Re: arum care

Well, Gale, it's the right time of year (fall) for A. italicum to
start growing - mine comes up in late August or early Sept.  It will
be in leaf all winter and then bloom (if old enough) in spring and go
dormant in summer.  I'm not sure you'll reach the goal of having one
plant spread to cover acres - it will do that in the PNW and northern
CA, but mine has shown no signs of doing that for the 20 odd years
I've had it.  Now, seed grown children in much better (highly organic
- 90% rotted woodchips - more moist) soil are increasing faster than
my original clump, so I think that soil plays a part in their ability
to spread around.

Yours may not bloom for a while and small leaves often indicate a
young plant, or, if yours had mature leaves when you bought it, it
could indicate recovery from the stress of transplanting or
something.

I have never fed mine anything other than chopped leaves or mulch of
some sort - well, maybe a shovel of compost once every few years.  My
original clump is in extremely dry, rooty soil at the base of a
maple, which is one reason, I think, that it has been slow to
increase.  It does not always bloom, either, nor set seed if it does
bloom.  I think this has a lot to do with weather and available
moisture at the right time.  Like many aroids, I think Arum will
conserve its resources if conditions aren't exactly right and not
spend energy on blooming.

If yours does bloom and set seed, you can sow that seed around to
increase your stand...or sow it in controlled conditions and plant
out the seedlings when they're a year or two old.  Not all seedlings
will have superbly marked leaves; some may be even better than the
parent plant.  Seedlings often don't show any marking for a year or
so, as well.

I'd say, give your plant a couple of seasons to settle in, mulch it
and make sure the soil is nicely organic and that it has sufficient
moisture in the fall and spring and let it get on with business:-)

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: glink@att.net
> Hi all,
> Thanks for assuring me I'm still on the list!
> 
> I planted an Arum Italicum this year, and after being dormant all
summer it 
> has come up again, with very small leaves.  I see it blooming in
Cheekwood's 
> gardens with large leaves covering what seems like acres.  What do
I do for 
> mine to approximate that?  Fertilize a lot?  Or what?
> Gale Link
> Nashville z6

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