Amorphophallus Konjac bulb rot

18 years ago

I've stored my Konjac bulb in an unheated garage from Oct-end of Nov, then I placed it in a pot of dry peat to continue storage. I looked at it today and there was a soft spot on it. I've dug this spot out, which ended up being 20% of the bulb. The growing point was also soft and ruined. The bulb is 2.5" wide. I've put it indoors to dry out and hopefully it may heal.

Does anyone know why it rotted and will it survive with 20% missing and with the growing tip ruined?

Comments (10)

handspeakboy
18 years ago
Id suspect that youl be susprised. Provided that the rott doesnt spread, one of the minor eye spots should take over and grow. I have sliced konjac tubers in half(just to try) and have had both halves grow into nice healthy plants.

Chris
count_d
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks Chris.
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Toni, a lot of people do that, leave it without soil. It has to be mature enough and can then flower. But it's like not feeding you for a few days and then sending you out doing hard manual labour still without food. Amorphs are heavy feeders and need it to grow healthy and fast. The more they feed the larger the tuber they produce, which in turn will produce a larger leaf. It gets to the point when it has enough reserves to include flowering into its cycle. Starving yours has set it back a long way and it'll take time to recover, let alone flower. The only reason they're left out of soil is for the "OH WOW!" factor, but it's killing the plant. If you have it stored unpotted, you need to pot it up as soon as it starts to show signs of growth. Feed it well through the season. It will flower once it's back to a healthy state.
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Brandon, just give it a pot where it has a lot of room on each side. That way it will have room to reproduce. My bulb is 11 lbs., and I am putting it in a half whisky barrel this year. Get the biggest pot you can. I'm sure it will be fine, even if the pot is a little too small. I don't put mine directly in the sun, but on the front porch where it can have some sun, and then some shade. If you want it to flower next year, fertilize it well. :) Arum
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Hi, These need no water to bloom and not even any dirt. It helps to think about how these grow in their native environment. During their dormancy they do not see water and they flower in the early spring ahead of the rains....that way the seed ripen about the time the rains come and the new seedlings can grow until the end of the rainy season. You should start to see a new leaf emerge about 2 months after the flower. There is no need for water now and in fact it can be very bad for the tuber if it is also cold...this will cause rot. Once the new leaf is above the soil line you can begin watering. Once it dies back in the fall you can unpot it and find many offsets attached to the main tuber...these are rhizomatous on this species. These can be safely removed to propagate new tubers. You need two separate clones if you ever want to see a nice big seed head of red berries. The tuber of this species can be stored completely dry out of any soil without any problem at all. These tubers can easily get to 10 pounds and sometimes larger, although mine typically split into more plants, which I personally prefer. I personally think the leaf is the most interesting part of these plants...once you have seen the flower once they become mundane, but the leaf is like a massive umbrella on a large tuber!! This is a very easy species to grow and you will not have any problem with it at all. Best of luck :o) Dan
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laiquatan
18 years ago
While we're on the subject, my Konjacs are just starting to show signs of activity. I understand they're sensitive to root rot, and realize that they can put out a good sized spike while out of the pot (impressive blooms in the post a bit back). My question is at what point is it safe to repot them and start watering them so they can start growing roots?
handspeakboy
18 years ago
The rule I use is to wait until the bulb has noticeable rootnubs coming out of the base of the shoot ... Flower stalks wont have rootnubs and a big shoot that doesnt appear to be developing nubs is one you should probly hold off with and wait to see if it blooms..

If the nubs are there.. it wants to grow

Chris
konjacking
18 years ago
Chris is right! I have a 16 pounder and it has no root nubs. It well be flowering with in the next few months or so as the shoot is about 3" tall tight now. I NEVER store my A. Konjac's in ANYTHING. I dig them up, let them dry. rub off the dried dirt and dry root pieces that were still left on, and store them on open shelf's in my basement where it stays about 50- 54 degrees. Small bulblets I clean in the same way, and store in an open shallow box. This year I only have three blooming, but that's OK as My family doesn't get as excited about their blooms as I DO!
ALSO, I have had a bulb try to rot. All I did was clean odd the soft area back to fresh solid white bulb, and leave it on my counter to dry or scab over. Put it back in the basement after about 4 - 5 days and plant as I would all the others! you may get more than one sprout. I always cut multi shoots back to the biggest nicest one so I only get one bulb. Multiple shoots means multiple bulbs. If that's what you want let them all grow! I have enough small babies every year that I don't let large bulbs divide!
HAVE FUN
David
AKA
KonjacKing
laiquatan
18 years ago
Thanks for the practical advice! I don't think I'm completely following David's comments about what he cuts and what he grows (my first time with Konjac, and I never dug up my Paeonii). You're saying the main bulb, as it gets ready to grow, will set out minor shoots in addition to the main one? I think I see - when the leaf is formed, all the bulb energy goes into the leaf and the old bulb shrivels; if there are two leaves, the bulb energy is divided between the two. Am I close? Since you say you still get the babies, I'm guessing they don't develop from the shoots you cut. I'm looking forward to seeing mine grow.

For Paeoniifolium, I think I've usually seen people say they leave them in the ground. I dug mine up to save it from drowning (overwatering by daughter just as it was going into dormancy, and I've lost a main bulb to rootrot before), and am keeping it in a partly-closed ziplock to slow down the drying while I let the soil dry out some. It looks happy enough for the present. Any advice on how long I can keep it out or whether it can be treated like Konjac?
susanlynne48
18 years ago
The tuber I have has just been sitting on the shelf in the kitchen, not in a cabinet or anything, just in the open. It's fine. Didn't put it in peat or anything. I think these bulbs thrive on absolute and total neglect.

Susan
konjacking
18 years ago
Yes you are right!
If you let two or three etc. leafs form... the old bulb shrivles up and you will get that number of new bulbs.even if you only get one new leaf, the old bulb shrivles up and a new one developes. Each bulb will have its own new babie bulbs atached by main thick root-like short stems. I only let the main leaf stem grow, cutting off any other smaller ones that try . NOT ALL bulbs will do this. Mostly when they get large and older.
David
supermowglee
18 years ago
If you are at all worried about rot spreading on your Amorph bulbs, just use old hormone rooting powder. Even if the powder is out of date, the funghicide in it stays active, and it's perfect for spreading on a freshly cut surface. We treat all our Amorph corms that develope any rot this way and we very rarely see the rot spread...
gaolining
16 years ago
Someone could give me some Konjac bulb?i'm very appreciate !
thanks !

Amorphophallus Konjac bulb rot

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Amorphophallus Konjac bulb rot

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