TrailGaiter

Hi! I'd like to add colocasias to my yard this year.... and I'm stumped as to which one. I want 'em BIG! The toss up is between Jack's Giant and the Thailand Giant. I see the differences in leaf types through pictures...I like things about both of them. But I just can't decide.... maybe anyone reading this can help me do so!

Since I'm in zone 5, (WI), we don't have as long a growing season as some. So I'd like to pick the one that grows the largest, or at least grows the fastest. My plan is to either pot it (not likely), or cut/dig it up in October and winter it inside...like my bananas and cannas. But since we have a shorter growing season...I want to choose the one that's the fastest growing.

Anyone have either, and what do you think? Can the tubers/rootball/whatever it is, winter inside like my bananas and cannas do? I just started potting my some canna tubers...they were starting to grow already on their own!

ANgie

saltydad

Sure they can. I pull mine every year. I have Jack's Giant; it grows large and fast, and it has given me more tubers. Great choice. You also can have them potted over the winter, making sure they get water and light.

__________________
Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men"

"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon





"If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal."
John F. Kennedy, September, 1960


http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and
http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad
http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/

timmko

I am in Wisconsin and have Jacks Giant and Borneo Giant. They both grow fast the only isse I have is trying to winter them potted. THey are spider mite magnets! Very Very bad no matter how much you spray. I bought a chemical spray last fall and it took most of the winter to get rid of them. Just beware of this.

__________________

raygrogan

Not exactly what you are looking for, but here is a maybe candidate. You can find satoimo cormlets in Asian stores for about a quarter each. If you plant them directly in the garden about May 1 they will grow fine. This year I am also testing starting in a crowded pot indoors earlier to see if they will get even bigger. They will not match the giganto candidates you have, but they are beautious, big enough, and taste delicious. The leaves and corms can be eaten just before first frost, or wait til about first snow and get much bigger corms and lots of little cormlets (that can be cooked like a potato, no "needles").

nannerfunboi

i think your choices of thai giant and jacks giant are great choices
are great too.. i grow both.. also i would consider any of the big
zanthosomas.. ive only grown them 2 yrs..and they get bigger every
yr..
thai giant will give you huge leaves..spread out.. jacks giant will be
more upright..not as huge leaves..but very impressive..
i also struggle with mites during overwintering..
i put mine in the shower.. and hose them down.. doesnt completely
get rid of the mites..but.. gives the plant a break from them..
i think its just price we pay overwintering our EE in a less humid
atmosphere..
when i start hardening off my EE end of april.. (i bring in at sundown)
the mites leave the EE alone..
good luck to ya..
keep us posted on what u end up growing and how they do...

TrailGaiter

Thanks for the advice, and the warnings about spider mites! My maurelii had them once this winter....but I used the recipe people talk about on here, and that took care of them. I mist my bananas/cannas constantly just to keep them moist, I would even consider running a humidifier if that might help too! I've been bitten by the tropical bug!! I have a few plants I have my eye on this year....but the giant colocasia is what I will not live without this year! At least try them! I'm looking on Ebay, and Brian's Botanicals, and think I may order it from there. I was hoping to find one place that had the ears, persian shield (which I had last year, it grew FAST and huge! But I didn't save any over the winter....grrrr) and I'd like like a couple more canna types. Brian's has all, except the persian shield from what I saw! I am so eager to put my bananas and cannas in the ground...and to get a giant elephant ear to try....I never used to grow ANYTHING. Now I'm looking for the next plant to get! Finally hit me in my late 30's!

Magilla Gorilla

I grow the Thai Colocasia and it gets huge! I have many sizes available for sale. PM me and we can discuss it further.

__________________
Andrew

TrailGaiter

Thanks Andrew,
That's beautiful! Is that horsetail next to it? Or some sort of bamboo? I planted some horsetail here along our pond last year... but didn't think it got that big.

TrailGaiter

one more question, I've read conflicting information....do you find one works in nearly full sun than the other? Some places say part shade, others say sun...

mbfirey

I'm growing Thai Giant, Jack's Giant, and Borneo Giant- plus something special called Robudora Supermax- a hybrid by from A. Odora and A. Robusta (the largerst leaved of them all).
Also growing a couple of xanthosomas i got from local latin grocery store.

For the Thai, Jacks, and the Xanthosomas I'm trying something different this year for over wintering- I'm keeping them in a big Rubbermaid container of water in the garage- So far everything is still alive and has lots of white roots- small wimpy leaves but I've heard of others having great success with this method. I'll probably take pictures before planting out and of the results.

