Once the Group I tubers go dormant, remove them from the growing medium and check for soft spots, pests, etc. Return the tuber to the soil and continue doing that process while lightly watering the entire container. Mine are barely moist to dry, and I will continue that until I see they are pushing out new growth and then likely give them new clean growing medium and begin the standard watering and fertilizing routine. The watering routine will depend on conditions; slightly moist, never wet is the goal. It is important to place the longer tubers deep enough in the growing medium to support the future growth and natural root development, and without the bottom few inches of the container having any roots wet at all. Once in the habit, it is simple and quick and gives you the assurance the tubers are in good condition.

These species include, but are not limited to: A. longituberosis, A. koratensis, green and red forms,  A. hewittii,  the A. brachyphyllus you gave me, and Tacca green bat plant. Those belonging to the same routine that have not gone dormant yet are: A. titanum, A. manta.

For the "Dry Dormancy" Tubers: They are sitting on top of a dresser with its ID label next to it. There is a marking pen to make notations as I see changes develop in the tubers. That is all I do is look at them, I do not mist them or anything like that. Hope this helps you.

The A. paeoniifolius tuber that flowered last year has perished. By removing the flower too early it did not have enough material to reform itself; hence, dried up.

Your AlterNative Solutions Team:

Growing tips from Aroiders

Hello Snow,I'm not in the U.S. (anymore, I lived in Steamboat CO for 17 yrs). I'm in N.E. Arnhemland in the Northern Territory of Australia. This may or may not be any help to you. I grow: A. titanum, A. bulbifer, A. hewittii, A. henryi, A. paeoniifolius, A. galbra (these two are native to my area), A. konjac, A. spp from Thailand. I also grow Typhonium species from the local area. My zone is tropical but with a pronounced winter dry season. I have been collecting Amorphophallus for about four years. I don't use a greenhouse but I do put some of the more delicate seedlings in a shade-house for a season or two. I am trying some different mixes at the moment but a soil less mix of 2 parts peat, 3 parts perlite, 2 parts vermiculite, 2 parts coarse sand and 6 parts composted bark seems to work really well for me. I am also experimenting with different fertilizers. I use a 6 month slow release in the mix with dynamic lifter and fish emulsion alternated every other feed. I try to feed every three or four weeks. Which reminds me......When I find Amorphophallus growing in their natural environment it is usually in about 70% shade, very loamy soil with lots of organics and about 5 inches of decaying leaf litter in top. Damp soil with good drainage seems to be essential in their growing season.
I can't really recommend anyone to buy from in the U.S., but in Australia you can't go wrong buying from Michael Pascal from Aroidiana in North Queensland or Equatorial exotics, also in North Queensland. Good luck and I hope this helps,

Brendon

Helpful Hints from Bonaventure Magrys

Amorphophallus collection of: Bonaventure Magrys, Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey, USA zone 7. Albus "A-103", bulbifer, dunii, konjac, lewallei, mossambicensis (swynnertonii), paeoniifolius.

All my Amorphs put up vegetative growth when spring is well advanced, summer-like conditions beginning. Late May, early June here in central coastal New Jersey. At this point they are all outdoors in full sun in south and southwestern exposures.

Konjac (one form received as Amorphophallus stipitatus A-102 from Kaichen Nurseries in 1999), albus (1999 Kaichen A-101 Amorphophallus sp.), A-103 (Kaichen 2000), dunnii, and bulbifer remain outdoors planted in compost amended sandy garden soil all year. Albus even bloomed outdoors in May of 2003 before its leaves came up. The largest "mother" tubers of these species are dug up in the fall and this produces many large bare-bulbed blooming konjacs for me in early spring to give away as gifts to friends I do not like! Just kidding, but often after the smell becomes apparent they do not like me any more!! Konjac is the only other species I have bloomed besides albus, and often it has to be dug up because its stoloniferous nature forms extensive invasive patches. It is as hardy, vigorous, and prolific as Sauromatum venosum or Pinellia pedatisecta. I've only dug up one of 3 main bulbifers this year (from 3 small tubers from Wilbert Hetterscheid in 2000) and hopefully it is large enough to bloom soon. My largest albus dug up 2 weeks after frost first disfigured the leaf (took that long to keel over) and kept dry indoors looks like its "pointing" now. It also offsets freely, but does not form the foot long stolons of konjac.
Amorphophallus dunnii (from Wilbert in 2000), and A-103, which looks like konjac with lighter stems, have also offsetted freely, been moved about the garden, and have been left outdoors several years.

The other group of Amorphs I grow, the last 3 species of the list above, are potted in a mix of 1 part potting soil, 1 part perlite. They start their growth also late May/early June and have been kept on my south facing front deck the duration of the summer.

