Calling Colocasia experts

[dave2166]

please excuse my ignorance on this speices, but i'm having a go with them this year so the learning curve is steep

i bought a large tuber a few weeks ago

i had read about starting them off in moist perlite in the airing cupbaord , so i did that too

now this is where i think i've dropped a big one

i assumed that the pointy end was the growing point, so sat the tuber with this upwards

now after checking earlier today i find out it is the other end which it grows from.... what a plank !!!

now it looks like this

i think its going to have to be potted up now

PLEASE pointers and guidance greatly received

[grub]

I always plant mine deeply in a mix of multi p and Perlite

[Dave Brown]

Apart from a bent sprout it looks fine. The roots always grow from the base of the shoot rather than from the bulk of the rhizome. Plant with the top of the rhizome just above the compost then cover with sharp sand or grit. This helps avoid collar rot in cold damp weather later in the spring.

As it has the pinkish roots and base of the shoot it looks like what we call a 'Mammoth' or the mislabelled Wilko Alocasia

This was mine in 2007 before reaching a 98cm leaf

[dave2166]

Thank you guys
I knew the experts would sort me out and I'm glad it now has a name as it was just bought for a fiver as colocasia
I will know for the future though it's pointy bit DOWN
another job for the weekend