Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
chris_e_uk

Colocasia 'Jacks Giant'

chris_e_uk
14 years ago

Please can anyone give advice on the growing of this plant, It seems to me that this variety of Colocasia is abit more tender and slow to start than most other Colocasias, more like 'Illustris' and 'Black Magic' than the hardier more rampant varieties, have started it off in heated greenhouse but still very slow and much much smaller than other varieties growing next to it, any tips most welcome.

Thanks, Chris.

Comments (6)

  • chris_e_uk
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Can i take it from the lack of replys that i am the only person on this forum growing this plant, well thats a first.

  • philofan
    14 years ago

    I grow some colocasias. They grow better in the ground. You could plant it out in a large pot. Mine get larger with age--first year they are not too large.

    Moisture, warmth and rich soil are ideal to get the best out of these.

  • hightider
    14 years ago

    I planted jacks giant last year it was no giant it did produce many pups ive planted itin the ground ,it over winters here in zone 8,Have many other colocasia just starting to come up hope yours does well this year Hightider

  • susie-nc
    14 years ago

    HI , I grew GJEE.....it was a giant...aleast 7ft or tallaer..I have lots of pups and it over wintered z7....if I can find my pictures I took of gjee I will post them.......Diane

  • angelfairy
    14 years ago

    If you bought a tissue culture plant you will find it takes forever for them to get large. I'm not a fan of tissue culture plants as they seem to be inferior in many ways even though thet are touted as the best way to multiply plants. Give me the old fashioned way of dividing any day.

  • alocoloman
    13 years ago

    Hi there everyone I totally agree with angelfairy I have jack's giant here in the UK.

    Sadly we had the most severe winter in 30 years here last one just gone, with cool weather extending well into the first half of May - I've had Colocasias out in the pond at the end of February and still flowering in December (when I dared not leave them any longer!) here in the south UK in previous years.

    Very few of my plants made it through though thankully my jack's giant sent up a pup, which I removed from the parent right away and which spent the winter in the conservatory. It never went into dormancy and has just put out its third leaf this year though it is still only 6 inches tall.

    I fortunately managed to keep one viable esculenta var aquatilis as was kept dry enough in my uncle's greenhouse.

    Unfortunately the demise of all mine it seems was my mother's decision to 'helpfully water my dry colocasias' when I was away on holiday in December. I only discovered when I checked them in February that a combination of the coldest winter in a generation and saturation had finished every single plant that I had - say 80 or so - off. Fortunately I have 6 pups from the runners of my aquatilis, though sadly the parent plant didn't survive. This Colocasia is perfect for the pond and vitrtually impossible to obtain in the UK.

    the rest of my collection have had to be repurchased at some cost this spring. Heated overwintering for all this time around will be ready in case of a similar winter - I will aim to keep a temperature of 54F which will prevent dormancy. Black magic will be brought in the house for winter in the bathroom window.

    Happy growing of these fab plants one and all :-)

    Scott

Sponsored
Through The Garden, Inc.
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars21 Reviews
#1 Landscape Design Build Firm Serving Virginia/Maryland & DC Area