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braspadya

Need advice for Amorphophallus bulbifer after flowering

braspadya
17 years ago

I planted my largest plant of A. bulbifer out in a bed with other tropicals in June. The plant ended up producing an inflorescence rather than the large leaf that I was expecting. Some of the references that I've run across suggest that this plant will often go dormant for a year after blooming.

So here's my question. Am I better off digging the bulb up & keeping it in dry storage for next year? Or will it absorb water & other nutrients, but not actively growing? It would be a pity to rot the bulb out.....

Happy gardening,

Dan

Comments (6)

  • bluebonsai101
    17 years ago

    Yep, they stay dormant in my hands after flowering.....they grow in the ground year round in the tropics and get rained on so in theory you should be fine, but I've always just left mine in peat......this species is a pain for doing this in my opinion....the flower is a bit of a dud and the petiole is much more impressive..wish they would just produce leafs every year....it will be interesting to hear if others leave theirs potted or in the ground getting rain or not :o) Dan

  • greenelbows1
    17 years ago

    Mine are in the ground all year and get leaves a few months after they bloom, I guess--should mark the calendar! I didn't expect the konjac I just got this spring to have a leaf after it bloomed, but after a fairly long time it had several, and now it has several more (small) ones. I'm making progress on getting some other folks here interested in them and have given away lots of bulbifers--should be able to do the same with konjac. I read conflicting information as to whether konjac would 'do' this far south, but I think it does. On the other hand, I see no sign of peonifolius, which I had for three years. Thought I'd get a bloom this year. Ah well. Live and learn!

  • braspadya
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks for your inputs! I think that I am going to dig it up & store it til next year to be on the safe side.

    Happy growing,

    Dan

  • karen__w z7 NC
    17 years ago

    My bulbifers are in pots. Both times I've had flowers mine have formed seed heads, and I just left them outside in the pots as usual for summer without problems. One ripened (and seeded off) in the garden and the other stalk ripened over winter in the garage. Usually I take the tubers out of the soil and store them on a shelf, but last year I left the one with the seed head in the pot, unwatered, and it was fine. Konjac flowered for me the first time this year, and I had to put it outside earlier than usual. I was afraid I had rotted it in the wet, cool spring weather when the flower stalk finally melted down, but it put up a leaf in June.

    On a side note, I've learned this year what happens if your amorph gets 'topped'. I had a bunch of little bulbifers that got chomped by a deer, and am happy to say that they've all put up new leaves. It's a good thing to know in my neck of the woods.

  • braspadya
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I just thought that I would pass along my experience. On digging the tuber up, the root system is in active growth. Flowering was several weeks back. The tuber will stay in a pot for another month or two in the hopes of inducing leaf growth.

    Happy growing,

    Dan

  • Bonbon_N_KS
    17 years ago

    I'm not sure what type I have, but last year it bloomed, I planted once I saw a "nub". By the end of summer it was 6 ft tall and I dug it up, got a couple baby bulbs and 6 new ones volunteering this year where I dug it up. The parent bulb bloomed this spring, nubbed up and I planted it in a pot. I'm yet to see anything popping through the soil surface.... I dug/scratched down and it is growing,not rotted (thank goodness).. just seems very slow this year..

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