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I purchased 2 Thai's in Spring 06 from Plant Delights. I quickly planted one up in a pot and gave the other to a friend, Brett. He procrastinated a couple weeks, but planted his in a pot also. My has grown to what you see in the pic, which was taken in August. Brett brought his back to me in July because it was not growing... (Bonnie's plant infirmary). I placed his pot in the same area as my giant, it has put on a few new leaves and may be 2 ft tall. The biggest leaf is maybe 10 inches from top to tip. I've heard some people have felt slighted because their Thai grew about like my friend Brett's. I do feel bad that I paid $25 and have a 2 ft Giant, but I don't think Plant Delights knows which plants will grow large and which will grow small. Could it just be that is the way with Thai Giant?
I did email PD for wintering-over instructions as I'm in zone 5b and cannot leave them outside. I wanted to take it to work and let it grow, but I've moved in philos and palms and we do have to actually do some work, so I don't want the boss thinking it's a greenhouse instead of the office, so I'm going to have do something different. Here's the reply I received:
There is no one perfect way to over winter this particular Colocasia. Your
ideas mentioned below show that you are on the right track. It will remain
a personal decision as to what is most suitable for you given its size and
how much room you have to accommodate it.
First, not all Colocasia form tubers during one growing season. It is still
unknown if Colocasia gigantea 'Thailand Giant Strain' will form a tuber.
The specimen in our garden has been in the ground three years and has yet to
form a storable tuber. It is possible that our growing season outdoors is
too short for the plant to form a tuber. Ours does go dormant in the
gardens and comes back in June just fine. We believe it has swollen roots
which could become a tuber sometime in the future. If your roots are
swollen by the end of the season, there is a chance you could over winter it
in a dormant state. A swollen root is basically an undefined tuber. It
will appear larger than a typical root, but may not have enough carbohydrate
reserves (food) to carry it through an entire winter.
We have had customers successfully over winter their plant in the container
in a dark basement. This would be another option for you. You allow the
foliage to collapse with the first freeze and once the foliage has
collapsed, leave the dying plant material on the plant and store it in the
dark. Check on it occasionally to make sure the soil isn't going bone dry
but do not water too much. The plant is dormant and cannot use the water.
Keeping the soil slightly moist will keep the roots from dehydrating. The
dark, cool basement will keep the plant dormant until spring weather
returns.
I hope this information is helpful. We wish you best of luck this winter
with your plant. It is such an amazing plant. -end
So, now I have to decide what I'm going to do...
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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