Eddo (Elephants Ears, Colocasia ?)

That why I keep saying to plant as many as possible , each plant in cold weather will only produce 3/4 leaves , so to have a nice display a minimum of 5 are required , that`s biggest mistake I made , mine are all different .

 

Give me a shout and I'll come and pick them up! My problem is that I can't get mine big enough :(

 

Mine keep getting Red spider mite.

 

Ah ... I won't bother coming to pick them up then!

I've had RSM trouble with a couple that I overwintered under lights, but the bugs don't seem to have spread to others [that were stood next-to/near the infected ones], which seems strange.

You treating them with anything? I have used Neem Oil, when I remembered - which isn't really good enough as Neem Oil needs to be used frequently to suppress the infection, and then it can be used prophylactic. I've had good results with Neem Oil in previous years.

I don't think that anything off-the-shelf at the Garden Centre works for RSM - Plant Rescue (or some name like that - Yellow spray-bottle) is the only one that purports too, but I'm not sure its 100% effective (and it only comes pre-diluted rather than mix-yourself, so is relatively expensive)

 

Are those big enough?

My dear half just ask me to cut this leave off because it scary .
I start this one a month ago and it`s aggressively fast growing and the only one who produce side shoot , look at the roots.


the pot on the left as been planted last week , the one on the right 2 weeks ago and on the right a bulblet of (?)

 

Are you getting us mixed up Kristen.
This is Pete, as opposed to Peters.

I'm using plant rescue, neem oil is a no no, not cleared for use as far as I know.
Problem I find with colocasias is the stuff just rolls off, the leaves are very waxy.

 

Kristen

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. After a while my Eddoes get too big for the heated propagator. I only wish they were too big in absolute terms.

 

Probably! Although I was just talking about RSM on Colocasia in that instance.

Indeed, you are quite correct, it is not cleared for use. However, not banned either - just not licensed. DDT was banned - things like Sulphur as a fungicide is not banned (that I know of) just no manufacturer wants to pay the costs under the new EU laws of having it re-tested to get it re-licensed.

But I am not actively recommending that anyone use it.

I put horticultural soap in when I spray [as a surfactant]. I expect that's not licensed either ... :(

 

We need to bottle whatever Sal is using !

 

Honestly ......nothing at all , they just need a wet soil ....didn`t even fertilize them .
I think my secret is that I buy them really fresh from the shop that`s all.

 

I was just following on from a recent thread with the quip about neem oil.

Do you not find by using soap in sprays, it beaks down the leaf coating?
Usually causing marks on waxy leaves, eventually.

 

I think that's the key. Fresh ones as apposed to ones that have been lying about for weeks, possibly exposed to cold ,bashed around etc.....

 

I have done a trial on each plant just to make sure its not going to immediately effect it. however, I haven't had to use it that much. Major outbreak requires spraying every few days for 7-10 days, and then not much after that. That may impact current leaves, but new ones will grow away (no comfort for any plant that retains its leaves for months / years though).

I don't know if Horticultural Soap is different to just using washing up liquid [in this respect]? I know there is a reason to use it, but I can't remember what that is. Something about Phosphates I think? That might have a bearing on potential leaf damage.

So short answer is that I don't know if it would damage waxy leaves !

 

Just found this - a list of edible aroids that can be found in ethnic grocery shops. Including an Amorphophallus. Perhaps you have to hold your nose as you eat it.

http://www.kallus.com/aroids/ediblecommon.htm

 

Be all right if there is no Flour in the recipe?!

I'll get my coat ...