Re: Starter Amorph!

Wow. 

That is not one I would recommend for anyone to start learning the genus. 

This species is a Type II Amorphophallus, and it is only a baby. How high is your greenhouse ceiling? Check out this image from the IAS website of Jim Symon standing with an adult leaf: 

https://www.aroid.org/genera/serveimage.php?key=1503

And here is the inflorescence:

https://www.aroid.org/genera/serveimage.php?key=1498

It is the second largest Amorphophallus species in volume, but the tallest species of all.

Potting: It needs a much larger pot, clay is good, or anything that lets more oxygen to the roots. The tuber must be deep in the pot, but never sitting on the bottom where it will rot. This species is very prone to rot. I will mention this a lot in this epistle. I usually put a good layer of orchid bark in the bottom of the pot for Type II species to improve drainage (never sand). Do not use other commercially available barks, osmundine, or coir, as they are often washed in sea water and will have absorbed high levels of salts. I repot at every dormancy, with entirely new soil to keep lots of nutrients available to the plant and break up clumps where air cannot get in. These clumps are where the rot starts. When I repot the tuber, I dust heavily with cinnamon; cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde, which is a great smelling antifungal.

Soil: rich, loose, VERY well drained and aerated, and preferably only made up of organic matter. The roots and tuber are very prone to rot and can rot away completely before there is any noticeable signs of stress in the leaf.

Fertilliser: 15-30-15. Never over fertilise, it will burn off the roots. That being said, all Type II species need a lot more fertiliser than Type I species (like konjak, or bulbifer, which are better species for beginners in my opinion).

Water: they want to be moist but always well drained. They are very prone to rot (have I said this enough?).

Air: Like I said, the soil needs to be light and loose, and the pot porous so that air can get to the roots. But in my experience, the emergent plant needs high humidity, high temperatures and moving air. When I was growing it, I kept an oscillating fan going for it (and lots of other plants) and it really appreciated the on again, off again breeze. It made the petioles and leaflets stouter. This species grows in Indonesia at  the equator. The weather in that part of the world has two seasons: the hot and wet season, and the hotter and wetter season.

Dormancy: this can last anywhere from two months to a year in my experience with Type II species. Most Type II species need to stay in the soil during dormancy because they are so prone to drying out and desiccating entirely. It is a quick way to kill the plant. Lessen the watering, but do not let it dry out. I typically set my Type II dormant plants in their pots on a bed of wet sand and let the moisture get drawn up into the pot. Check the soil well down into the pot once in a while to make sure the tuber has not dried out and begun shriveling or has become too wet and started rotting.

Good luck!
Christopher

On Fri, 4 Aug 2023 at 11:16, Jessica Holbrook <i*@jessholbrook.com> wrote:
Well, the universe has spoken & I officially have my first Amorph! I was gifted a gigas before I could get my hands on any of your recommendations 😂 So here I am!

I am researching online, but since I started a convo about it here thought I’d follow up & see what advice those of you who have experience with it might have to offer. 

I am in SE Georgia, zone 8b, so it will live outside part of the year & in the greenhouse during the winter months. So: is this species finicky? What does it love/hate in your experience? What do you like about it most? Any guess on the age of this plant based on its size (just over 2 feet), etc.?

Any info/tips anyone might be willing to share would be greatly appreciated! I can’t get over the coloring of the stem. I’m already in love if a little nervous since it’s my first!

Thank you all!
💗 Jess



On Mon, Jun 12, 2023 at 17:20 Jessica Holbrook <i*@jessholbrook.com> wrote:
Thanks both!! Some great places to start. 

I’m in southeast GA, zone 8b, & plan to start with potted whether indoors or out. So pretty flexible on hardiness!

I’ll look into the konjac & Chris’ suggestions as well, I’m excited to branch out into a different genus! More suggestions/info is always welcome!

Thanks again :) Jess

On Mon, Jun 12, 2023 at 02:00 Steve Marak <samarak@gizmoworks.com> wrote:
A. konjac was the first one I grew, as I'm sure it was for lots of
others. That was back before I knew it was hardy here in NW Arkansas,
and I babied it over the winter indoors and put up with it smelling up
the house when it flowered. (Actually my poor wife, who happened to be
out on spring break that week, had the worst of it.)

Jess, are you looking for hardy Amorphs that you can leave in the ground
outdoors year-round? If so what's your climate like (minimum winter temp)?

If you're planning to grow in pots, or lift in the fall when they go
dormant, then there are many more options, including lots of cute
smaller ones.

Steve

On 6/11/2023 6:49 PM, Don Martinson wrote:
> I’m guessing many will suggest A. konjac.  Probably the species for which it’s most economical to obtain a blooming-size tuber.  There used to be a local guy who sold them at the spring horticulture show, but haven’t seen him in a few years.  I think he grew them locally here in Wisconsin.
>
>> On Jun 11, 2023, at 4:30 PM, Jessica Holbrook <i*@jessholbrook.com> wrote:
>>
>> Amorphophiles!
>>
>> I’m too hungry to go slowly—to a fault sometimes! I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the amorphophallus genus, thanks to a lot of wonderful reading material shared with me by folks here—so grateful!! What’s a good species for someone to start with? I’d like to get my first but only with some expert-generated suggestions ☺️
>>
>> TIA! Hope everyone is doing well!
>>
>> :) Jess
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