Colocasia is a very unusual herb for our latitudes, with a shock of large leaves on long petioles sticking directly out of the ground. It lives in tropical rainforests, mainly in Asia, but is also found on other continents. Colocasia is considered to be a great exotic among us and has not yet reached great popularity. Often, colocasia in the photo is shown next to a person, and the sheet can reach from the ground to the chin. At home, the plant is more valued for nutritious tubers than for its attractive appearance.
Plant description
Colocasia is a perennial herb that belongs to the Aroid family. It has a branched thin rhizome with many tubers. Oblong tubers with ring-shaped bends are painted in light brown color and are highly appreciated in cooking. They contain a lot of starch and useful microelements. Eating is possible only after heat treatment.
The colocasia does not have a stem; a thick rosette of leaves on fleshy petioles sticks out directly from the ground. The leaves have a heart-shaped or thyroid shape and a smooth surface. Relief veins are clearly visible on the leaf plate. Sometimes they have a contrasting color. Foliage can be painted in all shades of green, and also have a bluish or bluish tint. The size of the petiole and leaf increases as colocasia grows older. In an adult plant, the petiole can reach 1 meter, with a thickness of 1-2 cm. The leaf is 80 cm long and 70 cm wide.
Flowers when grown at home are rarely formed and are not attractive. The plant throws an inflorescence in the form of a cob, located on a low, strong peduncle. The color of the inflorescence is sand or brighter, yellow. After pollination, small red or orange berries form. Inside the fruit are many small seeds.
Types of colocasia
In the genus colocasia recorded only 8 species. Basically, these are large-sized plants suitable for growing in greenhouses and large rooms. The real champion is giant colocasia. Its stems can reach a height of 3 m. Strong oval leaves with ribbed veins are painted in dark green. Each leaf reaches 80 cm in length and 70 cm in width. The ear on a thick peduncle is 20 cm high. Turnip-shaped tubers form on the roots.
Edible colocasia (it is also "ancient", "dashin" and "taro") forms many large tubers and is grown as a forage crop. The weight of the largest tubers is 4 kg. Treated leaves and stems are also consumed. On a meter-long fleshy petiole there is a heart-shaped leaf 70 cm long and 50 cm wide. The edges of light green foliage are slightly wavy.
Based on this view, the form is derived "black magic colocasia", it is distinguished by a dark, black-brown coloration of terrestrial shoots.
Water colocasia lives on the shores of fresh water bodies and normally perceives the flooding of rhizomes. Petioles are reddish in color and reach a length of 1.5 m. Heart-shaped light green leaves are 40 cm long and 20 cm wide.
Colocasia is deceiving - A more compact plant, which is also called "indoor colocasia." The maximum height of its shoots is 50 cm. The dimensions of the leaf are 30 cm in length and 20 cm in width.
Breeding methods
Colocasia is propagated by dividing the roots and planting tubers. When working with a plant, it is important to be careful, because fresh juice is very irritating to the skin. It is better to carry out all manipulations with gloves.
Seed propagation in the middle lane is a rather complex and ineffective process. Small seeds are planted in a pot with moist peat soil to a depth of about 5 mm. The container is covered with a film and stored in a bright and warm place. The optimum temperature is + 22 ... + 24 ° C. Shoots appear within 1-3 weeks.
When transplanted from an adult plant, several tubers are separated. They are completely buried in moist, light soil and covered with glass or film. Within 2-4 weeks, the first shoots will appear, and after another 10 days you can remove the shelter.
An adult plant can be cut into several pieces. At each root site, 1-2 growth buds should remain. Colocasia is cut with a sharp blade and sprinkled with plenty of charcoal. Delenka is immediately planted in a moist sand-peat mixture and left in a warm place. Rooting takes place quite easily, after 1-2 weeks the plant begins to produce new leaves.
Care Rules
Home care for colocasia is quite simple. It is enough to choose a comfortable place for it and periodically water it. When grown indoors, it does not need a rest period and is equally beautiful all year long. This large beauty needs to allocate at least 1 m² of free space. Colocasia needs a long daylight. Indoors, it does not tolerate direct sunlight, but in the open ground it easily tolerates even extreme heat. In the garden, colocasia feels good in the sunshine or in a small shade. The optimum temperature is + 22 ... + 26 ° C.
Since colocasia is constantly in contact with moisture in nature, it must be watered frequently. For irrigation use settled warm water. The ground part of the plant is recommended to be sprayed periodically. It is also useful to arrange vessels with wet pebbles or expanded clay.
Colocasia is regularly fed throughout the growing season. Indoor plants are fertilized twice a month with complex mineral compounds. Outdoor specimens need only one fertilizer in 25-30 days.
Even large colocasia can be taken to the garden in spring. They are left in tubs or transplanted into the open ground, where they feel great before the onset of cold weather. When the temperature outside begins to drop to + 12 ° C, the plant is dug up again. You can completely cut off the foliage and store only tubers that are used for new plantings in spring.
Colocasia is transplanted infrequently, as the rhizome grows. The pot is immediately chosen large, with a diameter and depth of 50 cm. For planting, use a mixture of equal parts:
- turf land;
- humus;
- peat;
- sand.
Precautionary measures
Colocasia is very toxic. Fresh juice on the skin can cause a serious burn. When eating at least a small piece of leaf or another part of the plant, swelling of the throat begins, severe burning and pain. In case of danger, consult a doctor immediately. Care must be taken so that animals and children do not come close to such beautiful, but extremely dangerous vegetation. Even edible varieties are edible after prolonged frying or cooking.
Possible difficulties
Most difficulties are associated with improper care for colocasia:
- if the leaves begin to turn yellow and become less elastic, then the plant receives insufficient moisture;
- the appearance of dry spots may indicate burns of indoor specimens;
- if variegated forms lose their brightness, then the plant does not have enough light.
It is very rare to find traces of a spider mite, scutellum or aphid on colocasia. It is most convenient to immediately use insecticides. After 1-2 weeks, you should definitely re-process.
