tuber dormancy requirements

[Arctic to Amazonia Alliance]

Well, perhaps I am enjoying fools' luck, or the discoveries possible only
to the novice; unprejudiced by conventional wisdom. All I know is thet my
seedling tubers have rarely failed to come back into growth after up to six
months' dry storage, in-pot, at room temperatures. Thos which have failed
to re-emerge, I believe, succumbed to my impatience in attempting to force
growth by watering too early in the season. The temperature of their store
room has varied according to my use. Some years, they were kept in the 70's
and 80's F.during the day. placed beneath the elevated wood stove (remember
heat rises, so this may have been the coolest location in the room). Last
winter, I only heated that room at night to keep it in the 40's.It froze
alt least once, down to about 19 F. Lost a lot of tender plants, including
cacti, but none of the dormant bulbs. So, go figger; or maybe there is a
Master's thesis in dormancy requirements for seedling Arisaema out there
waiting to be researched.....

It si possible that although my tubereetes wintered fine at room
temperature(s), that their growth would have been more uniform with a
chilling, or perhaps that they require less time for their dormancy if it
is at lower trmperatures. Since they are a side line, albeit compelling and
awe inspiring, I have not taken the time to get very "scientific' (in the
Western sense) about their workings. I am sure this is grist for the mills
of others, and I will be intrigued to see the measure of collective
experience.

erik van lennep
<Alliance at Arctazonia.org>