lack of culture among Arisaema

[Véronique Macrelle]

 I try to grow arisaema with more or less success and I would like some advice:
my bulb of Ariaema fargesii measures between 5 and 6 cm in diameter and has not bloomed this year. from what size will it be able to flower? or my cultivation method does not allow its floral induction.
 - the tubers, is it better to keep them completely dry in winter, or a little humified? I think they are too slow to restart in the spring.
 and finally: sowing. I have already tried to sow at least 8 different species, and I only succeeded with Arisaema flavum ... why?

 and finally 3 times that I find a bulbilla of A. candissimum, but it rots during the growing season. Is he more sensitive than others?

I still managed to pollinate A. ciliatum with a water pipette and I am very happy, I will be able to practice this sowing ... I dare not buy seeds of this genus.

[GordonT]

Véronique, do you lift your fargesii, and store it each winter? I would think that it should be winter hardy for you. I haven't had any problems germinating many Arisaema species by placing the seed between moist paper towel, and then putting them inside a ziplock plastic bag. I leave them at room temperature to pre-germinate. This has worked for many species, (amurense, candidissimum, ciliatum, consanguineum, costatum, erubescens, fargesii, franchetianum, heterophyllum, serratum, sikokianum, tortuosum). It hasn't worked so well for me on Arisaema griffithii or Arisaema nepenthoides (only if the seed of nepenthoides is very fresh).

[Véronique Macrelle]

for the moment I grow it in a pot, until it multiplies enough for me to attempt acclimatization in the open ground. I got 4 bulbils this year from my A. fargesii and 70 from my A. ciliatum (this one will try the full ground, as well as A. flavum)
 Our winters are very wet here, and I have had some disappointments; I come back to this genus, which I still love, but which has already cost me a lot! hence my desire to start from sowing.

[Gabriela]

 Véronique  - I will try to answer few of your questions.
First - many species are warm germinators and if the seeds are viable and relatively fresh they will germinate at room temperature in high proportion. From the ones I tried myself: A. flavum, A. ciliatum, A. consanguineum, A. fargesii, A. candidissimum and of course A. triphyllum. See a picture with A. ciliatum I tested for germination early in March (in the house). Other species may require to be sown fresh or cold treatment, there are so many species...


In our climate we have problems with the very cold rains in the fall so I keep A. fargesii (for now) in a container planted in the ground, and I remove it in late fall and store it in the garage (frost free) till spring. I don't water at all and in early spring I repot in a fresh potting mix.
It is hard to say with the flowering, at the size you mentioned it should flower but I don't think there is a strict rule. See picture of my tubers before repotting; only one of the big one flowered.