If the top is rotting (aka where the buds were), it's a goner.

just wondering..when you cut the leaves off did you leave a little of the stems?..did they rot off?..

Good question nicholsworth. I usually assume the correct answer (w/o proof).

someone gave me this one about 2 weeks ago..they had cut the leaves off..it's in my entryway with damp cotton rags laying on the roots..I've turned it a few times..I would've preferred to have some leaves and overwinter as a plant..I'm still deciding about putting it in a pot..that's why I haven't let the roots dry out..as for the one in the post..this is my first alocasia so I don't know what you should do..sorry..I created a post about mine too..

For me, it's easier to carry them over as growing plants. Your mileage may vary.

that's the impression I have after a lot of reading..even without leaves should I put it in a pot?..I intended to but we've been crazy busy..

Thanks so much to all of you, although I gulped at dbarron’s first comment! It may be a goner, but the main bulb is still firm, so I’ll keep trying! I now have a fan on it to try and help with the drying. The stalks were all large, and I cut them all off. There are still a couple of small sprouts at the sides that have dried, but didn’t show signs of rot. This is my first alocasia. Maybe I should have left some stalks, like nicholsworth. I’ve included a photo of a side sprout.

Well if there's still growing points (I assumed they were all gone), there's still SOME hope.

Hurrah! The bulb is huge, and the growing plant was also huge. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Thanks for the ray of hope!

Alocasia normally produce side shoots so if you can prevent that rot from spreading right through the tuber then you should get a number of plants. But they'll be smaller than what you would have had if you hadn't cut the original growing tip off along with the top of the tuber.

Thanks, tropicbreezent. The instructions I used didn’t say anything specific, except to cut the leaves off. I’m mad that I cut down too far. I may leave the tuber out on the counter with a fan on it for a few more days. Then I can sprinkle with a fungicide, get some peatmoss and hope for the best.

Don't store it in a plastic pot for overwintering. Use a paper bag or box.

I store all of my extra large tubers open air in the winter. The big ones just hold too much moisture and, as you are already aware, have a tendency to rot when covered up. Just my experience though.

I had some that rotted over the winter - thought they were goners, threw in the garden as compost, and they all grew!

LaLennoxa..just trying to learn..were they alocasia or colocasia?..how were they stored?..newspaper?..peat moss?..nothing?..garage?..basement?..

I think they were colocasia arrowhead or something like that. I am basically drowning in elephant ears since they are my obsession, but usually by the end of the season I am quite frantic trying to sort and chop down and put into dormancy. I usually just wrap in newspapers and put in brown paper bags. I usually don’t have time to “dry out” before doing so as I’m usually racing to get things in last minute. Oh how I wish I had servants!

I can relate to what you said..it took so many trips to the garage to carry the pots in on the first night the temperature dropped..then after that the winter prep..but I love them so I do it..I do complain about it!..I have 4 pots..1 alocasia,3 colocasia..the rest are in shoeboxes wrapped in newspaper..I wish it was spring tomorrow lol..

I have also thrown a rotting Alocasia bulb in compost over the winter and in the summer found it growing shoots out of where there was no rot on the side of the partial bulb. The plant ended up being one of my largest in Oct 2018.

Just scoop out the rot with spoon or ice cream scooper. And wash the utensils thoroughly afterwards. Spray with copper fungicide and let dry for a day or 2. Then place your bulb in a paper bag or cardboard box with peat moss. Make sure the peat moss covers your bulb. I did exactly that for another Alocasia bulb/trunk in Jan 2018 which ultimately did well. This is it in early Nov 2018 before I dug out the bulb. Note the trunk...probably why they also call it a Persian Palm. The pup in front of it began to rot in a pot indoors so I threw it in my compost pile last week. Maybe it will come back next summer:

just asking..last fall a neighbor gave me 11 big hostas..too much raking and no time to plant..I successfully overwintered them in my compost bin..but a hosta is hardier than an alocasia..Schnickel Fritz is in zone 5..isn't that too cold?..

hostas coming up in my bin..they look planted but their rootballs were sitting on the ground and the compost was piled on top..they loved it..here's one later in the summer after it was planted..I know someone that didn't dig up their EEs in Indianapolis..they died..

Nicholsworth, interesting about your hostas. A few years ago, I transplanted several hostas in the fall. In spring, I found one I’d missed lying flat and exposed on top of the ground, and it had sprouted! I wish alocasias were that hardy.

Thanks to Jay for your comments. I did as you said scraping out rot and using fungicide. The bulb sat between a dehumidifier and a fan for a week after that. Then I put it in a box in the garage. But now that it’s so cold here, I put in my car, which is mostly cold, but hopefully not below freezing. I hope all this will work.

Schnickel..it would be GREAT if alocasias were as hardy as hostas..but since they're not we work hard to save them..let us know what happens..

The EE corms may be hardier than we expect, provided they do not get too wet. The more than 50% rotted Alocasia corm that I threw on a compost pile, survived the DC area 2017-2018 bomb cyclone exposed there, and then grew to about 5ft tall. The standard Colocasia esculenta in the two Oct 24 pics below got to about 6ft tall and 11ft wide. It's corm was in a shaded and unheated garage in its summer pot through entire bomb cyclone winter. It may have spent some days below 10 deg F. It's the largest EE I've seen with my own eyes north of Orlando, FL:

One of these 2 on the left is the Alocasia that was left for dead in the compost pile (reposted):

jay..I still say anyplace colder than zone 7 would be a gamble for EEs outside..for me better safe than sorry..seeing your pics makes me anxious for spring..

In anticipation of the first cold snap expected to bring with it a hard frost, stop watering this plant so it becomes quite dry and allow the top, whether in the ground or in a container, to be knocked back by hard frost(s). Once tops freeze, protect the soil from rainfall and do not water. I move containers into the garage at this point; or, dig the corms, remove the soil from the corms by hand, and set them on a sheet of cardboard on the garage floor to dry - and don't let them freeze. After the cold-injured tops of containerized plants have started to dry a bit, you can remove them from the soil and lay them on a piece of cardboard as above. Once they're nicely dry, you can move them into a bag or box filled with dry peat moss. Make sure the peat surrounds the corms and the corms do not touch each other to prevent rot. Store on the basement floor or any other cool dark spot.

Al

Hi Schnickel! Did it survive for you? Mine is the same except no roots and no growth point ☹️

this guy was transplanted twice (coastal NC) went thru a few freezes... was rotting...& i felt sure would never come back. Poured boiling water on it twice & within a week- it was waking up. The bottom photo is a month after the boil baths. Top photo is full bloom in November and right before I carelessly chopped him down.

Excuse my dad doing some unc/state gang sign. For perspective- the side fence is 5.5 foot & back is 8.5

Boiling water??? Are you serious????!!?