Re: message from Phil Mueller

I can attest to this experience here in northern Illinois, USDA zone
4/5, where I was able to replenish my supply of A. konjak by visiting my
neighbor and "borrowing" several small tubers from around his foundation
facing east. These tubers were originally from a single one that I had
given them in the late 80s and although none had ever grown to more than
about 2" diameter, they survived winters here to minus 25F and minimal
snow cover. I found them at a depth of 8" - 12" below the soil surface
and up to 18" away from the foundation.

This raises a question. What is the depth of naturally occuring A.
konjak tubers of this size (2")? Were these the growing survivors below
a certain death-zone?

Tim McNinch

Alan Galloway wrote:
> 
> Airoiders,
> Sorry it's been such a long time since I've posted anything. However, for
> you who are interested in cold hardiness of airoids, I have a little tidbit,
> 
> Several months ago (Sept. '98) I visited my family in Chester, Illinois. By
> the foundation of the house were several small A. konjac. I had planted
> konjac there in the Summer of '82 and they have persisted. All (there were
> about a dozen) of them were against the foundation where I suppose it's a
> little warmer. It's seems obvious that the growing season isn't long enough
> for them to prosper, but they do exist.
> 
> I've spent most of the last three years wandering through the Mediterranian
> Sea, Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf. My job doesn't give me the luxury of
> scheduling my ports according to the blooming season of aroids and it's
> quite frustrating. I do have some pictures of blooming aroids from Crete,
> Italy, and Turkey and I hope, when digitized, to have them identified.
> 
> I meet my next ship in La Maddelena, Italy around the first of July and
> should be in the St. Louis area in September. Hope the aroid meeting will be
> about the time I'm there. I would dearly love to see some of you again.
> 
> Phil Mueller
> 
> ---End of forwarded mail from "Prof. Mueller" <muellerp@nicholas.navy.mil>
> 
> --
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Alan Galloway                                 alan_galloway@ncsu.edu
> Computing Services, Information Technology
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