enough to survive a winter. They are very fussy house plants!

[Chad]

Thanks Ben for an honest post.

I'll post pictures of them dying once they arrive.

They were for the tunnel. Never mind the cool summers down here, outdoors they would get shredded with our summer breezes.

Chad

[BenC]

If they are to be kept in your polytunnel, then they will get enough warmth, so there is hope! Grow them in a rich compost mix and fertilise them heavily once in growth.

I did manage to grow 'Diamond Head' to a good size in my polytunnel but the other newer ones have not performed well for me. Mike Clifford has grown 'Pharaohs Mask' very well (as he does with everything!) but he keeps his plant heated and humid.

I hope you have good success with yours. Seeing as you've already ordered some, I would soak the tubers in warm water for a few hours, then perhaps wash them in diluted hydrogen peroxide solution and then either start them off in sphagnum or a very loose sterile potting mix with bottom heat, or in a heated propagator. Then it's a case of crossing your fingers!

[Richard K]

I've just about got black coral through the last 2 winters by bringing indoors and keeping them on the dry side. Absolute martyr to red spider mite though and they don't look very well.