What Colocasia are you growing ? List them here

[SteveW]

Oh yeah,can now add Jacks giant courtesy of Petefree via sarah via john
And Hawaiin eye and blue hawaii,both plants are uber sexy as is the Diamondhead that John picked up
Mark Hall picked up another nice one called pineapple something it was only a few hours ago and I've forgotten it already
There were a couple of other nice ones there too,but at £9 a pop you can't get them all

[Alexander]

Alexander,


My collies are kept wet all summer, but don't grow to the same size as in autumn.

My theory..... not proven
Could be humidity levels higher, or something about day length, all coupled with temperature. These are tropical plants and maybe prefer an equal day/night (1/2, 1/2), rather than the 2/3, 1/3 of June

Even when I kept collies going overwinter, they get smaller as light levels/temps fall over winter, but don't regain the size again until late summer/autumn, even from a larger rhizome

3 factors that may affect growth are Temp/Day length, light level/Humidity

Winter = cold/short day, low light/humid = small leaf, slow growth
Spring = cool/equal day, medium light/dry = medium leaf, medium growth
Summer = warm/long day, bright light/dry = medium leaf, fast growth
Autumn = warmish/equal day, medium light/humid= large leaf, medium growth

My conclusion from that would be...
Temp = growth rate.
light level = leaf size (too dark/too light =equals smaller)
humidity = plant happiness/health

The problem we have at this latitude is that we need exposure to sun to get the warmth in spring/early summer, this result in growth but only medium sized leaves. However, we manage to get warmth with lower light levels in late summer autumn, this gives medium growth and larger leaves.

Dave,

Colocasias indeed can be considered tropical. Althoug in Northern India and Nepal you can find them in the lowlands as well. They are very common in Assam, both green and wine-redstemmed forms and also in Nepal. You can see them wild near Chitwan National Park along streems. Those areas are in the subtropicas but Assam is planted full with coconut and betlenut palms.

About overwintering, its now a good time to pot them up and as soon it gets colder you can bring them in. During winter you can grow them as a houseplant at 15 to 20 degrees.

Alexander

[kentgardener]

Mark Hall picked up another nice one called pineapple something it was only a few hours ago and I've forgotten it already

So had I - I thought it was Apricot something.

None you mention Pineapple I have remembered what- it was 'Pineapple Princess'

I think the other ones available were 'Hilo Bay' and 'Royal Hilo'. All of them originally thanks to that clever man at the University of Hawaii.

[Dave Brown]

Mark Hall picked up another nice one called pineapple something it was only a few hours ago and I've forgotten it already

So had I - I thought it was Apricot something.

None you mention Pineapple I have remembered what- it was 'Pineapple Princess'

I think the other ones available were 'Hilo Bay' and 'Royal Hilo'. All of them originally thanks to that clever man at the University of Hawaii.

They are good finds John/Steve. John Cho is the guy in Hawaii. Seems he was breeding food Colocasia for years, then retired from that and now works in creating ornamentals, so there may be a lot of new hybrids coming down the line.

Had word from Simon at Amulree he has some exiting new collies planned for 2011.

[SteveW]

I see hes listed sangria and gigantea thai giant available for next spring,hopefully a few more too to replace the ones I'll lose this winter
The hawaiian ones are going to come indoors along with the variegated nanas this year,just don't tell Kez as its a surprise

[Bob]

My first proper year growing collies, so wasnt sure what to expect growth/size wise really. All purchased as small plants back in the spring.

Burgundy Stem:

Made it up to about 5ft with runners rooting and shooting around the base. I'll have to look up Daves instructions on dealing with these for overwintering.






Sold to me as Antiquorum:

Looks very much like a smaller version of burgundy stem to me at around 3-4ft




Esculenta:




Gaoligonensis:

Dont seem to have grown much at all really, maybe next year.




Mojito:



I'll definitely be trying a few more varieties for next year, as even more dahlias get thinned out.

[Alexander]

My first proper year growing collies, so wasnt sure what to expect growth/size wise really. All purchased as small plants back in the spring.

Burgundy Stem:

Made it up to about 5ft with runners rooting and shooting around the base. I'll have to look up Daves instructions on dealing with these for overwintering.






Sold to me as Antiquorum:

Looks very much like a smaller version of burgundy stem to me at around 3-4ft




Esculenta:




Gaoligonensis:

Dont seem to have grown much at all really, maybe next year.




Mojito:



I'll definitely be trying a few more varieties for next year, as even more dahlias get thinned out.

The one with the runners and the red stems is the same you see everwhere in Assam!
Its just a redstemmed form of C. esculenta. And they are found together in the wild.

