School for Aroids

GREVILLE

School for Aroids

Post by GREVILLE »

Since the half-term holiday, I've started transferring plants for their annual winter holiday at a nearby school and all my Alocasias have been placed in suitable positions that favour their survival (that includes keeping some of them out of reach of the little darlings' interfering fingers :!: )

My A. Mac has overwintered here for the past five years and flowered ( or spathed) this time last year while laughing at the deep snow outside. It is in flower again but I wonder if it would still prefer to be outside while the weather is still this good. At the moment, the temperature of the gym where it resides is the same as outside as the heating is still not on yet! It's joined by three new arrivals, Sarian, Mayan mask and Wentii Aline, all three putting on good new growth in warmer temperatures of 20c to 24c.

I doubt if my dozen varieties of Colocasia would do as well in these conditions. They are still in peak condition even now and are still sending out rollers. Would these last on display in sunny windows at these temperatures until the Christmas holiday? This is the first full year I have had them and last year they were near dormant in the cold greenhouse.
GoggleboxUK

Re: School for Aroids

Post by GoggleboxUK »

I'll be following this thread with interest Greville as I am also overwintering Alocasia Mayan Mask, Colocasio Mammoth, Pink Stem and Black Magic indoors on windowsills.

They've been inside for a fortnight and are actively growing and putting out new rollers.

I'm hoping they won't get too stretched and that when the heating is eventually switched on I can keep them in good health.
GREVILLE

Re: School for Aroids

Post by GREVILLE »

Goggle, my Colly has just been goggled :wink:

Just taken some more exotics to the school early this evening and included my potted C. Black Beauty amongst them. Some teachers were leaving as I was carrying this in and with it stopping them in their tracks, they were gobsmacked as they goggled and gaped at what one teacher thought was 'the most appropriately named plant' they had ever seen icon_thumright

I hope it will still be there when I next go back :shock: I will be interested to see how long it keeps its stunning good looks as it is 'booked' for table display in a poorly lit area (no natural light) for two weeks before being earmarked for sunny south facing window where I hope the low sun will shine through the dark patterned leaves. Hope it will be good enough for a photo.
GREVILLE

Re: School for Aroids

Post by GREVILLE »

After a few weeks on display in low light and an average temperature of 22c a small roller on the C. Black Beauty has opened fully with good colour and has not gone leggy.I can't see any more behaving that well. The teacher wants this display till christmas.

The other aroid has done pretty well,too New leaf on the Monstera. That'll please the little 'monsters' :lol:


Nov pics3 045.JPG

I recently took in Black Magic. Might swap it if the 'Beauty' loses its looks.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: School for Aroids

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

The Black Beauty looks in fine fettle. Much better than mine.
sanatic1234

Re: School for Aroids

Post by sanatic1234 »

I read on here that if you can provide good light levels for the colocasia then they won't go leggy, but if light is not good enough they will go leggy in search of light. I have some leggy ones but I do not have grow lights to provide the sufficient light for them. My alocasia's are fine, no problems with them and are not leggy. :wink:
GREVILLE

Re: School for Aroids

Post by GREVILLE »

Apparently a lot of kids are scared by this mask when they use the stairs.The teachers asked me if I could 'mask' it with some jungly plants (groan)

Some bright spark thought they would put a pillar box in front of it. That's why I'm 'posting' this thread (bigger groan) The philodendron is joined by the Kentia and a Livistona chinensis (almost off picture). The arrangement compliments the African display nicely.

These stay here till after the easter term.

Philodendron and mask
Philodendron and mask
GREVILLE

Re: School for Aroids

Post by GREVILLE »

Work in progress caught on camera with yours truly snapping these aroids before they are put 'outside' in the atrium (behind the window).

This is unheated and although it doesn't get sun in winter it rarely gets cold with heated interiors all around it. They bred butterflies in here earlier this year. The collies mojito, emerald and Hilo bay along with Alocasia wentii 'Aline' and a climbing philodendron will be joined by some nanas for a large leaf display

Nov pics3 047.JPG
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: School for Aroids

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Who will look after them?
GREVILLE

Re: School for Aroids

Post by GREVILLE »

Me. Just a hundred yards away. I pop in once a week or a fortnight depending on their watering needs, rotation for light, change of display etc.

Last week, had to bring home A. sarian as it had gone very leggy and and found the dreaded Red Spider Mite on it. Far too hot for it. It's in my cooler bathroom at the moment with a couple of rollers opening up. I'll return this to the school and give it a cooler and lighter spot later.
GREVILLE

Re: School for Aroids

Post by GREVILLE »

All collies have been brought back home. Some had a problem with Red Spider Mite as the temperatures in the school are too high. A few had been placed in the cooler atrium where they all opened one more leaf (Mojito, Hilo Bay and Emerald) before entering dormancy. These three are dry in the cool greenhouse and are down their final shrivelled leaves. Black beauty is down to one leaf. Black magic dried off but one tuber has rotted. Diamond head appeared to recover from Red Spider Mite but suddenly collapsed and is now Col. D.head :!:

All the Alocasias are doing well. A. mac in the bright cool gym has sent out three flower spathes. A. wentii 'Aline' is still growing well on a warm shelf with overhead skylighting producing two new leaves showing distinctive marbling. A. Mayan mask alternates between here and my cooler bright bathroom every two weeks to stop it becoming leggy.
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Re: School for Aroids

Post by Dave Brown »

Is there any room for the pupils :lol:
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GREVILLE

Re: School for Aroids

Post by GREVILLE »

No. This is one school that has its priorities right, Dave :lol:

I'm booked every year after the February half-term for a twenty minute 'plants and green issues' talk plus Q+A session with all the classes. This year, I'll be including the Aroids in the discussion as a number of classes have recently set up displays about fruit and vegetable crops around the world. My Xanthosoma saggitifoilum and Colocasia esculenta, hopefully will accompany me when the subject touches on Eddoes and Coco-yams.

I've kept mine green (just) but do you think if I placed them on bottom heat now, I'd have at least a new leaf or two on these in four to five weeks time?
GREVILLE

Re: School for Aroids

Post by GREVILLE »

With the garden under snow a greenhouse inspection was made yesterday and the Colocasia 'Black Beauty' was found to be no more, it is extinct, it is an ex-collie :shock: ("Dead! Dead! and never called me mother" :cry: )

The stem and shrivelled leaf had collapsed and when I looked at the corm it had completely rotted. The teachers that fell in love with it had already moaned when I took it home. I think they'll lynch me if I don't return with one next Autumn :ahhh!: Need one of yours as a replacement, Dave.

This is a big surprise as this was given exactly the same drying off treatment as the C. Black Magic which apart from one corm rotting, left me with two small corms to restart. Along with this, Mojito, Hilo Bay, and Emerald were placed on bottom heat yesterday.

The Alocasias are in rude health at the school, with Mayan Mask sending up another pair of rollers. This will come home to the bathrooom window for the half-term ( and probably beyond :D )
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: School for Aroids

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

I'm surpised that the Black Beauty snuffed it but the Magic is ok?

I moments silence for your loss.....
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