Eddo (Elephants Ears, Colocasia ?)

PeterS , years ago I found out about the fact that japanese are growing vegetables in UK , look at the list and see what grow in UK.
http://www.namayasai.co.uk/

 

Ok, so these tubers I got today. Took some plastic bags, but a handful of vermiculite in each one, a tiny drip of water, and into the airing cupboard.
Will keep you all posted as to what comes up.

I Googled Eddoes and other names of these various tubers.
To me, it seems as if 2 types of images came up. One of a short fat tuber, and then a more elongated one. Different species???

 

It`s almost impossible to understand what will it come out as they are coming from all around the world . look at mine every year something different , the last 2 i got are actually getting lots of offsets all around ....not in the picture yet.

 

Pete - I think you are right about my big fat radish. The root looks like it will be the best bit. In general the tubers in Morrisons were so cheap that I thought I would sample them all. That radish was the most expensive of the lot. Still £4 for 14 items is not bad.

After Sal's comment about getting different plants each year under the name of Eddoes, I Googled Colocasia esculenta and found that that name covered a wide range of different looking plants all the way up to the giant one whose leaves are bigger than a man. And all under the species of esculenta.

 

Sal,
Do you think my method of getting them started will work?
What method do you use?

 

Sal - I meant to say earlier - thanks for the link to the Japanese veg growing. Most surprising and most interesting. I looked at all the pictures of their veg - but frankly none was very impressive foliage wise. I have a feeling that Eddoes are the exception rather than the rule in this respect. I think, as Pete pointed out (thanks Pete -) that my radish will not impress. I would eat my jolly green giant - but I don't like radishes - so I will have to grow it.

Yesterday I potted up all my roots in slightly moistened compost and put them in a heated propagator. Sirius - I think your method will get them started just as well. I think heat will be the key.

 

Kristen pointed at this video last March , I followed ,it worked but then nothing moved because of the weather , some of the colocasia are just moving now, they need warm .

then another theory I`ve got is that many colocasia sold as ornamental for £5 each are the same variety sold as in the shop as edible.....
I just bough some and once again they look different from all the one I bough before , as most of the time the guy in the shop will tell me where they coming from , those are Brazilian and look different .

About the japanese veg , yes they are nothing impressive exept for the ginger as it will actually growing in UK .
I found about the chayote , it`s actually hardy to -8 , will give a go as well.

 

Brilliant video Sal and Kristen - thank you.

I am tempted to remove my tubers from their pots and follow the warm water method - perhaps a bit of both as I have 3 tubers, which cost 25p. I feel another shopping trip coming on.

It was most interesting to learn that they grow from many places - not just the top. And the video also solved another query. I was worried wether, if I couldn't see a bud at the top, the tuber wouldn't sprout at all. But the answer seems to be that even the dead looking ones (as long as they are firm) will grow. I also looked at some of the other videos and the one about overwintering was excellent too.

I was also nice to learn the name Xanthosoma, which I didn't know. But there are so many local names that I am sure I am going to be totally confused in an Asian food shop.

 

PeterS what I would suggest is to grow them in pot for this year , squize as many as you can in one pot as usually each bulb will produce 3/5 leaves and no more so a big mass will look good .
I simple overwinter in single pot in my GH and be honest they are really thoug , by March start to produce leaves again .
even managed to grow them in the pond one year as marginal , but strangly the one in the soil in a samyshade done way much better , deftnely heating is the Key .

 

I saw an Alocasia today in a garden centre. The leaves looked just like Colocasia but had prominent white markings. I was going to ask what the difference was, but then I found this. http://durablegardening.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/whats-difference-alocasia-colocasia-and.html

I should have bought the Alocasia - it was only £1.99. But was put off the the statement that it needed a minimum of 50F over the winter. However, on thinking about it, I presume Alocasia and Colocasia are very similar and are both aroids grown from a tuber. I also assume that they have the same requirements over winter. So is there any difficulty in overwintering?

I think I also read that above 50F they are evergreen, but below they could either die or go dormant as a tuber again. Any experience of this?

 

Really interesting , mine are overwinter in my unheated greenhouse , I dag them out and place them in small pot , the plant stay green up to January then it die and start to regrow in March , the secret i think is to keep the roots alive ready for spring.
I thing you can find alocasia , colocasia and Xanthosoma sold as edible roots .
this look like a xanthosama , but not sure

this is for sure alocasia as pointing up

or perhap this one look like xanthsoma

they are all edible , coming from the same shop but different part of the world.

 

ps in case anyone seen this root in the shop , those are alocasia roots , they are different , from colocasia.

 

My 2p worth ...

Minimal water to kick-start Colocasia. I did the steep-in-water method (and used some Hydrogen peroxide, perhaps too strong ...) and most of mine rotted when I potted them on. Their bottom-heat was intermittent (on top of boiler).

I haven't tried the "just blow in the bag and chuck them in the airing cupboard" but I suspect that might be better. Either way, process them the moment you buy them - they will turn to "rot" soon, otherwise.

Give maximum bottom heat that you can - e.g. reptile mat.#

I would caution that you are starting late in the year, they may not do enough this year to be in shape to overwinter. You can try to keep them as houseplants, but if just "stored" I think they need to be bone-dry until, say, next Feb. Of course as buying Eddoes are cheap-as-chips you might just decide to buy a fresh handful next Feb.

Alocasia (not sure the distinction is this simple, but: Allocasia leaves point "up" and Colocasia point "down") are harder to overwinter, and my plan is to keep them growing, rather than to let them go dormant.

But it's my first season, and most of my Colocasia would bought as plants, not tubers, and were kept growing over-winter under lights (and even so they are not exactly "Wow Factor 10" yet this year ...)

 

Kristen,

Yup, I plan on growing them in pots, well for the rest of this year, and indoors over the winter. Hopefully I will be able to keep them going until next year.

I also have an Allocasia that I bought as a growing plant from a garden centre. It is planted out, but will dig it up well before any hint of a frost, and will bring it indoors too.

 

As Kristen mantion , they are as cheap as chips , that`s what i did in the past, left them outside just to see how hardy they where.....nope ....the frost will kill the bulb outdoor , but I`ve replaced them in Feb , but as I`ve learned that they come from different supplier , I will keep the nice one .