Hardy Tropicals UK

Hi,
does someone have expericience with Colocasia in hydroculture? Escpecially overwintering.
What substrate do you use?
Thanks,
Robert

Hi Robert, and welcome

I don't do Hydroponics as such, but did depot some Colocasia last autumn, washing the compost off, keeping the roots intact, and sat them in plain water, over winter. They eventually went back to just one leaf each in March, but didn't need starting off again. They were then just potted up and continued.

Thank you Dave. Did you overwinter warm(room temp) or cold?
Robert

They were in my conservatory, so a minimum of around 6C, but recall having Dark Stem Hybrid in water a couple of years back in my Lunar Module, kept above 2C, and they were fine.

Am planning a small hydro set up for colocasia, will be trying black magic and some shop bought eddos. Just a small 2 foot fish tank with heater and pump, mesh pots sitting an inch in the water. Water will be keep at about 21c with a few fish to indirectly feed the plants. Will be trying a few different lighting types. LEDs, halides, t5 tubes and what ever else I have sitting around. Substrate will be clay pebbles in the mesh pots with a bare bottom tank. First time trying it so not sure how it will work out.

Got some multiples with which I can test this method out and make comparisons

Just started setting up, just a little picture to show my setup. Its a very basic.

Just waiting for the cooler weather.

Sorry to hijack your thread.

I've trialled a few different ones in my dads pond.

Black magic is fine if you're not worried about leaf size being no bigger than your hand. (Stood in approx 4inch water, in full sun)
Mammoth hates it full stop! (Same depth as above)
Standard 'Asda' eddoes love it both fully submerged or as above.

The best success so far is with Ruffles (see pic) which is fully submerged in 1 foot of water! I put 3 plants in end of May and now have 15 of them! (pups of course)

What sort of water temperatures do you get in the pond?

Rabbie wrote:What sort of water temperatures do you get in the pond?

I don't know as we didn't think about checking it
There is no extra heating in the water apart from the sun. After around 3pm the pond is in shade. (With the tallest leaves still getting a bit of sun for another hour)

I would imagine the water temp drops quite a bit during the night though.


The air temps have had roughly a minimum of 15/16 degrees daytime and roughly night time minimum of 10 degrees from end may till now. The average temps for this period are daytime 19 degrees and night time 14 degrees. (If this helps?)
We are in a very mild and fairly warm part of the country and being only a mile from the sea this keeps things a bit warmer.

I would guess as your indoors, the water temperature will be better than the pond anyway.