Moving Arisaemas

[annew]

Last year, I neglected to move some arisaemas in autumn. They are too tall for where they are and fall over onto the other plants. They are now about 15cm high. Can I move them now? How much root are they likely to have, and how deep the tubers? No, I can't remember the name, but they are of the consanguineum type.

[Paul T]

Anne,

Providing you take a good chunk of soil with them it shouldn't be a problem.  Most of them (I can't recall for consanguineum specifically) initiate new roots from the base of the shoot each year, so these should be growing outwards from the growing point.  You could probably even carefully pull back the soil around the shoot to get some idea of how far they have grown.  If only 15cm tall, I would be thinking that they would only have pushed out a few inches in all directions, but that depends on your soil too I would imagine (and how friable it is).  Our soils are rubbish enough that I would imagine they push out slower than good stuff. 

[annew]

Thanks, Paul - I'll have a go this morning.

[annew]

For reference: I lifted the plants as a clump trying to take as much soil as I could. The tubers were only about 10-15cm down, with the (brittle!) roots spreading sideways. I replanted in the garden, unfortunately by this time with the shoots pointing in just about every direction except vertically! We'll see how they do. I'm interested to find out if they will realign themselves.

[Lesley Cox]

If they don't fully this year, they should next, like crocuses planted upside down.

[Paul T]

Anne,

Obviously the soil all fell off then?  Makes it harder.  What I tend to do in that case (when I have done it before) is make a small basin for the bulb to sit in at the bottom of it's hole..... that way the roots naturally sit straight out onto the soil around it, then I backfill directly onto those roots which keeps them more or less horizontal.  Don't overwater them after planting, but don't let them dry out.  The roots as you say are very brittle, but I have no idea whether the broken roots will branch or only those undamaged ones continue to grow?

Good luck.