| Last year I bought about 10 Alocasia Calidora by mail and planted them in pots. They did remarkably well here in Oklahoma City (7b). They grew on average to about 7 feet by late August. I had neighbors from blocks away pulling up my drive to my patio and getting out of their cars to look at these beasts. A policeman actually pulled up in his police cruiser and got out to look. (He commented that he had banana plants in his yard.) In the attached photo below the Alocasias are small (picture is mid July), it doubled in size by October 1.
Last fall I moved them into a sunroom (southern exposure) and have kept the night temperatures about 40 degrees or so on the coldest nights and I have neglected them...not even watering in November and December. Still, they seem to be thriving. (I finally gave them a drink, because it dawned on me that they might actually come through the winter without too much damage.)
So, two questions. Should I transplant these monsters into really, really large pots for season two? Will that make a difference?
Second question: after this kind of success I'm willing to try some of the other monster aroids, or should I stick with this success and be happy? Will the Borneo Giant actually grow to any size here in Oklahoma? Does anyone have any experience with stuff that comes out of the Aroid Research group in Florida?
Thanks |
Here is a link that might be useful: alocasiaCalidora.jpg
