Dioscorea elephantipes

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Ospreywatcher
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Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by Ospreywatcher »

Unfortunately I have slightly over watered my plant this summer. On examining the roots they have all died so I have cut them all back to the base of the caudex which is still firm and not at all mushy. I have applied some root hormone powder to the base and put the caudex in a dark warm spot. Is there any chance at all that new roots will emerge or is it dead?
Into all sorts of exotic plants but with only having a conservatory I prefer to buy small young plants and miniature cacti.

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Aiko
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Re: Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by Aiko »

If there is a tuber, bulb or caudex left that still feels firm, there is always a good chance a plant will simply reroot. Might take a while. It might even skip a growing season.
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Re: Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by Cactusgirl »

I have stopped watering mine since their leaves started to dry up. Hoping this is the correct way to treat them! I got them last year from a very kind forum member and they have grown and grown! Now getting on for 2 inch across having been size of a penny to start!
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Keith H
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Re: Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by Keith H »

Cactusgirl wrote:I have stopped watering mine since their leaves started to dry up. Hoping this is the correct way to treat them! I got them last year from a very kind forum member and they have grown and grown! Now getting on for 2 inch across having been size of a penny to start!
They are odd things, mine grew throughout the Autumn but kept its leaves until May when the stems died back, it sprouted a new vine less than two months after the old ones had dried out which has to be the shortest dormancy it has had with me, it seems to do something different each year.
Regards Keith.

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TheChinski
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Re: Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by TheChinski »

Can these things grow without a vine? My vines dried up a couple months back, but have been getting watered at least every couple of days since then, and I swear they are bigger than they were when the vines died, but surely this isn't possible without green leaves? They are still only young, an inch across maybe. I grew them from the same batch of seeds, but they seem to have separated into two distinct different groups with different growing/dormancy seasons.
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Re: Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by Cactusgirl »

I thought the leaves were supposed to die back in the heat??
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Re: Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by Eric Williams »

They are normally Winter growers, but oddly they grow at different times for different growers. I water mine when the vines appear and cease watering when vines decide to die and keep dry until vines decide to re appear. The plant will tell you when to water. Cheers
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Re: Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by Mal L »

TheChinski wrote:Can these things grow without a vine? My vines dried up a couple months back, but have been getting watered at least every couple of days since then, and I swear they are bigger than they were when the vines died, but surely this isn't possible without green leaves?
What you call "growth" is probably nothing more than the caudex becoming fully hydrated because of the ready availability of water, without the transpiration losses that would have occurred when it was in leaf. It is is not necessarily a bad thing, but once they have swollen to their maximum, your frequent watering not only becomes unnecessary, but also risks the possibility of rotting the roots. There is no need to water that frequently during dormancy. Just an infrequent light water will be sufficient (after all, that is why they have a swollen caudex). Re-start regular watering at the first sign of new stem/leaf growth - whenever that may be, bearing in mind that these plants are probably the most unpredictable plants you will ever grow - it may be next month or it may be next summer!
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Collection mainly of cacti, though interested in a much wider variety of plants than I can accommodate!
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MikeT
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Re: Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by MikeT »

Eric Williams wrote:They are normally Winter growers, but oddly they grow at different times for different growers
They can grow at different times for the same grower when they're in pots next to each other; there can be weeks difference in growth starting, even when conditions are identical. Very individual plants.
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Re: Dioscorea elephantipes

Post by Ospreywatcher »

Further to my original post I am very happy to report that my D.elephantipes has started to send out a new vine despite my efforts to kill it off during the summer by giving it a tad more water than it desired. After cutting of the dead roots I replanted the rootless caudex in new compost and positioned it in a shaded corner in the house. Early days yet but this is around the time of year it always comes back to life and hopefully there will be fresh roots growing too.
Into all sorts of exotic plants but with only having a conservatory I prefer to buy small young plants and miniature cacti.

My Flickr photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/ospreywatc ... 070601017/
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