Arisaema 2017

[johnw]

And it's Arisaema yamatense v. sugimotoi time again in Ken's garden.  A very lusty aroid.  One of the oldest clumps in the city just a block away easily reaches 1.3m or more.  This species was grown from seed by Philip MacD in the 90's and generously spread around amongst lucky friends.

john

[Gabriela]

Nothing special, but seed grown over the last few years: Arisaema jacquemontii (left), consanguineum (middle), propinquum (right)

Very nice mix Ashley; consanguineum, ciliatum and others like them are still to show up here. This is the time when I start to look around with anxiety (and eventually start to scratch the ground...).

[Gabriela]

And it's Arisaema yamatense v. sugimotoi time again in Ken's garden.  A very lusty aroid.  One of the oldest clumps in the city just a block away easily reaches 1.3m or more.  This species was grown from seed by Philip MacD in the 90's and generously spread around amongst lucky friends.
john

It has an extremely interesting pseudostem John; here is 'The baby' - thank you, sprawling on an old bench by itself, somewhere in April (I kept the tuber in the garage and started early).

[johnw]

Gabriela -  Glad to hear the "baby" is doing well.  You will soon have plenty.

Yesterday Ken saw an A. speciousum just getting ready to flower in a garden, a dark flower - mayebarae perhaps.  I was quite surprised as I had assumed it was tender.

It might be wise some year to hold sugimotoi back and plant it later so it flowers with other species in the hope they get up to some mischief.

Are you growing griffithii?

john

[Gabriela]

Gabriela -  Glad to hear the "baby" is doing well.  You will soon have plenty.
Yesterday Ken saw an A. speciousum just getting ready to flower in a garden, a dark flower - mayebarae perhaps.  I was quite surprised as I had assumed it was tender.
It might be wise some year to hold sugimotoi back and then plant so it flowers later and with other species in the hope they get up to some mischief.
Are you growing griffithii?

john

I was very surprised it started to grow so early, I had no choice but start to water; consang., ciliatum, .....never do so.

I tried griffithii twice (tubers from now closed Garden Imports) and they came bad each time. Looking OK and then in the spring a shy attempt to start growing before going down the 'drain'. I think there are a lot of infected tubers offered for sale.
It even happened with sazensoo tubers (from Fraser's Thimble).

That's fine because I'm cutting down on them; unless 'forced' upon with good tubers

[johnw]

I too await a Fraser's Thimble Farm A. sazensoo and a few other rather pricey ones.......the weather has been so cool, 5c this morning.

john

[Gabriela]

I too await a Thimle Farm A. sazensoo and a few other rather pricey ones.......the weather has been so cool, 5c this morning.
john

5C - that's really extreme!!! Not so cold here but 4 hail storms in the last two days!

You had good idea to buy in the spring - by now they should be grown up (and the bad ones dead). I bought plants in the fall that year, impossible to say when they are dry if good or not.

[johnw]

I bought mine from Thimble Arisaemas last autumn!  Potted them up immediately in a dry mix and stored them at 5c.   It could be a long wait but I won't hesitate to let them know about any problems, they;ve been poretty good in the past even with mislabelled items.

john

[johnw]

5C - that's really extreme!!! Not so cold here but 4 hail storms in the last two days!

Why the Scot's stayed, made great wool sweaters and Scotch.  It's a nice damp cool you see.  Meconopsis having their best year, P. mloko's been ion flower since Victoria Day, surely a record for here.

Hope there's no hail damage with you.

john - @ +12c.

[Gabriela]

Why the Scot's stayed, made great wool sweaters and Scotch.  It's a nice damp cool you see.  Meconopsis having their best year, P. mloko's been ion flower since Victoria Day, surely a record for here.
Hope there's no hail damage with you.
john - @ +12c.

Yes for sure, and the climate is also favourable for Rhodos so, advantage to Halifax.
Nothing major with the hail but the chances for some species to set seeds are going down day by day with so much rain.

Re - Arisaema, when you said 'I await' I thought you just bought them. I don't know what to say - when I had it, sazensoo was always early (sort like sikokianum). I also kept it dry but it didn't matter.
I didn't said anything because in a way is not their fault (partly only). It's impossible to say when dry which tubers are infected, and it happened with some consanguineum I grew as well - perfectly good tubers looking in the fall, by early spring found them mushy in the pot.

[vanozzi]

Christmas in June !!!

A box of 9 different arisaemas arrived in the mail this morning. Whoo Hoo. Nice addition to my growing collection of tubers and seedlings.

[johnw]

I think there are a lot of infected tubers offered for sale.
It even happened with sazensoo tubers (from Fraser's Thimble).

You're quite correct Gabriela and a few gardening friends agree - something terribly wrong with Fraser Thimble's A. sazensoo tubers.  Everyone has lost them, up and collapsing and rotting just as rooting.  All are experienced Arisaema growers.  Giot fed up waiting for mine to surface today, so slowly removed soil only to find a tuber of slop. I'll let them know, they're pretty co-operative.

john

[GordonT]

A few years ago, I ordered ten tubers of Arisaema nepenthoides from Gardenimport. All had advanced shoot growth, and major fungal infections when they arrived, and I lost the lot (managed to salvage a single tiny side growth from the last tuber before it rotted away). These tubers apparently were coming from India, and suffered badly in transit. Gardenimport made good on the lot, but ceased business two years later.

[Gabriela]

You're quite correct Gabriela and a few gardening friends agree - something terribly wrong with Fraser Thimble's A. sazensoo tubers.  Everyone has lost them, up and collapsing and rotting just as rooting.  All are experienced Arisaema growers.  Giot fed up waiting for mine to surface today, so slowly removed soil only to find a tuber of slop. I'll let them know, they're pretty co-operative.
john

Sorry to hear this John; it was indeed too late to expect growth from it. I think is best to let them know (although I didn't said anything at the time). I am somehow sure they know about the problem but if more people complain, they may try to screen somehow the tubers by sampling the lots for infection; or change their supplier.

[Gabriela]

A few years ago, I ordered ten tubers of Arisaema nepenthoides from Gardenimport. All had advanced shoot growth, and major fungal infections when they arrived, and I lost the lot (managed to salvage a single tiny side growth from the last tuber before it rotted away). These tubers apparently were coming from India, and suffered badly in transit. Gardenimport made good on the lot, but ceased business two years later.

Yes, Gordon it is a general problem with many Arisaema tubers suppliers, especially on the lower cost end. The companies who are buying to resell them of course will take the blame; on the other hand if they would be more expensive, the tubers won't sell (at least not in Canada).
And this is how we end not having a reliable source for good quality Arisaema tubers here.