Wild, Wonderful Aroids-Part 3-Amorphophallus-Page 3

Cultivation

According to the IAS web site, roughly eighty percent of all Amorphophallus species can be successfully grown in a rich soil with additional fertilizing, shading from direct sunlight, a well-defined resting period, a good regimen of pest prevention and minimum temperature ranges from 71ºF (22ºC) during the day to 66ºF (19ºC) at night.

Soil should be rich in organic material and trace elements. Beyond this, the origin of the species will dictate whether it can or cannot be loam based. See the IAS pages for more specific information about which species requires which kind of soil. Soil must be well-aerated and drain sharply or tubers may rot.

The ideal fertilizer should have a high phosphate content, like 15-30-15, to stimulate tuber growth, but excess fertilizer can kill the roots. That said, I have read posts indicating that these are very hungry plants whose limit of fertilizer consumption had not been reached by the poster, who started out with a normal feeding schedule and just kept ramping up.

Heavy fertilizing of plants in pots will require flushing the pot periodically to remove excess salt build-up. When growing in containers, keep in mind that most of the roots will mass in the bottom of the pot, so the soil there needs to be particularly well-draining. If you habitually crock pots, don't do it for Amorphophallus since roots won't be able to get enough water and nutrients and will die. If you are concerned about drainage, use a bark layer at the bottom instead.

Species from countries with distinct weather patterns require different handling while dormant. Either they need a dry dormancy, which can be achieved out of soil, or they need to stay in the pot while dormant and not dry out. See the IAS pages for more detail about this and which species require what treatment.

So, which species do I have a chance of growing in my garden?

This list of known Amorphophallus hardiness was compiled by Plant Delights Nursery

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