Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

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ourarka

Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by ourarka »

Hi everyone,

So a week ago I dug up this Colocasia Black Beauty and now have it an unheated conservatory. At the moment, after a few chilly nights, it is obviously a half decent temperature in there (especially when sunny). What is the best way to treat this now, and when it turns colder in there?
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ourarka

Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by ourarka »

...... sorry to bump this, just dont know whether I should be treating it as 'overwintering' or like a houseplant now it is in a conservatory, which gets fairly nicely warm during the day ..... But has no additional lighting?
Half Hardy

Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by Half Hardy »

I am definately no expert on these plants,i bought one around sept last year.when it started to get cold(below about 5 degrees),i brought it inside and put it in my bathroom(fairly dark,no heating) it came through winter fine.I had read,they were tricky to overwinter,so i am quite surprised it still looks good(beginners luck,perhaps :shock: ).
GREVILLE

Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by GREVILLE »

The pic looks like Black Magic rather than Black beauty and magic is a lot more difficult than beauty.
ourarka

Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by ourarka »

On another thread this was verified as Black beauty via some close up photos! Half hardy .... How did you treat it? You say it was dark but presumably room temperature ..... Did you keep it moist or dry?
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Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by Dave Brown »

Looking at the pic now Ouraka, it looks like some sort of hybrid.

Black Magic emerges all green leaf and petiole, then turns deep purple/black in sunlight. It is totally purple/black including veins, pic (centre dot) and petiole.

Black Beauty emerges all green, with the inter vein areas turning deep more bluey/black in light, but with the vein on some remaining green, and in all, the pica and petiole remain green.

Yours has darkening petioles which suggests a hybrid.

If overwintering above about 7C they can be kept growing sat in water, but remove all traces of old petioles or they can introduce rot into the rhizome. below 3C they may go dormant in which case is better dry.
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ourarka

Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by ourarka »

Thanks Dave ... not sure if a hybrid is a good or bad thing!! So, Ill keep it moist. Just to complicate things .... what happens when the conservatory is warm by day but cold by night .... as generally happens when it is sunny and cold?
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Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by Dave Brown »

ourarka wrote:Just to complicate things .... what happens when the conservatory is warm by day but cold by night .... as generally happens when it is sunny and cold?
The plant seems to be more controlled by soil/rhizome temperature than air temp, as they continue to grow slowly into November planted out, even after ground frosts. From that it would follow that a long, hot day and a short, cold night would have less affect than a short, hot day with a long, cold night :wink:
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Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by ourarka »

I'm with you .... I'll play it by ear according to the general temps. I presume it will 'get itself going' in the Spring once conservatory temps and daylight hour change ... so long as it receives sufficient water?
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Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by Dave Brown »

ourarka wrote: I presume it will 'get itself going' in the Spring once conservatory temps and daylight hour change ... so long as it receives sufficient water?
Mid to late April is the time they get going for me if they have gone dormant overwinter.
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ourarka

Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by ourarka »

..... and this year I had it by a pond .... but will it be ok in the summer fully submerged?
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Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by Dave Brown »

ourarka wrote:..... and this year I had it by a pond .... but will it be ok in the summer fully submerged?
They do well with their feet in water, but have not tried submerged. Some, but not all, Colocasia can grow as quatics.
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ourarka

Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by ourarka »

Thanks a lot for your help Dave. 'Feet in water' shouldn't be a problem so Ill go with that :D
Blairs

Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by Blairs »

Did the colocasia make it this year ourarka? I have bought a few and my plan is to overwinter in a similar aspect to yours...unless your all died! Then I will try overwintering just the 'bulbs'.
ourarka

Re: Overwintering this Colocasia black beauty

Post by ourarka »

Yes, made it through the winter very well and has had a great year ..... until I let it dry out by accident and almost killed it!! It is recovering well now though.
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