Pycnospatha arietina storage requirements

Discussion in 'Araceae' started by PaAroidLover, Oct 24, 2007.

  1. PaAroidLover

    PaAroidLover Member

    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
    I have a few tubers of this species and was wondering how to store them.

    Should I store them dry or in soil?

    The smaller tuber is in soil, but I have found it to be prone to rot. The soil is very dry right now and the tuber seems to be firming up well.

    The larger tuber has been kept dry and not in soil, but otherwise dark and cool with very little humidity.

    How can I ensure the safe dormancy and how long does that dormancy last?

    Thank you.

    John
     
  2. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,455
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Siloam Springs, AR, USA
    This forum is going to be great for all of us! You just named a species I've never researched so I'm hoping someone that knows about it will jump in soon. Brian?? I'll dig in some of my books and see what I can learn.
     
  3. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,455
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Siloam Springs, AR, USA
    I think help is on the way! Stand by!
     
  4. Briansbotanicals

    Briansbotanicals Member

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Louisville Kentucky USA
    This species is Asian and their may actually be three in the group but the botanist are still not sure. This one is the most common form. It would be considered a Dracontium only it's found in Asia and Dracontiums are south American. The tubers usually only go dormant for a few months sometimes just weeks. They should be left in the soil and allowed to dry out a bit. I would not let the soil get extremely dry unless the humidity is up. You should treat it about like Amorphophallus Titanum or other Amorphophallus that tend to say in the soil rather than unpotted. It's a very interesting plant and years ago it was extremely hard to find but has sense made it's way into collections.
     
  5. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,455
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Siloam Springs, AR, USA
    I sent a note to botanist Pete Boyce and asked him to offer some information. This is his email,

    "I can give you some observations I have made in the wild. Pycnospatha arietina grows in moderately monsoonal areas in semi-evergreen lowland forest. Such forest undergoes a 3 - 4 month dry season when there is NO rain but very high humidity and high temperatures (up to 40C (104F) or even slightly higher). The plants always grow in heavy red soils (usually limestone derived) with a thick leaf layer in medium to light shade, aften along forest margins and trackways. The tubers tend to be rather deep in the soil and thus although the soil is dry (from lack of rain and from the intensive root activity of the trees) the tubers do not become unduly hot. All this leads me to suspect that resting undisturbed in the pots of in the exhausted planting mix is the way to go BUT what I think is missing in cultivation is the heat/humidity combo and since the damned things usually go dormant in winter you have the problem of making sure that the mix stays dry too. Minimum night temps during the monsoon are high too; seldom less than 25C (77F).

    Conversly, the plants in nature in the growing season receive outrageous quantities of rain (we're talking 6 m+ falling in as many months) and also a constant flow of nurtiients from the leaf litter (the acidity of which almost certainly mitigates the base nature of the actual soil) into an already nutrient-rich clay soil. Temperatures are lower but even so the nights will never be less than 20C (68C) with a rise of 10 - 15C (50 - 59F) during the days. In consequence you need to grow them hot, fast, well watered and well fed in a BIG pot (these things make a LOT of roots) and you need to use a fresh, rich organic/mineral mix and replant at the onset of new growth. I suspect that in cultivation most people grow Pycnospatha far too lean and consequently the plants enter the dormant period in an enfeebled state.

    The largest leaf I have ever seen produced was 3 m tall with a span of about 1.5 m; Thai and Khmer colleagues report having seen still larger. Pete"
     
  6. PaAroidLover

    PaAroidLover Member

    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
    Thank you Brian, and thank you too Steve for all of your help.

    It's seems that I will have to evaluate my ability to provide the needed conditions. It looks like a challenge!

    Please thank Pete Boyce for me Steve.

    Pete's observations about this species are invaluable.

    One of these tubers was shipped from Thailand and collected in the wild, so I can assume that it at least had grown during its last growing season normally. Now the challenge for this particular tuber will be the dormant season.




    With that amount of rain during the growing season heavy soil and a large root system would seem to be a must.

    I just couldn't understand what I was seeing during this past summer with the one tuber that I was growing. What it needed it seems was more water and nutrients and not less water. Next year I will do things much differently.


    Thank you to all!

    This help is much appreciated.

    John.
     
  7. markgrogan

    markgrogan Member

    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Unanderra, Illawarra, Australia
    I never knew there was such a science to plant storage, even when they are in dormant form! I've always thought they were generally pretty hardy, but looks like I'm totally proven wrong this time round.
     
  8. edleigh7

    edleigh7 Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,769
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Brisbane Queensland Australia
    Welcome to the forum Mark, good to see another Aussie
     

Share This Page