Actually, the picture on this screen is better. What a good shot, though! What is the plant next to it that is losing it's foliage?

I'm curious, Krstofer - what does zone 8'ish mean? Are you in Florida?

Susan

It's a rose bush.. I think.

I'm in the valley of California- about an hour north of Sacramento.

Very nice!!! I think the petiole on this species is just fantastic :o) Dan

Yeah, well, those of you in warmer zones and with greenhouses can grow the amorphophallus better than those of us in marginal zones. I know I could grow A. Konjac as it is hardy in my zone, but the one I'd really like to have is A. paeonifolius (?) - love the foliage on that one. But, it's not hardy to my zone, and I have no way, I mean NO WAY, to winter it over inside. I barely have room to LIVE inside!

So, I will keep admiring your amorphs from afar......

Susan

HI Susan,

I'm proud to say I grow many an Amorph without a GH....it takes patience, perseverance and perhaps a good heaping helping of stupidity on my part, but I keep muddling along and blooming them as best I can. You can grow some, just pic species that are not the giants so that you can bring them in under a grow light for a few months if need be or in front of a window. Even the small flowers are fascinating and the giants are a bigger pain in the butt to haul around :o) Dan

No, S__T Sherlock! Having just had back surgery, I don't think I'll attempt that, unless I get a dolly - which is possible, because I've been thinking about it. So what would you suggest other than A. Konjac for starters. I really like A. paeonifolius (sp?), but I know it's not hardy here. Do they go dormant in the winter if you bring them inside?

As soon as my daughter/granddaughter move out, I WILL have room and plenty of light for them. Am thinking of adding flourescent lighting to supplement the natural light I get in the back room. But, if they naturally go dormant for a spell, I wouldn't want to try to maintain them in other than their dormant state for the winter. Need your advice, Dan.

Susan

Sherlock here!!! I perssonally find paeoniifolius to be very difficult to grow....in my climate.....in the south it is trivial from what I understand. I find the following to be very easy: henryi, albus, bulbifer, albispathus.....most of these are also pretty small species so they can be managed pretty easy....bulbifer being bigger. An albus can flower when it is 2 inches in diameter as can henryi and albispathus. The ones you want to stay away from are the ones with long thin tubers from Thailand.....these will rot when you wipe a tear from your eye in my horrible experience :o) Dan

That sounds tragic Dan. I just got a bunch of small A. Paeonifolius plants in a trade and have them potted up. Fortunately I have access to one of the premier green houses in the North East for the next four years, but I would rather grow a few of the amorphs on in the dorms/ apartments or what ever, for fear that any plant I bring with me will be considered a permanent donation to the green house. 12,000 species of plant and the only amoph they have is Bulbifer (I have to find them a Titanum). Any tips on how you grow the A. Paeonifolius? I typically let the cool temps of fall force my bulbs into dormancy and grow them on whenever they decide to sprout. From what i hear it is better to keep them at a continuous temp and let them go dormant on their own, then let the soil go dry and leave them potted so they do not dessicate. On a side note, the Bulbifer corms you gave me have more than doubled with the little bulbils that form at the bud of the leaf and one actually performed the rare ritual of dividing. Another side note. The green house on campus as I said only has on species of amorphophallus that they know of, but I found one growing up in one of the mass plantings that was definitely not bulbifer and was not supposed to be there. They certainly do get around.

Yeah, Dan, you're anything but stupid! I think we all take our clues from the Blue. The "Blues clues". Klavier - what greenhouse would that be, like NY Botanical Gardens, or the big one on Long Island, I don't recall the name.

I've been fertilizing about every other week at 3/4 strength of Super Bloom, as suggested by someone on this forum - I think it might have been Sheri. Is that about right?

Susan

Binghamton University

Klavier, I just can not grow paeoniifolius worth a darn.....I can say that if I let it go dormant in the fall like a konjac or bulbifer that I end up with a dead tuber by next spring.....I've tried storing them dry, in potting mix, never unpotting.....I've been killing this species for years. I know many Amorph friends up north here that have killed almost as many as me.....one guy I know imported 100 from India and they were all dead by the next spring.....This one is just tough for me, period. I've had them for 2-3 years and I love them, but eventually I've killed them.....Not that I do not keep trying by the way.....this year I'm going to take them to the lab where we have a room for our incubators, etc.....it stays very warm in there.....maybe 80+......I'm hoping that the extra warmth and humidity will keep them happy for the winter.....or not!!! Glad to hear the bulbifer is doing well. This one I do find to be easy!!

I'm wondering what people think of the various species from Africa?? I've only got 3 so far (1 complete unknown from seed 2 years ago) but they do seem to break dormancy more reliably in the spring compared to the species from Thailand. I'm wondering if anyone else here has the same or different experience??

Anyway, I've rambled about my lack of success long enough.....hope everyones tubers triple in size this year :o) Dan

All of the thailand species that ive bought this year havent even broke the soil surface yet... The thing that sucks is that the pots I have them in are much too big to put in a window for the winter.. or even to bring in under lights.( if i had money to buy the lights) I spose the world of amorphophallus ... and tropicals in general is just a world of experimentation ..Come winter Il count my losses and not buy those species again unless I move to florida ..

Happy growing all

Chris

I guess I'm just lucky or something.. Most of my plants grow easily- (and some do some rather strange things..) I just set up the driplines & timers and leave them alone.

Even the bulbs didn't have a problem when I lived in the snow.. I'd let the cold kill the leaves then dig them & keep 'em in a milk crate in the garage till it warmed up again.

I've found the more I leave the plants alone the better they do.. Sometimes I'll give them a little more water & some fertilizer, but that's about it.

So it is unusual for me to have a bulb that's so out of sinc with all the others- But there's one in that pot who hasn't done anything at all. I keep checking it for rot- So far it's alrite.. But it better start doing something soon.

Hi Chris,

Well, to quote from Alan G. "The majority of Amorphs from Thailand are long thin tubers and they are difficult to say the least. Every years I tell myself I'm getting rid of all the thin tubered species, but then I can't resist keeping them."

So, they are tough, but the petioles and leaf coloration on some are marvelous and it is why we all keep coming back for more....including me!!! I've got one of my cruddasianus and one of my macrorhizus up and the petioles are beautiful....the cruddasianuis is almost fuzzy in feel and it looks like it has a midday shadow growing when the light hits it just right....a beautiful plant :o) Dan