Tag Archives: Amorphophallus sp. Voodoo Lily)

Repotting Amorphophallus & Oxalis triangularis

Amorphophallus with the Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae on 6-7-20, #708-1.

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I have been wanting to move the potted plants to the back deck and front porch but the wind has been crazy! It is a few weeks earlier than I normally do it but I think it is safe. Even if I have to move them back inside it isn’t that big of an ordeal. The plants are looking out the windows and some are coming out of dormancy and beginning to need more water. It is much easier to water over 100 pots outside on the plant tables…

I put the Alocasia on the back deck last week and some of the new plants I brought home from Wagler’s are on the front porch. Last spring I moved the Alocasia to the back deck so I could repot them before I moved them to their usual location. I repotted most of them but they seemed to do well on the back porch so I left them there. The wind wasn’t that bad Sunday, so I repotted the biggest Alocasia ‘Calidora’ that I didn’t get repotted last year. I had bought a large bag of Miracle Grow Potting Soil and I used almost all of it for that one pot. Since it was Easter the hardware store was closed so I couldn’t get another bag. SO, I decided to work on the pot with the two Amorphophallus sp. and Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae…

I brought home the pot from Wagler’s Greenhouse in 2017 with two Amorphophallus and the Oxalis growing in it. I hadn’t been in this pot until July 2018 when I removed the smaller Amorophoallus youngsters. I have been itching to get in the pot to see how big the Amorphallus corms are but I needed to do it when they were dormant. Sunday seemed like the perfect opportunity since the Oxalis had gone dormant over the winter as well… Normally, I keep the Oxalis in this pot watered over the winter and they don’t go dormant.

Amorphophallus sp. and Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae on 4-4-21, 789-1.

SOOOOO….. I dug in and removed the Oxalis rhizomes before digging deeper for the Amorphophallus corms. I was totally amazed at how many Oxalis there were. Some species of Oxalis produce bulbs, but as you can see, the Oxalis triangularis is definitely a rhizomatous species…

Amorphophallus sp. on 4-4-21, #789-2.

Besides the two larger Amorphophallus corms, there were seven small ones. It is kind of funny how there is so much confusion about the difference between what a bulb, tuber, corm, rhizome, etc. is. It seems like every time I write bulb, tuber, corm, or rhizome I have to double-check to make sure. I believe the Amorphophallus have corms rather than bulbs. They produce one stem, (which basically replaces the corm as it grows), produce only one petiole, and only one leaf… When they flower, the flower stalk emerges from the dormant corm… The Amprohphallus corm has no eyes like a bulb or rhizome. Of course, if you read information on other sites, you may see them being called bulbs… I suppose it doesn’t matter what you call them as long as you plant them properly.

Amorphophallus sp. bulb at 2″ on 4-4-21, #789-2.

I was surprised the two larger corms were only 2″ in diameter… I thought they would be maybe twice that size by now. This is actually the first time I have seen them even though I have had the pot since 2017…

Maybe you can’t really tell in the photo, but the corm is kind of concave toward the center…

Amorphophallus sp. in a new pot on 4-4-21, #789-2.

I found two pots of the same size, 8 1/2″ tall x 9″ diameter, for the larger corms. I put a few inches of potting soil in the bottom of the pots, centered the bulbs with the sprout on top, then filled the pot within an inch or so from the top of the rim.

You can get on several sites online to learn how to plant Amorphophallus corms and so many tell you different things. With so many opinions it may leave you confused. Previously, I had read where bulbs should be planted 6″ below the surface, depending on the size of the corms. I knew from locating them in the pot they were, in fact, 6″ or so deep… SO, that is the depth I returned them at. One site says to plant them twice as deep as the size of the corm but I think that would not do… I planted the smaller corms about halfway down in their pots.

One reason you need to plant the bulbs so deep is because the soil is what will anchor the plant until the roots start to grow. The roots grow from the top of the bulbs AFTER the leaves start growing… The growing plant uses energy from the corm which basically vanishes. SO, you don’t want to water the soil because it could cause the corm to rot…

The top of the corms are slightly concave with a sprout in the center and the bottom is round like a bowl. One video I watched said to plant your bulbs slightly tilted so water won’t collect in the concaved area on the top of the corm (he called them bulbs…). Well, I didn’t do that and just planted them flat. The same video says to use slightly moistened potting soil, while other information says not to water until the stem emerges… The guy in the video also used potting soil with timed-release fertilizer and added more fertilizer below where he put the bulb… Other websites say not to add fertilizer until AFTER the roots start growing.

