The secret to growing them fast and big is to feed them well. They like a highly organic well drained soil. Plant them deep. The tuber is all "eaten" up to produce the leaf which in turn grows another (hopefully much larger) tuber by the end of the season. The bigger and healthier the leaf, the bigger the tuber it will produce. The bigger the tuber the bigger and healthier the leaf it will produce.

By the way, these aren't bulbs. Bulbs are made up of layers, like onions. Tubers/corms are solid.

welcome to the world of obsession.. lol you wont stop with
one...or even one kind.. sigh..:)
tropic said it.. in san diego u will have a nice long growing
season.. they like warmer temps when potted up and growing..and like tropic said..a good fertilizer..with minor
elements..
semi sun..not direct sun.. i did last yr..and im sure it stunted
the vegetative growth..
yours wont bloom this yr..maybe not next..
size matters.. LOL
i planted some of my konjac in raised beds..and in pots..
im not a believer in planting directly in soil.. various reasons..competition with weeds,other plants,planting them deep enough..
the roots will come from the top of the corm..so width is necessary for the roots to spread out..
good luck to ya !!!!!!!!!!

Thanks guys for the replies! I definitely will feed it good this year. My goal is to get this thing to be a massive corm for next year!
Also, when you say no direct sun? Do you mean in full shade? I have areas of technically fully shade but are still bright. Thanks!

Z

You can plant it whenever you want, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will start growing according to your schedule. Regardless, I'd go ahead and plant it now. Bury it at least as deep as the height of the corm because, as mentioned above, the roots start growing from the top and it needs to be able to anchor itself. If it's in a pot, keep it slightly moist but don't water it until it starts poking through the surface. It might also be a good idea to secure the pot to something because it's easy for them to get blown over, especially when they get big. If it's in the ground, pretty much let it do its thing, just make sure it gets enough water and fertilize it if you think its soil is lacking. They seem to tolerate moderate drying pretty well. When I had mine in the ground, I'd give them a good soak whenever the leaf started to droop and they perked right back up.

Direct sun vs. indirect--In my experience, direct sun leads to a smaller leaf, but more corm growth. My guess as to why is this: The plant uses its stored energy (the corm) in order to produce the leaf. If the plant receives more light, it does not have to try as hard to produce a leaf large enough to support its growth, so it does not use as much of the corm. Plus, it has the added benefit of being able to absorb more light and photosynthesize more sugars to rebuild the corm. Hence, more net corm growth at the end of the season.

Fertilizer--yes. They are hungry plants and will benefit from regular feedings.

Mine get early morning Sun only, shade the rest of the day. All mine are still dormant except one, she's about to bloom so several days of stink for me! This is her a few weeks ago (she's 42" tall as of this morning. New photo soon):

Not sure why the photo didn't post on my reply.

wow tommy..that one really bolted up didnt it..:)
most excellent..
mine are waking.. i'll get some pics on here..
make sure to post your flower tommy..:)

Thanks you guys for your replies! I second lomodor, definitely post your flower tommy when it comes up. That tuber is awesome!
I haven't planted yet the tubers, but I will soon.

Z

Lomodor and tommy,

How are you konjacs? pics?
The three tubers I got are planted. Two in pots, and one in the ground. I'm excited.

Good luck ; mine are just starting to show signs of life...

Well here's an update: l

I got impatient so I took out the dirt from one pot to see if the corm had started rooting out or the tip had groiwn. So far nothing! The corm is exactly the same. No root activity or growth tip activity. It is still very firm so I know it's not rotting which is good.
The mean temperature is slowly rising but it still gets into the low 50s at night and still occasionally the 40s. It's probably just too cold for them to break dormancy I'm hoping!

Z

Hold back on the water until you see new growth past the soil line; then drench. The soil should drain excess water off readily.
You won't see growth until night temps steadily reach the mid to upper 60's F. Mine don't leaf out until at least May. I do occasionally get a bloom in late Jan/ Feb.

i agree with leafhead.. here in utah..we dont get "warmish"nites till late may..
i pot my amorphs up and haul out on nice days..70sF
then bring back in.. i dont know if this helps them get
started earlier or not.. i do get vegetative growth above
soil mid april though..
i completely agree on dont let corm sit in soggy soil..it will
rot the corm..
good luck..and keep us posted..hope u post pics too
when foliage comes out ...

I just received some of these bulbs--100.........I wanted to thank everyone for posting the info I needed........Thanks....I will try to post a photo of them later...

Nice Susie! Keep us posted!

wow..100 corms.. u will have a stinky forest in a
couple years.. :) lol
hope to see pics and plants progress!!
good luck to ya susie...

100 corms? Man in a a year or two you're gonna make bank on eBay! LOL

Or stink to High Heaven LOL

Hey all,

Well my Konjacs are in the ground and just barely poking out as it's been a cool spring. I do have a question about A. Bulbifer though.
I got a tuber in the mail that looks like it is going to bloom. Should I plant it in a pot and have it outside or can I just leave it inside on a table or shelf like I've heard of people doing with Konjacs when they flower....? Thanks!

Z

I'd never leave the tuber out of soil when it starts to grow. It weakens it too much.

Hello,

Just updating on my konjacs. I wish I hadn't pawned my digital camera, otherwise I'd take pictures right now. I'll for sure take pictures as they start to leaf out; they are growing now and they seem to be loving where they are. Two of them are in pots and one is in the ground. The one in the ground is growing the fastest I think.
Thanks to all for your recommendations.

Z

I potted this corms up.........at least 20 have bloomed.........I HATE these plants, waiting to see the leaves.....just not my thing when it comes to plants.......cant wait to dig and get rid of.I know everyone has their favorite plants, including me.NOT THESE.......

you got 100 corms but you hate the plants? Wow! Maybe you'll like the leaves better...
Z