[aroid-l] Overwintering alocasia and colocasia

For those of us in northern US states, the Amorphophallus are attractive for two reasons - their flower and form, and the fact that most of them are dormant in the winter so they're easy to store. Like many of us, I grow many more plants in the summer than I could ever house over winter.

Now that I have a number of Colocasias and 5 Alocasia macrorrhizos I want to make sure I can overwinter them. I believe I read that the A. macrorrhizos can be dug, cut back, cleaned of dirt and stored dormant. Is that true?

I know that I can do that to Colocasia escualenta. What is the likelihood that I can treat the other Colocasias the same way? I know I'm asking a lot since I don't have ID's on them, but they're "escualenta-like" hybrids with dark petioles and/or dark metallic-sheen looking leaves. One of them is a prodigious producer of runners (even here in New England).

One reason I ask is because I have the chance to give some of them a permanent home at Mom's house in FL and I'd rather have them there than dead! Another reason is that I want to get more but I don't want to treat them as annuals.

I appreciate the advice,
Ken Mosher

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