SO, I used a fresh bag of Miracle Grow Potting Soil, which was slightly damp because it was just opened. I did NOT moisten the soil more. I did not add any more fertilizer… I did NOT water the soil after I was finished…

Amorphophallus sp. on 4-4-21, #789-2.

SO, now the two larger Amorphophallus have their own pots. I put several Oxalis rhizomes in the bigger pots with the Amorphophallus because they look good together. 🙂 I will take the smaller pots to Mrs. Wagler once the plants start growing.

I went ahead and watered the Oxalis rhizomes a little in the bigger pots because some of them had a few sprouts. I didn’t soak the soil, though…

I still have no idea what species of Amorphophallus I have… I would guess probably Amorphophallus konjac.

Now for the Oxalis… 

Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae rhizomes on 4-4-21, #789-6.

Getting back to the Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae… There were two larger clusters of rhizomes and quite a few single pieces… They are already beginning to grow…

Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae rhizome.

There several rhizomes similar to the one above and several of them already have leaves… This rhizome is 2 1/2″ long, so put the bottom of it approximately 3″ or so deep in the soil.

Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae rhizomes in the pot on 4-4-21, #789-7.

I took the large clusters and placed them in the center, with the bottom approximately 3-4″ deep and made sure rhizomes attached to them were verticle. I spaced several of the smaller rhizomes around the bigger clusters in the pot and then covered them all with an inch or so of potting soil.

Little Bit asked if she could help but all she really wanted was a spare hand…

 

Oxalis triangularis on 4-6-21, #790-2.

The local grocery store had a large display of Oxalis triangularis in the early part of March. They had several pots with purple and black leaves and several with solid green. Since I didn’t have one with solid green leaves I brought one home…

Oxalis triangularis leaves on 4-6-21, #790-3.

Oxalis triangularis leaves can be solid green, maroonish, or black and purple… There are several cultivars available and the pots at the grocery store didn’t have labels…

Maybe I should mention a little about the Oxalis triangularis name… Plants of the World Online by Kew lists 22 synonyms of Oxalis triangularis. One of the typical synonyms you see online for these plants is Oxalis regnellii or Oxalis regnellii subsp. triangularis. The name Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae is even considered a synonym even though the subspecies has much larger leaves… My first experience with Oxalis triangularis was when a friend and fellow plant collector gave me a start in 2012 when I lived at the mansion in Mississippi. It had much smaller leaves so it wasn’t the subspecies… I choose to recognize my purple and black leaved Oxalis triangularis as the subspecies papilionaceae because of its enormous and beautiful leaves. That is OK as long as the name was validly published which it was in 1983. Both the species Oxalis triangularis and Oxalis papilionaceae were named and described by different botanists in 1825. Of course, the name issues could be cleared up if I used the cultivar name ‘Atropurpurea’. 🙂

Plants of the World Online lists 557 species of Oxalis native to nearly every country the world over. Oxalis is a member of the plant family Oxalidaceae (family of Wood Sorrels) with five genera which include mainly annuals, perennials, and subshrubs. Some species are considered invasive weeds…

Spring is a great time of the year to start getting dirty. The garden is ready to be tilled but there is rain in the forecast for Tuesday evening through Thursday. After that, I will till when the soil is ready. I already have the sweet corn seed because I didn’t want the local farmer’s co-op to sell out before I was ready to plant. I will probably have to go to the Greenstreet Market in Clinton to get the green bean and snap pea seeds…

Until next time… Be safe and stay positive. I hope you are all doing well. Don’t forget to always be thankful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Photos on Wednesday

Amorphophallus sp. on 6-16-19, #591-5.

Hello folks! I hope this post finds you well. The Robins are singing this morning, giving thanks for being the early bird who gets the worms. I remember walking to catch a ride for work at 4:30 AM and they were already hopping about singing. It was quite a chorus! I am just going to post a few highlights of the photos I took on Sunday.

Of all the plants budding and flowering, it is always AWESOME to see the Amorphophallus (Voodoo Lily) when it starts coming up. I stuck my finger down to where the corm was and noticed it was sending up a petiole, but it wasn’t until the 6th of June that it peeked through the soil. Then I noticed on Sunday the leaves were starting to emerge. It is pretty neat! Almost reminds me of a squid. Last year I was gradually rewarded with a lot of babies, so I am wondering how many there will be this year. Of course, it is has been three days since I took the above photo.

 

Alocasia ‘Mayan Mask’ on the front porch on 6-16-19, #591-2.

