Alocasia Borneo Giant

[Dave Brown]

My Borneo Giant is growing steadily, unlike most of my other Alocasia, which grow in fits and starts.

Here it was on 13th June (2007) about 20cm tall.

Here it is 28th June (2007) and now 35cm

Has anyone else got one

[Libby]

No sadly not!
I presume by its name it will get huge?

[Dave Brown]

Definately hope so
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290607 Huge Borneo Giant.jpg (52.69 KiB) Viewed 2935 times

[Libby]

That does it!!! I now totally understand why you love these plants

The jungle garden will have to move, or should I say overflow to the bottom of the garden!!

Will it grow that big in this country? Please can I have first refusal on a pup???????

[SteveW]

Dave,
You look somewhat difrent in your pic
What are the chances of one getting that big outside in the UK?
Where did you you get your plant from?
Steve

[Dave Brown]

I completely missed these posts yesterday somehow

It has finally got to you then Libby.

Steve, I have many facets. I would have loved to have been there, but alas I got it off the web. I rekon we have no chance at all of getting it to that size here without the wind wrecking it. I would say that one is growing in ideal conditions, heat, water and nutrient. The fact that they do grow to that size somewhere, may mean I stand a chance of getting something bigger than average.

I got mine off reverent on UKO. I swapped an Ensete ventricosum and glaucum for it. I think he got it from a US order. It was only about 2" when I received it so I popped it into a prop for about 3 weeks. It's doing fine now.

I don't know much about how they pup, but I'll wait until I have a spare before trying it outside. Won't be this year though

[Libby]

Just imagine having that down the garden though, coo what a talking point hey

[Dave Brown]

We obviously discussed this plant on various other topics not Titled 'Borneo Giant', but unfortunately the plant did not live up to its reputation It grew bigger and bigger in high summer, then smaller and samller over the Autumn. In some topics in 2008 we reffered to it as Borneo Midget, and mine faded away at some point, but by then I think I had lost interest, Like Alocasia robusta, with the biggest single unslpit leaf in the world, it just needs a more tropical, or at least sub tropical climate, than we can give it.

Has anyone managed to keep one going in a heated poly, or somewhere hot

[SteveW]

Nope,mines dead
I think the only people likely to be able to grow this successfully are Sean,Tog and Steveinfrance
Basically anyone that doesn't live in the UK

[Dave Brown]

I guessed as much Steve, I think we need to concentrate on those We can grow big, rather the the biggest that can be grown (somewhere else)

[Mick C]

Same here. Got it going in the airing cupboard, but it went backwards when taken out. Back in again, got going again, etc etc.

[Alexander]

You should grow those plants in a polytunnel, combine them with Hedychiums, Nelumbos and other stuff wich likes it hot in the summer. I have made a low budget polytunnel on my alotment with PVC pipes and plastic. The Nelumbos love it with a 30 Celcius each summerday...

Alexander