PERENNIALS > COLOCASIA
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COLOCASIA GUIDES
Container GrowingIndoors GrowingPropagationVarietiesWinter concern
For bad impact and impressive and exotic foliage , Colocasia – or ‘ Elephant Ears ’ as they are better make love , will certainly make a financial statement in the garden .
With large and jungle - comparable foliage being all the cult at the instant , these works are proper on trend and look glorious when grown here in the UK .
C. esculenta‘Illustris’
Also commonly know as ‘ Taro ’ , Colocasia are tuberous perennials that originate from South East Asia.1Colocasia . ( n.d . ) . Kew Royal Botanic Gardens . recover March 14 , 2023 , fromhttps://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331172-2
Abig impact works , they can acquire to well-nigh 2 m marvellous and wide and will string attending wherever they are grown .
bring about large pointer or tenderness - shaped leaves , often with outstanding mineral vein track down through them , they see so spectacular you just want to bear on them !
C. esculenta‘Illustris’
However , in this country , they run to be acquire for cosmetic role , rather than culinary .
Overview
PreferredFull Sun or Partial Shade
ExposureExposed or Sheltered
Height1.5 – 2 M
Spread1.5 – 2 M
Bloom TimeApril – May
PreferredMost territory types
C. ‘Black Magic’
MoistureMoist but well - drained
pHAny
Hailing from tropical Asia , it is not surprising that they opt a moist and tender environment and can even be grow on flooded land , but can also produce well under sure conditions , here in the UK .
Often used as a statement plant , they look equally outstanding when mature in a mete or container and can suit a miscellany of planting schemes and manner .
Colocasia Plant Care
start from affectionate mood , Colocasia does have some rather specific spring up requirements – but this does not intend that they ’re out of ambit for gardener here in the UK :
They can either be found out after the last risk of any frost , commonly late around May to June , given a head commence by potting up in spring indoors , or grown class - round as a house flora .
Colocasia can sometimes be bought as semi - matured plants , but are more often than not bought as tubers .
To grow outdoors , colocasia tubers can be planted directly into the ground as summer begins .
They are best planted shallow , in a warm and sheltered blot , with the growing tip of the genus Tuber just protruding above the soil surface .
“ Colocasias are pee hungry and thrive around the boundary of pond , ” share Colin Skelly , a Master Horticulturist .
“ I have grown Colocasia in a pond , with roots submerged but the crown about 5 cm above the water level .
“ The plant life fly high and the algal blooms that normally affected the pond in summer did not occur , probably because the Colocasia utilised the atomic number 7 and phosphoric in the water system . ”
Water and sign with a recording label or bet , so as not to ill-use on them by accident .
As thirsty plant life , it is deserving adding some well - decompose manure or garden compost to the planting cakehole to give the soil a boost .
Water well on planting and stay to do so throughout the summertime .
Common Problems
The youthful soft leaves of genus Colocasia can be , unsurprisingly , rather tempt to slugs and snails .
To give new plants the beneficial hazard , it is best to keep them when young in a slug - costless environs where possible and only plant or move them out of doors when they are of a fairly substantial size .
stagnate and snail control can include , picking off by hired man , especially at night with a torch when they issue forth out , using barrier such as Cu magnetic tape or woolen pellets and using trap .
Encouraging predators include fowl and frogscan be surprisingly effective as well .
Glasshouse whitefly can be a special problem when grow colocasia in a greenhouse , hothouse or as houseplant .
The sap - sucking microbe are 2 mm long and thus visible to the naked eye and often leave behind a sticky honeydew substance .
They are often not a job on outside plants as the bugs prefer fond conditions .
It is wise to check plants for whitefly from saltation onwards , as a modest routine are far easier to ascertain than a orotund infestation .
Controls can include increase ventilation where possible and quarantining newfangled plants for a few hebdomad to look into for signaling of whitefly , before introducing them to a greenhouse or other houseplants .
For severe infestations , insecticidal goop can be used .
However , with a short activity time , they may have to be used repeatedly as per their direction .
Even though unlikely to be an issue with colocasia plants , atomiser should not be used when the plant are in flower due to the danger to pollinator .
