Colocasia Mammoth hardier than expected

[Dave Brown]

As I had so many C. Mammoth in the ground last year most have stayed out where they were planted. After the weather we have had with snow lying for over a week, regular frosts with 4 below -5C so far and 2 freezing days, I fully expected to find them all mushed. Much to my surprise they are firm. I did have them mulched with a couple in inches of leaves, but the Blackbirds have dug it all out and they have even dug down around the rhizome completely exposing the top couple of inches These have been exposed to the snow and frost but seem fine. The one pictured is half under a Choisya bush so not fully exposed. the others are against the north facing wall of the bungalow exposed to the howling North Easterlies.

This is the 3rd year 2007 vintage mammoth rhizome which is about 6 inches in diameter now.

One that was still potted from last year has overwintered in the unheated covered bit which has gone down to -4C and still has it leaves undamaged. Another one which had water dripping onto it, had the leaves rot taking out the central bud but it has a side shoot emerging from the compost now.

The ones at the front were not planted out until mid July last year and still grew to large proportions by October. This bodes well for the plant coming back from being left out and still making a good size. Many Colocasia left out do not start to grow until mid june so do not get to the size of greenhouse started ones

17th July 2008 a week after planting out.

Here again 26th November 2008 just before the frosts started.

I'll keep you posted on how quickly they start to grow from the ground. The ones in the front may be quite late due to lack of sun.

[Alexander]

Dave,

Thats a very good result! A plant worth trying to here. And a good candidate for unheated greenhouses in colder areas. I have a nice Colocasia with purple stems from Vientiane in Laos. I collected it there last year. Now a big plant allready

Alexander

[Palmer]

Hi Dave,

It will be interesting to see if the C. Mammoth grows well this summer,
When ever I have left C. esculenta out all winter they often survive but they are very slow to come back and don’t attain any great size, C. gaoligongensis and C.formosana perform much better they come back earlier and get to a descent size by the end of summer.
I haven’t tried Mammoth yet so it looks like a visit to wilko’s is in order


Alexander has those C. gaoligongensis (C. non-fallax) that I sent you a couple of years ago done any good for you.
Is there any chance you can post a pic. Of that Colocasia that you have collected in Vietnam.

[Alexander]

Palmer,

Unfortunately that Colocasia non fallax died. It was in the autumn as far as I remember, so maybe not the best time.

Best regards,


Alexander

[kentgardener]

I've left one outside as an experiment too Dave, along with a Calidora and a Portadora.

Will let you know how they are in a couple of months time.

John

[Petefree]

Mine's still outside too. And the A calidora I got as one of those little Tropical Express jobs last spring...
Who knows whether they'll come up again - I'll let you know in late spring
Pete

[Dave Brown]

With the winter we have just had I secretly consigned my planted out Colocasias to history, but while weeding last week I made a very welcome discovery. Several of the rhizomes are not completely mushy and against the odds are starting to sprout. Not only did I not expect them to survive, this is earlier than they normally appear about late May. What is even more surprising is they are in a completely shaded north facing bed. I have not watered this bed at all so has not had the warm water treatment.

Here was the bed last November before the frosts destroyed the leaves.

To the left with huge leaves is Wilko's Colocasia Mammoth (Sold labelled as Alocasia), with smaller leaves, bottom right, although they can grow huge, Colocasia Burgundy Stem, and to the right, but largely obsured a huge unamed Colocasia from Jungle Seeds, that I call Jungle Giant

This is the Wilko's Colocasia Mammoth

Colocasia Burgundy Stem

Colocasia Jungle Giant

The experiment was to see if they were hardy, and with the shelter of the wall, they seem to be, although the the weatherstation temp sensor 5 feet above them recorded a low of -5.6C at ground level it was probably -6C. The experiment will continue now to see how big they get from being left outside. Our springs here are cooler than much of the UK due to proximity of the North Sea (Thames Estuary), so has anyone else got any through the winter planted out Colocasia are generally rated at Zone 7b which in the US can have 2 months of snow.

PS I have just discovered the huge original 2007 Wilko's rhizome is sprouting in the back garden Pics to follow

[lee-ann]

Good news dave

[themes]

i AM PLEASED THEY ARE SPROUTING AS THIS IS GOOD NEWS FOR US ALL. i AM NOT SURPRISED THEY ARE SHOOTING EARLY THOUGH, ALTHOUGH WINTER HAS BEEN COLD SPRING HAS BEEN UNUSUALLY EARLY AND WARMER. (i just realised I have been typing in capitals ). I have found many spring flowering plants flowering upto a month earlier. Shows what a good spring can do.

[becky]

well done dave cant believe they have survived i was going to ask what we do with aroids in the winter,it would be great if we can just leave them out and wait for them to come up every spring did you give them any protection at all or was it just the protection from the wall ?

[SteveP]

Excellent result Dave - well done

I suppose that the the protection of the wall not only helps with temperatures but that combined with the eaves overhang (assuming there is one) keeps winter moisture as low as possible. The Northerly aspect will also shelter to some degree from prevailing moist westerlies.

Steve

[Dave Brown]

Thanks for the replies

Mo, the spring has been milder than normal, but here a more even temp rather than some warm and some cold days. The Flowering Cherry next door normally drops it petals the first week in May, whereas this year it has already finished, so about 2 weeks early.

Becky, The wall gives shelter from radiation frost, also the Phylostaccys nigra Black Banbo that I removed last year has grown back a bit adding to protection. However, it does show that with a decent mulch they can over winter well, the main problem is the time to get going in the spring. The one in the back I have covered with a prop top to raise the temps more to those in the US to see how well they do.

Steve, under normal conditions the wall would protect the bed from rain and it would be quite dry, but last winter was wetter than normal here with 130% between Nov and Feb, also the prevaling wind during that time was east or northeast.

Wilko Coli Mammoth with prop top removed. I've ringed the shoots as they don't show up that well in the pic.

[Guy]

Wow Dave, I'm amazed and impressed. The burgundy stem and similiar are easy to over winter, but I found the Wilko type much harder with a great enthusiasm to rot. I'll follow this with interest to see how quickly they get going from the ground. My Wilkos side shoots in the greenhouse are about 6 inches high so not that much ahead frankly. Perhaps I need to look out for a sheltered place for them outside!

[Dave Brown]

Guy they do rot a bit but they don't seem to be terminal, so if the top half of the rhizome gets mushed they seem to resprout from the side or bottom Just a question of faith

[becky]

well i learn somthing new everday cheers dave