And in cultivation they get all kinds of fancy names like Burgundy Stem...

Alexander

[Simba]

The Mojito is crazy....might be tempted to try one of those...

[redsquirrel]

i started the year with 4 black magic plugs,none really did anything as expected so i planted 2 out.these are still dithering.one i gave away recently and the last one in a pot has put on a late spurt looking almost presentable

[JonK]

I've not grown so many collies this year as I lost a few over winter. Here's what I've grown;

esculenta (Asda special)
Fontanesii
Tea Cup
Ruffles
Black Ruffles

most have done well, especially Fontanesii, apart from Tea Cup which took a while to get going.

The Xantosoma's I grew instead of more collies also done very well.

If Simon is going to have a few different ones for next year, I must keep an eye open and pop in during the spring.

[Dave Brown]

Bob, gaoligonensis is a small grower maybe 12 to 18" (30 to 45cm) max, but it makes up for it in being so tough. Sometimes the central rhizome rots, but they always come back from the stolons Just not necessarily where you would expect them They can be a few feet away.

Can't see the post now but someone said about Dark Stem Hybrid being the same as Burgundy Stem. My Dark Stem has green veins and a more green leaf, where as Burgundy stem has burgundy veins and a burgundy sheen to the leaf.

JonK, you managed to get Teacup through the winter, all of us Kentish growers seemed to have lost ours

Hawaiian Eye can easily be mistaken for Black Magic at first glance, but there are several give aways. Black Magic is green when the leaf and stem first emerge including green veins, all turning deep purple/black in the sun. In winter they stay mostly green. Hawaiian Eye on the other hand has glossy purple black stem from the start, and the leaf is like Burgundy Stem with a burgundy/purple hue to the leaf with deep purple veins from the underside. The leaf opens a much darker colour than Black Magic but has more silvery veins. The leaves are supposed to fade to a purple Eye, but mine has not got that far yet.

[JonK]

Dave

I had 2 off Tea Cups and both were kept in the conservatory over winter which I didn't heat. Both turned to mush but one had a small offshoot of the corm which I managed to get going in the greehouse albeit not until July. Its a nice plant now though.

I'm hoping Black Ruffles (I think it is also known as Black Runner) is going to be better at overwintering than Black Magic. I had about 5 BM's last year only for them to be lost over winter. I probably won't bother with BM again unless I can pick them up really cheap and use as summer bedding.

I forgot to mention, I do have a small gaoligonensis aswell but its still in a pot in the greenhouse.

[Scott Radford]

[quote="Dave Brown"]I wandered around the garden and conservatory last weekend, and took a note of all the collies I have and the numbers. I thought I had lost loads last winter but most came back. and those I did actually lose I have replaced.

Let's compare what we are growing and how you think they have done in 2010

Colocasia
Black Beauty clump of 10
Black Magic clump of 13
Burgundy Stem x 1
Dark Stem Hybrid x 1
Elepaio x 1
Fontenesii Clump of 6
Gaolagonensis x 7
Hawaiian Eye x 1
Jack's Giant x 3
Mammoth x 16
Mojito x 1
Pink China x 1
Remusatia ( not a collie, but very similar) 2 trays (about 20 plants)

We are very similarly matched - mine are in 2011
Esculenta x 8
Pink Stem x 10
Burgandy Stem x 5
Fontanessii x 4
Teacup x 1
Blackwater x 1
Elena x 1
Blue Hawaii x 1
Gigantea x 3
Hawaiian Eye x 4
Mammoth x 40 odd
Pineapple Princess x 4
Limeade x1
Emerald x 4
Surf City x 1
Mojito x 1
Hilo Bay x 1
Tiger stripe x 1
Rhubarb (which I think is going to be pink stem) x1
Diamond Head x 3
Illustris x 4
Big Dipper x 1
Heterochroma 'Dark Shadows' x 1

I did have Jack's Giant and Thai giant plus ele paio last year too but they didn't make it through winter, and I've been unable to get them since that time

I also have Remusatia pumila x 4, R. hookeriana x 1 and R. vivipara x 4

Shall we see what numbers these turn to by the end of the summer and maybe do a swap Dave?

[SteveW]

Very impressive list
Where did you source the limeade,tiger stripe etc.?
I've seen limeade on us ebay,but never found a seller willing to ship here.
Probably gave up too easy I know
Scratch that question,just read the Plant delights thread

[Scott Radford]

Here's a picture of a young Colocasia mammoth I have growing. i stripped its outer leaves back to the base of the stem and it is indeed pink coloured, so i think that has established it as being the same as one of yours Dave