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stevi_k

Fall care for my EE's

Stevi_K
18 years ago

I have my first EEs and would like to know when should I cut them back and let the dry for over wintering? Can I overwinter them as a house plant?

Thanks,

Stevi

Comments (6)

  • bluebonsai101
    18 years ago

    Hi Stevi,

    I know very little about EE, but my large Colocasia I just dig up around first frost, wash the roots, let them dry for a week or two in the basement and then toss them in peat for the winter. I've only tried overwintering a few growing and they attract aphids and whieflies like crazy. I believe those with more experience can comment on the smaller Colocasia.....I believe they would not like my treatment that I do with the big boys. I have also found that Alocasia macrorhiza can be stored completely dry all winter, but the Colocasia esculenta are not impressed by this at all in my house....dry rot in a big way. Sorry I can not be of more help, but I can guarantee that knowing the genus and species will help the others a great deal in provinding more info. Best of luck :o) Dan

  • Bonbon_N_KS
    18 years ago

    Hi Stevi,
    I'm no expert, here's what I do. Right now, I'm letting mine "dry". They are still in their pots, but I'm withholding water and allowing the foliage to die out on it's own. I think the "tuber" is fed from the foliage (?). Once the foliage has died back and is brown, I trim it off, dig up the tuber and store in cool, dry, dark basement. Hope someone will confirm my method.

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Bonbon - what if you don't have a cool dark basement? I have a room (actually a nice-sized closet) which used to be part of the garage until they converted it to a laundry room. There are two closets comprising approx. 1/4 of the laundry room, and the closets are divided in half. One of the closets is my cat's room for their litter boxes. It's WAYYYYYY back there so it doesn't get too odiferous. The other half, however, is unused. It does get pretty cold in the winter, but gets some warmth from the house itself. Probably wouldn't get below freezing. Could I use this in lieu of the basement, or do you think it would be too cold or too warm. No heat vents in the room, it does face North, but in front of it is the carport where we park.

    I have three pots that I just simply did not get planted in the yard, even though they are hardy in the ground - it's too late to plant them now. Can I just leave them outside for now, withhold water, let the foliage die back, then pull up the bulbs and store? Or, can I just withhold water, let the foliage die back, and then just put them in the room, pot, soil and all?

    Thanks for the help.

    Stevi - now for you. What EEs do you have? That would help some. A girl who was lurking on this forum e-mailed me and said her Alocasia plumbea nigra was left outside last year, and it came back this year just fine. However, we had a mild winter last year. We just never really know in Oklahoma, and I don't know about where you are in 6b. Too late now, but if you have EEs that are hardy to zone 7, you might want to start a pup in the ground next year, mulch really well after the first frost, and I bet it would come back the following spring/summer. Mine are late to break dormancy, but I took someone's advice on this forum and fed them a high phosphorous fertilizer (Super Bloom, which is something like 10-55-10) and they have been growing like weeds.

    If the EEs you have are more tender, though, I wouldn't risk it. I'd store them as Bonbon suggested. She's a zone 6'er, too, aren't you, Bonbon?

    I have some typhonium bulbs (small--about 1" diameter) that I need to plant out. They are hardy, but when is the best time to plant them, Bonbon?

    Thanks,

    Susan

  • Stevi_K
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks everyone,
    I live in zone 5A, outside of Chicago.
    Here is a list of my EEs. I have 2 Colocasia Esculenta "Violet Stem", 2 Red Stem "Rhubarb" one Alocasia Plumbae Nigra and one Chicago Harlequein (spelling).
    So I should just hold back watering, let the leaves die and then cut the stems off and rinse off the root,let it dry and put it in peat? That seems easy enough. Our nights are getting down into the 50's so. I forgot to say they are all still in the pots that they came in. I only got them from work a few weeks ago, to late to put in the ground. Any other advice?
    thanks again,
    Stevi K

  • Grancru
    18 years ago

    I e-mailed a number of Alocasia & Colocasia suppliers and was told to stop watering, let the folige die back then cut off. Mine are all in pots. I was told they can be stored in a warm closet or in my basement which is 68 degrees all winter with no problem.

    "Colocasias can be over-wintered actively growing in a sunny window in the house (provided the plant is not too big!). If the plant has size to it, you can let it go dormant (either let it freeze off, cut off the leaves; or, if it is in a pot, quit watering it). Store the dry bulb (if you dug it out of the garden) in a paper bag under your kitchen sink (some place warm). If it is growing in a pot and you quit watering it, the pot, dirt, and bulb can be left in tact and stored some place warm (a bedroom closet?)." - from Hilltop Farms

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Grancru (that's a lily, isn't it?) - thank you for the info. I have 3 in pots that I am going to allow the foliage to die back. I was going to store them in a closet I don't use, but it gets down to probably 40-50 degrees. I can also store them in my laundry room, where it gets pretty cool (except when the dryer is going), around 60-65 degrees.

    Oh, one more question, if anyone knows - if in pots, do you water them AT ALL? Also, when and how do you start bringing them out of dormancy. Last frost date for Oklahoma is April 15, so I'm sure it varies zone to zone.

    Susan

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