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tommyr_gw

A. Konjac waking up!

tommyr_gw Zone 6
11 years ago

Well one of my Konjacs are waking up! Currently growing a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch per day. Spring is coming finally!

Comments (43)

  • Leafhead
    11 years ago

    Mine bloom faithfully this time of year, then leaf around May or so...

  • tommyr_gw Zone 6
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Mine do too.

  • lomodor
    11 years ago

    sigh..i feel so left out..LOL :) weve had such a chilly winter here (utah) my konjac look like they are waking up..just
    not totally awake..lol.. maybe i should give them some
    of my strong coffee??? what do ya think.. lol
    i know they will..eventually..
    great pic tommy !!!!
    how big is that corm?? looks like around 8"???
    hopefully we get some good summer growth this yr and end up with some BIG corms for next yr ...

  • tommyr_gw Zone 6
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    8 inches it is lomodor! Good guess! I have several others nearly that size that haven't started growing yet. That's alright with me though. I have so many plants inside that I barely have room for any more! This is a hectic time of year for me as far as plants go! Next year it'll be alright, I'll be retired then and have more time to play!

  • lomodor
    11 years ago

    yea on your retirement tommy!! im ways off from that.. sigh..lol.. our plants do take alot of our time..dont they..
    a passion of love,and facination for sure..

  • lomodor
    11 years ago

    heres couple pics of my larger corms.. ive pulled these
    out last couple days and put in slightly warmer room..
    dont want every one to bloom at once.. id have to move
    out..LOL

  • tommyr_gw Zone 6
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    VERY nice corm!

  • lomodor
    11 years ago

    question to u all.. and sort of off topic of "waking up
    corms" ..but... does anyone growing any stored dormant
    types of amorphs do anything to prevent drying out of the corms..??
    from my very limited experience my konjac have no problem there..i now have several paeonifolius..and i read they do/can dry out if stored out of soil..and inside where exposed to dry heat ..???
    my paeonifolius look good..no shrinkage,firm..and as they are starting to sprout..im going to pot them up soon anyways..
    thoughts???? much thanks...

  • Leafhead
    11 years ago

    try storing them in dry peat moss.

  • lomodor
    11 years ago

    peat moss sounds good..i use to do same with my
    dahlia tubers.. im sure the same..
    just enough moisture so they dont dry out..but not
    soggy
    thanks

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    I store mine in polystyrene boxes in plastic bags. Also got some in soil. You need to make sure they aren't too wet. Dampness, provided temperatures aren't too low, shouldn't be a problem. Dry peat moss should work as well.

  • lomodor
    11 years ago

    i agree tropic.. i havent had trouble with konjac..
    i do boil water on the stove everyday during the winter..
    just to put some humidity in the house..i have gas furnace..and it dries the air out..
    with my paeonifolius..im thinking they may need more humidity..???
    with my dahlias..i would barely spray the peat with water..
    and store in big cardboard boxes..

  • lomodor
    11 years ago

    ok.. heres another thought..lol on maybe helping konjac..maybe paeonifolius while out of soil from not
    drying out so much..and maybe even giving the corm some
    nutrients ..
    ?? i was thinking of lightly spraying the corms with kelp powder added to water??
    i was thinking with all the energy from the corm going into producing the flower (if flowering size) and shrinking the corm..maybe some nutrients given to the corm at this stage ..???
    what do ya all think?? has anyone tried this???
    much thanks...
    planted lettuce today !!! yea !!!!

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    Always worth a try. But I think there are processes going on in a tuber even when dormant. Might be worth while to do some searching and reading up on tubers in dormancy.

  • lomodor
    11 years ago

    ya..i dont think spraying with the kelp will hurt the corms..
    i am asking a couple people i know with phD's in plant
    science what they think.. both work in tropical plants ..one has alot of work in aroids..so hope she gets me on right
    track with this.. :)

  • lomodor
    10 years ago

    didnt know if i should start new thread or join on tommys..so here it is..:)
    a few pics of some of the "forest" of amorphs ..lol
    i took these this morning

  • lomodor
    10 years ago

    and a few more..smaller pots..

  • tropicbreezent
    10 years ago

    They're looking good. I don't get home til later this week. See then what my little one is doing. Got a cold wintery blast last night, temp got down to 19.1C. I think we might be in for a few more days of this yet or lower, along with wind. The days should still (hopefully) get above 30C.

  • lomodor
    10 years ago

    funny..even the titanums are comming alive now?? this is so odd..LOL
    were to have this blast furnace heat thru wed next..
    it hit 112F ( 44.4 C) in salt lake for 2 consecutive days
    .i think friday,sat last.. geesshhh
    hope all your plants are doing fine tropic!!!!

