Hi, I'm not in BC, but they can easily take zone 6 winters that is for sure. I leave mine in absolute full sun here in Pittsburgh, PA. YOu could easily transplant into the ground still, but of course, be careful to no twilt them the first few days. Hope someone from BC chimes in :o) Dan

Thanks Dan, what kind of soil mix are you growing yours in?

HI, Well mine are either in pots on the front porch just for the tropical look and then they are in a mix of pine bark and perlite (1:1....I use this because I use it for everything else and so I do not have to mix up anything different). The ones in the ground are just in our soil (clay) that has been ammended with some compost. They do not grow as big and fat in our crappy soil, but they do just fine. This is a really tough plant that can take from deep shade to full sun from fast draining soil to clay. Just doesn't get much better than that :o) Dan

Thanks again Dan,

Just pine bark and perlite? No Soil? Interesting...I have mine potted in a mix of rich organic soil, peat and composted steer manure (about 3:1:1). Like I said earlier, they are in 1 gal. pots, but I think I will have to re-pot to give them a little more room. Looks like I won't have a place to put them in the ground this year. Any suggestions about over-wintering?

Regards,
BD

Bd - I'm curious - what kind of "rich, organic soil" do you use - prepackaged? I have one that I am expecting soon, but I think I will amend my clay soil with the peat and composted manure or mushroom compost. That's what I usually do for most everything, and my other aroids seem to like it.

SUsan

HI BD,

We typically have rather cool, wet summers and that spells rot for many of my Amoprhs if I'm not careful with drainage. By using nothing but pine bark and perlite I can water every day for the most part and fertilize once or twice per week with no problems. I tried peat-based mixes at one point and lost some so I'll not do that again. As for the Typhonium.....they can grow in clay here with lots of water....they are tough beasts that is for sure. As for the winter.....zone 6 or warmer just leave them in the ground and forget about them. They are easily that hardy. If you want to dig them you can store them perfectly dry at room temp or in the basement at 50 degrees and they are happy as clams.....same as for the standard Amorph konjac. Good growing :o) Dan

Susan: sorry about the delay in responding. Yes, I use a prepackaged organic topsoil that is prepared locally (outside Vancouver). Very nice stuff with lots of organic material. I think I need to re-pot my Sauromatum already - one of them has started to put up 2 more shoots - so they seem to like the mix. I think I'll add some sand or vermiculite for drainage this time.

Dan: thanks for all the tips. Ever tried overwintering them in a cool greenhouse?

BD

Hi BD, well, if you can buy me a cool greenhouse (or even a warm one) I'll try it!!! The multiple shoots is caused by 2 things.....the mother tuber sending up lots of shoots to make a huge tuber and the babies that are forming sometimes grow the same year and get quite large! Actually, I'v left them in the ground here in PA and they are fine.....this species is real tough....a fellow aroid guy here in Pittsburgh has left his in the ground for 15 years with no problems.....my biggest problem is the squirrels move the small tubers aroud on me so I find them growing all over the place....one day I'm going to go walking in the woods behind my house and see 100s of these guys out there.....they can become a real weed I think if they set seed and have a hospitable climate......my Am. konjac babies get moved all over the place as well.....goofy wild life :o) Dan

Thanks for the laugh Dan...Sauromatum and Amorphophallus being spread by squirrels! I wish I had that kind of problem. I haven't been able to track down any Amorphophallus yet. They don't seem to be at all common around here. But then I haven't been looking all that long. I only got the aroid "bug" about a year ago - right after we bought a house and I finally had a garden again.

BD

Hey BD,

Contact me off-line for an Am. konjac this fall....maybe a trade of postage. Depending on yield anywhere from samll (postage) to massive (trade) :o) Dan

Thanks Dan...I appreciate the offer! Is it any problem for you to get phytosanitary certificates?