As far as what to suggest- go with the Thai Giant if you want BIG- Jack's is nice but Thai is like nothing else out there. Since you won't be able to overwinter outdoors anyway- go for the Biggest!

Sun will give you the biggest growth, but you'll need more water. They will all tolerate shade but not get as big.

__________________
www.nstarleather.com
North Star Leather Company
Quality Leather Goods-Made in USA!

TrailGaiter

Thanks for all of the input! Based on what people have said regarding the growth of the thai, that's what I will find. Like mbfirey said, I have a limited growth season, so would like to get as much size as I can with what I have! I also do like the looks of the leaves better on the thai giant. Thanks! I'll have to keep you updated when I get to that point! It's 60 degrees out there today here in Southern WI...very hard NOT to think about the upcoming growing season!

Magilla Gorilla

Yes that is horsetail. It's a weed! The more water the bigger they get. I grow the Thai colocasia in full sun, part shade and full shade. My largest leaves are in the full shade plants. I have found for me the more shade the better. I don't have much humidity here and the sun burns them. I have many other varieties but this seems to be the hardiest.

Good luck.

__________________
Andrew

TrailGaiter

Yeah, I know it grows and spreads and takes over....I LOVE it! We have a natural pond in our backyard....and nothing but weeds grow around it....so I planted some horsetail and cattails last year....it's ok if they take over, that's all wild back there anyway. I thought it would provide something nicer to look at that they typical weeds that grow there. It's surrounded by woods, so lots of seeds flying around. So, I'm hoping it takes off here!

nannerfunboi

i agree with mbfirey..on the thai giant..mine get huge.. leaves in
excess of 70" long.. i have several of lari ann gardners' robusta
hybrid.. only 1 yr old so far..it got over 5' last yr..so hoping to
double that this yr..
i grow all my EE in full sun.. 12+hrs they go into heavily enriched
compost soil with alot of perlite and coco coir..
one thing i learned from last yr..i need to feed them more..
i have always erred on side of lower dosages of fertilizing..but with my
nanners and EE.. they truely are heavey feeders..
depends on what your giving them of course..
good luck to ya !!!!

conejov

You guys have inspired me to get one of the Thai Giants from Brian's Botanical s, Let see how well it does out here in Houston. They also have a ton of other Aroids that has piked my interest.

__________________

RobG7aChattTN

I've found that Thai Giant gets much bigger than Jack's Giant, but will not overwinter in the ground for me. I had decided not to bother with Thai Giant again because although you can go from a pint size plant to a very large plant in one season, it never gets truly giant in one season. After reading about the "bucket method" of storing the plants in water over winter I've decided to get another one. I'd gladly bring it in every winter if I could keep it alive. I had a very large species of Xanthosoma once and it overwintered great as a houseplant and got huge, but it got so huge that it was hard to find space in the house and my wife wouldn't let me bring one inside again. I'll be interested to see how the Super Max hybrid does. It will have to be something I can overwinter and it will have to get bigger than Thai Giant for me to get too excited, but it could really be something.

john_ny

Sometimes, you can find taro roots or tubers in a produce department. The Hawaiians use it to make "poi". I looked it up in the dictionary, and it says it's a Colocasia esculente. (didn't specify a certain one, though) They were cheap, 69¢ a pound. I bought a pound, once, and I got ten of them. I planted them, and they sprouted in about a week. They got pretty big leaves. They weren't giant, giant, but for 7¢ each...

__________________
John

sandy0225

You all inspired me, along with a google search for Thai Giant colocasia, and agristarts just e-mailed me and said that the Thai Black bananas that I ordered for next week won't be ready for another month. So I ordered Thai Giant colocasia instead of the Thai Black musas. I hope they really turn out as cool as I thought, and as you all posted pictures here. ..
As a side note, today we uncovered one of the Pink China colocasias that I planted out this last spring and then covered in the fall with a couple of bags of of leaves. And one of them looks like it's going to grow. It already has a sprout in the center that's crunchy and viable looking.

__________________
Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
www.northerntropics.com


specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
check out our new online store at our website!

TrailGaiter

I'm glad, Sandy! Of course, just to let you know, I consulted your website first about these and some cannas I'd like....and was bummed to see you didn't have them. I'm getting a thai giant from Magilla Gorilla....(thanks for his help!!)

The maurelii you sent me last year is doing well! Can't wait to see how much it grows this year!

Angie

timmko

Can you give me a few more specifics about overwintering in a tub of water. How exactly and is it a dark tub to keep out ligt, temp etc. I would love to try this. Thanks

__________________