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    I've forgotten how to do pics...I've got loads if pics of my konjacs, I just love it when the come out, mines in the "side show bob"
    Phase the leaf is just starting to lay flat, it looks like a wicked poofy set of dreads!

    What all do u have there lomodor?
    I think I see konjacs, peonifolius, and suromatum venosum, what all else u git hiding in there?

  • tropicbreezent
    10 years ago

    Late winter/spring we get 38C to 40C and even though humidity is also starting to get up the titanums don't like it. So over 40C and the titanums will be getting really upset, especially with lower humidity. If you don't have wind then it would be easier to humidify the air around them.

  • lomodor
    10 years ago

    tropic..hopefully the HOT HOT temps are moving on..
    we only got up to 102F ( 39C) wow..its almost chilly..
    LOL next couple of days just 100F..
    no wind..no rain..just sun and heat.. sigh..
    i gotta remember to hose myself off after watering the
    plants too..:)
    grab.. ya..those and a couple hewittii..titanums (that are just poking there petioles out)
    i have my biggest pots..with 2 huge konjac,and 2 largest
    titanum corms in other spot..almost complete shade..just a little mid morning sun..
    please do post pics grab.. just under "post a follow-up"
    theres the image file to upload (optional) "choose file."
    hit there goes to your pic files.and lets see your stuff !!!
    :)

  • lomodor
    10 years ago

    i was lookin at my biggest konjac..and.. next yr..all things go well.. i could have some nice sized konjac corms next yr..
    ?? tommy?? youve had some monster konjac corms... where did you get HUGE pots??
    biggest one i can find (box store) is 26" wide..its biggest they carry.. but.. if i do have some 16"+ corms.. im gonna
    need even bigger pots..
    ???

  • tommyr_gw Zone 6
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Local garden center is where I get them. If they get too big for those pots I'll build a crude container for them.

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    I totally forgot I could sneak one photo per post in and not host it offsite!
    Since finding out Flickr will only host 200 free photos, I've dumped them...and every pic I click, page I turn, anything I try to view on photobucket...I get redirected to some commercial, I refuse to use either now!

    So here's "pappy" waking up!

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    2 days later

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    Sorry I don't remember exactly how long it was between pics, but they move do fast at this stage!

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    This is that same day

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    The very next day!

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    2nd angle same day as above

  • tommyr_gw Zone 6
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    They're fast once they get going. My biggest is now about 4-5 inches tall. SLOW to wake this year.

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    Wow that is slow!
    Mines in full leaf now, it still has some filling out to do, but it's alot bigger than I anticipated, I was worried that it wouldn't have grown alot last year, that was its first year blooming, the tuber drew up and shrank dramatically!

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    Sorry to hijack your thread with all these posts, tommyr!

    Both this and the above photo are from today

  • tommyr_gw Zone 6
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    No problem, Nice photo/plant!

  • lomodor
    10 years ago

    great pics grab..
    like tommy said..once they get going..whether flowering..or petiole.. they shoot up..
    our really hot weather has left..whew.. its suppose to get
    back close to 100F..but thats alot better than 105F+

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    Here's a group shot...
    From left to right:
    2 forms of peonifolius
    5 little A. Fucus jammed in one pot
    A. Yuloensis
    A. Symonianus
    And the konjacs

  • lomodor
    10 years ago

    grab..u have the makings of a forest man!!! :)
    lol..
    looks like they are enjoying where u have them..and growing them.. way to go...
    i see u have your pots sitting on elevated shelf/openings.
    im doing same this yr with all my amorphs.. helps with
    draining potting mix..i dont mind the extra watering..if the
    corms get what they need..

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    I try not to let em sit on the ground at all, we have some really high concentrations of root nematodes, I used diatomaceous earth and cook all my medium for a good while...

    That pic is A. Peonifolius, I'm unsure what form it is, it's has a super bumpy petiole, wonderful granite like pattern!

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    Kinna hard to make out, but I think you can get the gist of it...

  • tommyr_gw Zone 6
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Really nice photos folks! SLOWLY mine are getting there. Not ready for photos yet.

  • PEDRO ISAAC
    7 years ago

    Hey folks, one doubt
    My A. konjac bulb is in dormancy since June. I'm from Brazil, so spring has just begun, but there is not much difference between the temperatures of the seasons at all. Does anyone know how much it will stay dormant or if there is something I could do to make it wake up?

  • tommyr_gw Zone 6
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    They can take a while to wake up. Keep them damp and just wait it out. Keep it in the Sun to warm the soil.

  • tropicbreezent
    7 years ago

    Pedro Isaac, it's the same here. Spring has only just started with minimum temps around 24C to 26C and maximum temps from 35C to 38C, and also no sign of my konjacs, nor any other of my Amorphophallus. You just need to wait a bit more, it shouldn't take long now.