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tony palmer
09-08-2007, 01:36 PM
Hi guys, whats new on the hardy colocasia front, back in the uk , we only have C.non-fallax, your pink china looks like a good candidate for a hardy colli, i would be interested in any information on this plant or any other hardyish colocasias, cheers Tony.

BGreen
09-08-2007, 03:48 PM
I am trying a type of C.gigantea this year from Brian's Botanicals. It's listed as zone6 with mulch so I have a warm spot I want to try and leave it in. He has information on this one and two others on his site if you want to check it out. This will be my first winter with any of them so I can't say to much yet.
www.briansbotanicals (http://www.briansbotanicals.net/catalog/index.php?cPath=42&osCsid=87a1a2a8ef0fdfbdaeba8d3304904c02)

Next spring I will be ordering some of the C."Pink China" to try them out too, so I look forward to hearing others experience also.

joe the ghost
09-09-2007, 03:46 AM
I,ve had gigantea and esculantea in the ground in u.k. now for the third year.The esculantas make the gigantea look small and dainty,quite the reverse of what I expected.

tony palmer
09-09-2007, 07:46 AM
Hi Ben, there seems to be two forms of c.gigantia, one from yunnan, thats the one we seem to get most of in the uk, and other, from thailand, the thai form is tropical and gets very big given the right conditions, but the yunnan form which we have is very slow to grow although it is hardier than the thailand form, it is about as hardy as normal esculenta, possibly a little more, c.non-falax, is the same as your c.black pearl, over here that has survived minus 8 without protection, is there anyone who has tried "pink china", i was wondering if it could possibly be as hardy as c.black pearl, "pink china" isnt available in the uk, cheers, Tony.

Steve in France
09-09-2007, 09:41 AM
Tony , I think the Non Fallax / Black Pearl will prove to be the hardiest form. I have Pink China but I potted it in too heave compost and it has not done well, it died back to the ground . I have repotted it in a mix full of Perlite and it has gone mad in the last couple of weeks , lots of pups and good growth. I feel it's just going to be too small to try outdoors this Winter so it will be stored in a Green House.
Later
Steve
p.s. Helen of UKOasis has Pink China in the UK

tony palmer
09-09-2007, 10:03 AM
Hi Steve, if i were to order "pink china" from the US, as a dorment bulb would i still need a phyto... cheers tony. previously known as tonymusa.:05:

Steve in France
09-09-2007, 10:26 AM
Tony , the short answer is yes . Just ask Hellen to go on the pup list for next year. Too late in the season to be getting a new Colocasia now in UK conditions. Mine has pupped like mad as have many of my other Colocasia so getting a pup should be easy, just get on the list. From all I've heard from other people Hellen is a really nice Woman.
Later
Steve

tony palmer
09-09-2007, 11:00 AM
Thanks steve, I will send Helen a pm, she likes veriagated plants so i will have to think of somthing special to swap with her, but any more info on hardyish collis please keep it coming, all the best tony.