This Alocasia ‘Mayan Mask’ on the front porch is doing great now. It spent the winter in my bedroom but was very glad to get back outside.

 

Aloe juvenna on 6-16-19, #591-3.

The Aloe juvenna (Tiger Tooth Aloe) is quite an interesting Aloe. It needs bright light or the leaves will stretch. In full sun, the leaves will take on a reddish color and too much will burn their leaves. I don’t like my Aloe leaves to burn and at times it hasn’t had enough sun. So, the leaves on this cluster, some being short and some longer, reflect when it has had different periods of light.

 

xAlworthia ‘Black Gem’ on 6-16-19, #591-4.

I don’t know much about the xAlworthia ‘Black Gem’ since I haven’t had it very long. I still need to check its roots to see if there is a plug wrapping around them… I am curious because I can see the plug wrapping around the Gasteria ‘Little Warty’…

 

Aristaloe aristata on 6-16-19, #591-6.

The Aristaloe aristata (Lace Aloe) and family are doing very well. I am wondering if it will flower? It is a very nice plant and I am thankful to have found it. You just never know what rarities you will find.

 

Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’ on 6-16-19, #591-7.

The Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’ is STILL flowering. This is a very nice plant and if you haven’t tried one and have the chance to bring one home, I suggest you do.

 

The left side of the north bed on 6-16-19, #591-8.

OK, I have to admit the north bed is driving me crazy. That even made me laugh! First of all, the Achillea millefolium is NOT supposed to be there. I try to pretend they aren’t there but the taller they get the harder that becomes. There are actually two there, but one decided to lay down on the job. I suppose it thinks if it lays down it is hiding. I moved the mother clump to the barn last year then these came up this spring along with several others closer to the house. I “intended” to move them to the south bed, so hopefully, I can get that done this week when I “hopefully” have a chance to work there. They need to be moved because the Colocasia ‘Coffee Cups’ is hidden behind them. So is the Echinacea ‘Cherry Pops’ that miraculously returned unexpectedly. Oh, yeah I almost forgot… The two Conoclinum coelestinum that decided so come up are under it. You never know if, when or where they will pop up. I also planted the Xanthosoma robustum to the right of the Astilbe but apparently, it rotted. A friend from Alabama is sending me a Xanthosoma sagittifolium so it will go somewhere between the Astilbe and the Leucocasia gigantea ‘Thailand Giant.

 

Right side of the north bed on 6-16-19, #591-9.

The right side of the north bed… OK, a series of things… First off, I wanted to extend the north bed out farther. Since my son and his friend are here, and they “said they would help out”, I told them they could extend the bed. I showed Chris what I wanted him to do, in detail. When they said they were finished, they had just dug one strip from the end of the gutter to where it joined with the left curve. It was not even straight. 🙂 I had told him to turn over everywhere there wasn’t plants and to remove the grass. He said, “Oh, I thought you wanted a ditch.” Now, why would I want a ditch? Needless to say, I went ahead and planted the Colocasia esculenta rhizomes and Leucocasia gigantea ‘Thailand Giant’.

Trust me, this bed is normally neat and tidy but this spring has been officially weird. It has rained off and on then the soil stays damp here. Then sometimes when I have time to work here the soil is damp or the grass and weeds are kind of wet. I do not like working in damp soil because it can make it hard. I don’t like working in damp grass and weeds because the chiggers seem to be worse. I rate chiggers at the top of the “do not like” list with poison ivy, thorns (Roses), flat tires, dead batteries, and mosquitos. Eventually, this bed will look great.

 

The northeast corner bed on 6-16-19, #591-10.

The northeast corner bed looks pretty good especially since Thor seems to be doing a pretty good job keeping the moles away. The only plant you can’t see is the small mound of Achillea tomentosa ‘LoGrow Goldie’. Ummm… It is now under the Salvia coerulea ‘Black and Blue’. So, I guess I need to move it. Maybe to the left of Thor in front of the Colocasia ‘Distant Memory’. There are a few Conoclinum coelestinum in this bed now, too. One next to Thor and a few that have recently came up under the Salvia. This is a small area but I have a tendency to pack plants in it anyway. It looked really good last year.

 

Begonias on the front porch on 6-16-19, #591-13.

Three of the Begonias are doing well but ‘Brazilian Lady’, which is normally looking great, is a pitiful sight. Normally, I keep them in the basement over the winter where they do fine but I kept them in the front bedroom this year. ‘Brazilian Lady’ didn’t approve…

 

Miniature Begonia on 6-16-19, #591-12.

