I prefer Kellogg's Potting Soil. It runs about $4.50 for a large bag. I add perlite to it. Perlite is added to the soil for aeration and moisture retention and can be found at Home Depot in the U.S. or a similar home and garden company where you live... Amorphophallus tubers are prone to rot and adding perlite to your soil will help insure better results. The texture of perlite is not unlike styrofoam. I buy the 4 cubic ft. bag. It runs around $13.00 at Home Depot.

Potting soil

I bought myself a big bin to mix it in. Note the amount of perlite to the amount of soil. It needs to be really light and fluffy.	I planted the seeds the same day in this cheap container. All ten of them with the pointy side down.

Non-germinated seed when I received it from Troy.	Germinated seed . This image sucks but it shows the root growth 4-20-05, just 7 days after planting them. Four days later on 4-24-05 you can see much more root growth and the beginning of a growth point for the plant.

All of my babies stay in the "warm room" on a heat mat until they are large enough to enjoy the shady back patio. I have a regular house fan going all day in the room to provide air circulation. The fan isn't pointed right at them. Stagnant air in a closed room won't help your plants at all.	Another bad image of a germinated seed but it shows the growth from a different angle.

Germinated Seeds

Germinated seeds are seeds that are ready to sprout or have sprouted, which means that they're ready to plant. They will look just like a seed with some small roots attached. I purchased an A. variabilis germinated seed almost 6 months ago and it hadn't grown an inch until 2 weeks ago.

Don't give up on them. Keep all seeds in the soil and keep them moist but not soggy. I also have an A. decus-silvae that I got at the same time, and it has done nothing at all. It hasn't rotted or desiccated either, so I will keep being patient.

When you get your germinated seeds, handle them carefully so that you don't damage the bud or the roots that are starting to form. Make sure to label all of your newly purchased seeds and tubers! Plant each seed in a small pot (2 or 2.5" diameter), with the pointy side of the seed down, 1/2 to 3/4 inch below the surface of the mix. Don't pack the soil very tightly--you want the seed's surroundings to be moist but not soggy.

Water them lightly until water flows out of the drain holes. If you allow your Amorphophallus seeds to dry out after you plant them, they may ever recover. Put them in a warm location. Bottom heat is best, if you can provide it.

Get yourself a heat mat on eBay. Never put them in direct sun--that can burn the seedlings when they emerge above the surface of the mix. Don't fertilize them. They are much too immature to handle the burning that may occur.

Non-germinated Seeds

Amorphophallus seeds usually germinate within one to three weeks. When purchasing seed, make sure they are freshly picked.

Fresh seed still covered with the seed coat photo courtesy Troy Davis

A. henryi and A. kiusianus can take longer to germinate than others. The seeds may be taken from the flesh of the berries by wearing gloves and taking a moist paper towel to wipe the flesh away. Make sure to get the outer membrane as they are more prone to rot if this is not removed. When I received my A. titanum seeds, the flesh had already been cleaned away. The long trip from Bali would be a lot more dangerous for the seeds if they hadn't been cleaned before shipping. If you can't plant the seeds immediately when you receive them, put them in a paper bag with some moist paper towels or newspaper. Don't wrap them in the paper; simply put them in the bag with the moist paper and don't let them dry out. If the seed is an A. titanum, it will be huge; one to four inches is average.

The seed coat of Amorphophallus is rather thin and there is no endosperm layer to protect the embryo from desiccation. The first leaf is already three- or five-parted (in A. prainii often as much as 7-parted), and soon new leaves will emerge. This may go on for more than a year before the first real resting period starts. The young tubers are best left in the soil until they are bigger and more resistant to drought (only group I tubers may be stored dry!). Sow the seeds in a typical sowing-soil (poor in nutrients and slightly acidic). Difficult seeds may be forced to germinate in sphagnum. Once dry, Amorphophallus seeds cannot be rehydrated successfully.

On the next page, I discuss what to do when your tuber arrives!