Dormancy and long growing season

12 years ago

I have a Dracunculus and am looking for an Amorphophallus konjac. If I give them a short dormancy of about 3 months then get them growing earlier in the year than they would normally be active, will they go dormant early?

What specifically triggers dormancy for them? Day length? Temperature? Amount of watering (rainy season)?

Can I extend their growing season to induce them to flower in maybe 2 to 3 years instead of 4 to 5 years?

:)
Joe

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Comments (7)

grabmebymyhandle
12 years ago
It's a cute idea, but alas, forcing amorphs...just doesn't seem to work!

Konjacs are rather forgiving as amorphs go, so you might be ok, but there's just no point in planting them til they spike up!

They just rot if they don't have roots out and aren't growing!

I've read a little bit about people planting them in VERY dry mix and not watering until they spike up good, some people think they get roots a little sooner that way.

Do you have many of the dragon arums?
Ill have a few extra konjacs soon if you want to swap...
temporal-joe
Original Author
12 years ago
I was given one corm. I wish I had more! I love trading plants but this is the only one I have. The only other aroid I have at the moment is a couple jack in the pulpits.

The Dracunculus came with a planting guide that said to plant it in the garden and it will come up in the spring so I assumed it will stay dormant as long as it is kept chilled. I'd like it to produce seed so I am hoping it will wait till spring so flies and whatever else can pollinate it.

So even while it's chilled it might start spiking? If it flowers and there are no pollinators around can it be hand pollinated?

Thanks
Joe
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grabmebymyhandle
12 years ago
Those guys are so different from amorphs, I'm just not sure!

I tend to think that your correct, and possibly keeping it inside and warm would force a spike, my suromatum that stay out do wake up later than ones I dry store inside...

One thing I can for sure is that the bulb has to be a certain size to bloom, no idea if yours is up to size or not, so seeds this year maybe a pipe dream.

The bulb you plant will be consumed by the new leaf, in turn a new bulb grows from the base of the leaf, so, the growth you get one year dictates how big the bulb will be the next year.
grabmebymyhandle
12 years ago
Almost forgot!
If your interested in seeds to get more plants, the good news is, those will pup pretty readily...
Bad news...with only one flower, and no spare pollen, pollenations impossible, the females receptive first, then the pollen drops...
temporal-joe
Original Author
12 years ago
It's more than 8 inches around and 1 1/2 inch tall. It's a nice hand size.

Is that about big enough to be flowering size for a Dracunculus ?

How big do these corms get?
grabmebymyhandle
12 years ago
I can't comment on max size, I don't think they get alot bigger than that.

I'd say you got a reasonable shot at a flower, it should pup for you too!
temporal-joe
Original Author
12 years ago
Cool!

Thanks for all the advise.

Even if I don't get a flower hopefully I'll get a pup or two! Then I'll have something to trade!

Joe