A. lewallei, grown from seed from, again, generously,  Wilbert Hetterscheid in 2000, goes dormant early, with the first cool nights. It is then brought indoors and kept dry till the next year. Only 1 seed of several germinated. This year the growth was about 1 foot high, not much bigger than last year's, so I un-potted it and checked the tuber. It is about chestnut-sized and now has a pea sized offset. A. mossambicensis, syn. swynnertonii (again thank you Wilbert!) has increased dramatically from the earthworm-shaped stolon I received around 2000. Several tubers are filling the bottom of a 14 inch pot. This one I bring in in leaf when first frost threatens, around mid-October here, and watch the leaves dry out after 2-3 weeks of no watering.

Also receiving no water after bending it sideways and this way and that to get it through the front door and throwing my back out, is A. paeoniifolius. I purchased this tuber as "Suran" at a local Indian grocery store at $2.99/lb., or about 8 dollars. After several years the tuber is now filling the bottom of a plastic pickle barrel with holes poked through the bottom, which also barely fits through the door. This is my biggest 'morph and the giant leaf which hogs up half my living room and reaches to the ceiling takes over 2 months without water to keel over and detach (just over a week ago now). Hope it blooms this year.

All tubers are planted at a depth 2-3 times their diameter. They all get lots of fish emulsion as leaves shoot up and high phosphorus fertilizer every watering later in the season. Potted tubers dry quickly on the deck and are mulched with Starbuck's espresso grinds. Garden planted tubers have various organic mulches and kitchen scraps on top and a dead laboratory animal or two buried over the tubers (no kidding). The only pests and diseases I've had to worry about are indoors when spider mites infest the leaves, but the leaves are drying off already and are to be discarded soon. Rot can occur in the tuber if any water is given while dormancy commences, or before the new shoot breaks the soil level and new roots have yet started to attain a few inches of growth.

Hope this helps! I also grow many Arisaema, Arum, Pinellia, Alocasia, Colocasia, Caladium, Zantedeschia, Hedychium, Canna, Datura, Brugmansias, Solanums, Musa, Musella, hardy and tropical orchids, carnivorous plants, Salvia divinorum (Mmmmmm), Podophyllums, Asarums, Epimediums, Paris, Trilliums, and other woodland perennials, and a bonsai or two I've trained.

Its a jungle out there.

Helpful hints from Brian Williams

I have been growing aroids for many years, and Amorphophallus are a pain for even the best of growers. I have found that in the ground in KY you can get amazing results compared to growing in pots. Though digging them up every year is a bit of a pain. As for storing them I have tried many things. It can be said that it depends on the species as some like titanum and hewittii do not stay dormant long and like it hot and humid. But many of the Thailand species and African forms I have had really good luck with digging them up and storing them. Their are a few things to consider when storing bulbs I often tell people to think of most forms as a potato. If dormant and hot and humid they get this really nasty rot much like if you put a potato in a really hot area. Or the Damp and cold rot which many of us have seen. As well as the dry rot were they turn in to a shriveled up rock. The trick is to keep them cool and dry but humid. This can be done many ways. My person favorite is to buy a Tupperware box then put powdered sphagnum moss at the bottom and then my bulbs not touching the plastic or each other then another layer of peat on top. Usually I add about one tea spoon of water its almost unnoticeable the containers are labeled and stored in a cool area with temps from 34 to 55f. I tell people to think of a caves atmosphere its constantly 55f and humid if you were to place a dormant tuber in this situation it would be perfectly fine for many months. Cold cellars would really be a great storage area. I hope to dig one here in the future to store both Amorphophallus and Cannas. The truth is you will get many many different opinions and they may be all correct for them. But no one way can be right for everyone as everyone lives in very different areas.

But the main idea is to capture this cool dormant effect. The other way I find to work very very well is in my greenhouse in raised beds. I use cinder blocks to make a raised bed and then I use our common river soil. They grow like mad but in the winter the beds look very bare. If ever in my area stop in THANKS.

Helpful Hints from Christian at AlterNative Solutions

The only true complexity I have seen is with the A. hewittii. They cannot handle too much water. I lost one because the soil was too moist when a old snap hit. So, the combination of water and low temperatures are dangerous for that species. To resolve it, I am now bottom watering the A hewittii seedlings. Once they mature, I do not think they will be so sensitive to the moisture.

Of note also, is the necessity to bury tubers deep enough to support a growing Amorph. Example, my A. paeoniifolius planted in the ground last year kept falling over from fierce winds. It was planted in our normal "soil, called sand" which offers no support It would be recommended if any of the Amorphs are exposed to high winds that they not only be planted deep enough but it should be staked to avoid damage to the horizontal root structure.

Besides that, I strongly recommend not exposing any Amorph to direct sun. It burns the leaves which send a negative "help" signal to the tuber; it may shock the plant, and possibly send it into dormancy or worse. I believe this to be true with all species of Amorphophallus. Although in their native environment, they may be exposed to direct sun, it is recommended when cultivating outside their origin that they not be directly exposed. Dappled sun is a different story This should be acceptable to most species once they are established. Even my seedlings get full afternoon sun and they are doing fine. We are talking very weak sun in the winter months!

Just MY opinion.

Next, read about why Amorphophallus stink so bad!

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