It is possible to get a big Alocasia during the warm months in NJ, if you pick the right plant and grow it properly. A well grown Alocasia will throw a leaf a week, and assuming your warmest months are June, July, and August, that will give you at least 12 leaves. With each leaf doubling the area of the previous leaf, you'll have a pretty big plant by season's end.

Now, to get that kind of performance, you need an Alocasia with the right stuff. The best ones would be either Alocasia "Borneo Giant" or Alocasia x calidora. You could go with Alocasia x portora as well.

About seeds; I have grown many Alocasia from seeds and you are not going to get a big plant in one season from seeds. You will need to start with an actual decent-sized plant.

Please use the link below to see what is possible with Alocasia.

Next, if you are looking for "cheap", you'll probably have to find someone who will give you one, and that will not be easy in NJ. If you want to obtain one the "usual" way, email me privately.

LariAnn
Aroidia Research

Here is a link that might be useful: Aroidia Research - Alocasia Borneo Giant page

Here's the link directly to the Borneo Giant page.

LariAnn

Here is a link that might be useful: Alocasia

Do you have a cool, but not cold basement? You can grow alocasia macrorrhiza outdoors in summer and store it in a cool basement in winter. It will go dormant below 50 degrees and once it begins to grow a "trunk", it will pretty much stay green all winter. You could use a two light halogen shop light next to the alocasia in the basement for warmth and light.

Coming from Central Texas, I don't know a whole lot about NJ.

But my plain-jane variety elephant ear got enormous living in a southern window. After the second year, it was too big to fit thru the door, and I just put it into the garage for the winter. (granted, we do get lots of sunny, warm days in the winter and I would drag it out for an occasional sunbath)

Bet you could do something like TSmith recommends and be way ahead of the game for next year's summer season.

I tried overwintering Podoria (spelling?) outdoors last winter and was unsuccessful. I suggest you bring it inside. It is very hard to keep the plants dry and insulated. I build a wire frame covered with row cover cloth that was over the plant. I put in water bottles for freeze protection. I built a much larger outer wire frame and put dried leaves between the two. I then put a plastic bag roof to keep the rain off. Moisture still wicked up from the ground and kept the leave wet. I am not sure if it was the wetness and not the temps that killed. The center was rotten and parts on the outside seemed alive and unfrozen. Perhaps if I had pine needles I could have kept it dry enough. The plant was too far gone to save. It had a rather sweet smelling pleasant scent when I uncovered it. Sort of like some edible tropical fruit rotting.