The unnamed miniature Begonia did fine during the winter but half rotted when I moved the plants outside. Now I need to re-pot it.

Well, the deadline for naming this post “Sunday Photos on Tuesday” has past. I just looked at the time at it is 1:11 AM Wednesday… SO, I suppose that means I should go to bed and finish later. That screws up my next post and hoping to write a post a day. 🙂 I had to change the title of this post to “Sunday Photos on Wednesday”.

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OK, now I am back working on the post at 4:22 PM when I really want to take a nap. I have been digging thistles for about 3 hours.

Euphorbia mammillaris (Indian Corn Cob) on 6-16-19, #591-15.

The Euphorbia mammillaris (Indian Corn Cob) is going GREAT although it looks pretty much like it did the last time I took photos. I think maybe the leaves have grown a little. 🙂

 

Gasteria obliqua (Ox Tongue) on 6-16-19, #591-18.

This Gasteria has remained unnamed for a while so I have resorted to making a decision to call it Gasteria obliqua. Most Gasteria species of this type have rough leaves and very few are smooth like this one. Since those species are all now synonyms of G. obliqua, I guess that narrows my choice down to one. Unless it is a cultivar or a hybrid… I posted photos on a few Facebook groups twice but only got a few “likes” and no suggestions. One lady said it could be ‘Little Warty’ but that would be impossible. I clearly said it has smooth leaves and ‘Little Warty’ has warts. So, for now, it is Gasteria obliqua.

Gasteria obliqua has 39 synonyms!

 

Haworthiopsis limifolia (Faries Washboard) on 6-16-19, #591-20.

The Haworthiopsis limifolia (Faries Washboard, File Leafed Haworthia) is a pretty neat plant. There is a strange issue, however, with the species. Well, maybe not an issue, just issues. Apparently, there are several “varieties” which can get a little confusing when you do a little research about Haworthiopsis limifolia. You have to dig a little deeper. There are many photos online of Haworthiopsis limifolia (Syn. Haworthia limifolia) that look nothing like this plant. That is because they are not using the “variety” name. Then there are MANY websites that have the spelling completely wrong by using the name Haworthiopsis limafolia… The many “varieties” made me wonder if the name “Faries Washboard” was a common name or cultivar name. Well, the straight species is known as Fairies Washboard or File Leafed Haworthia. Llifle (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) says, “It obtained its name “limifolia” (File Leafed) from the distinctive, dark brownish-green leaves, with transverse ridges of raised, horny, tubercles which resemble those of a coarse file and give it such a distinctive appearance.” Hmmm… Dave’s Garden says limifolia = From the Latin limes (file), referring to the acicular or linear leaves.

 

Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’ on 6-16-19, #591-22.

The Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’ is STILL in the pot I brought it home in. I have not decided where I want to put it to spread and pop up here and there. It seems I already have enough plants that pop up unexpectedly, but maybe for this one it would be OK. It is just the re-seeders that take their sweet time coming up that throw me a curve. Most perennials can be moved here early enough in the spring. But, from my past experience with this one in Mississippi, no telling where it will show up. I am not going to talk about the Equisetum hyemale (Horsetail) in this post. I promise. 🙂

 

Ledebouria socialis var. violacea on 6-16-19, #591-30.

One of the most important discoveries of late was the bud on the Ledebouria socialis var. violacea (Silver Squill) on June 8. Then I noticed it had another one on the 16th.

 

Ledebouria socialis var. pauciflora on 6-16-19, #591-28.

Then when I went to take a photo of the Ledebouria socialis var. pauciflora, it had one, too! NICE! I am beginning to really like these plants. My plant friend from Alabama is going to send two more and a Drimiopsis maculata, which is similar.

 

Stapelia gigantea on 6-16-19, #591-41.

The Stapelia gigantea is doing very well and growing. I can hardly wait until it flowers. It is in the same group of plants as the Huernia schneideriana. It is a Carrion Plant, too, whose common name is Zulu Giant or Toad Plant. 🙂 I bought this plant from a seller on Ebay last fall and he sent SIX rooted cuttings which I put in the same pot. Hmmm…

Well, I think I am going to close this post before I have to change the title again. I was distracted earlier by a nap, then I started re-arranging the potting table on the back porch. Then I had to re-pot a couple of cactus. I need to eat dinner, but I wanted to get this post finished first. Now it is already 9:07 PM!

Until next time, be safe, stay positive and always be thankful. If you have time, GET DIRTY!