Giant alocasia

Just been around my local asian shop , as last week I missed the giant bamboo e giant alocasia from Thailand , I`ve asked if he could get me some more alocasia and here we are , not from Thailand , but from Bangladesh , look different from the Thai , but it`s almost the same size.





he even had some really small one , but maybe next time.

Should I try to start them or try to keep them dormant untill March ?

 

once grown they should look like this.

 

Amazing

 

Sal, I think you need to move to Florida.

 

I think you are right , got one bought years ago , but was really small , doesn`t produce more then 3 leaves at the time .........so 3 tubers 9 leaves .


Still impressive the fact that I can buy them from my local fruits and vegs shop

 

Sal - just the tuber is amazing - but how do you overwinter it? That's something I would love.

Even my ordinary Colocasia are growing really well on a windowsill - but they are already getting too large.

 

Peters I treat them in the same way as the banana , dig them out cut the leaves (but leave the stem) , put in a small pot with soil and put in the green house , no water till March , finger cross never lost one so far .....they are really though plant.

 

How big have they gor for you Sal.

 

Peters, I`ve got a small tuber similar to the one in the picture , but it was maybe 2/3 inches and the biggest leave it`s about 20 inches , but years ago I had a huge leave as the plants was inside....so it`s all about the heat .

late this year I bought some really tiny taro , the size of 50 p planted at the beginning of August and by the end of September already produced a 15 inches leave , country of origin Thailand.

so far all thai c/alocasia have all lime leaves but different size and shape.

 

Thanks Sal

 

Peters I can get you one if you want , the big one are about £3 each .
It will be hard to root them at this time of the year , but unfortunatly this variety it`s only available at this time of the year.

 

Sal, yes I would really like one if you could - I am quite willing to pay for it and the postage. Many thanks for the offer. I have sent you a PM.

 

Talking with the shop owner , I found out that years ago you could have bought up to a meter long tubers , but now are really rare and chinese are buying them really quick , also find out that is not a giant alocasia , but a simple persian palm ...
in nature they can reach up to 2 meter .

 

A brilliant bit of understatement Sal!
I think that is quite fantastic looking!

 

Well considering that the plant only grow about 1 inch every year , that will take me a while to see the plant like that , unless I will try to find a chinese supplyer .


Even found a new variety of small small yam from Pakistan , but they are really tiny, the tuber is completly different from the previous , what the guy told me , is that every week there is a new loads coming from any part of the world , but he only buy new tuber when he run out. So I`m losing a lot , but happy that he told me that in winter he gets different variety. From now to January is the taro season.