Refrigerator time

[Craig Stubbs]

Fellow Corm Chillers
Jim has accurately stated my thoughts about the "optimum minimal
time" to store Arisaema 'FIRST' year corms as 90 days.My initial sample was
small including only consanguineum and ringens.This sample has increased to
12 species and I still feel the same.
Given my shortened growing season and colder winters here I have
different reasons than most for experimenting with dormancy periods. My
experience with Arisaema introduced to the garden as seedlings was almost
certain loss.In my case then, I needed this accelerated maturation process
not only to advance flowering ,but simply to enhance survival.Seed harvested
or received in late fall is grown immediately and goes dormant early
February.I only artificially winterize these harvested corms the first
year.It is a real advantage to be able to keep them dormant until the ground
warms to the same temperature as the refrigerated storage of 38F.Once in the
ground the corms seem to be able to acclimatize better given their head
start of a full growing season inside .I now successfully over winter an
increasing number of species introduced this way in my zone 5 garden.
When seed was received late in January from seed exchanges,
germinated,and grown shortly thereafter ,it left a much shorter refrigerated
dormancy period.Eager to introduce these newcomers to the garden,some
species including additional consanguineum and ringens,were put into the
garden after as little as 40 days dormancy.As both Jim and Ellen discussed
some of these took longer to emerge, but here in my garden, most grew thin
and spindly. These new stands became a hilarious junkyard of coat hanger
supports and fine string to support this "Second Year "growth that crept
along the ground unable to support itself.I also lost an entire years
ringens harvest(6) to rust while all other Arisaema in the garden remained
clean,Thank God!
>>>>>>>Jim's Conclusions:<<<<<<<<<<

1. One month's refrigeration is probably enough cold to allow the corm to
"think" that it has experienced a winter. However, the latent period between
replanting and emergence is prolonged.
## Jim,I agree with your first conclusion completely##
2. Refrigeration beyond three months probably gains nothing, and at some
point the corm will break dormancy even if in continuous cold.
### To your second conclusion that refrigeration..BEYOND.. three months
gains nothing,I also agree.However in my experience it is that interim
storage period of three months,just before some of the refrigerated corms
start breaking dormancy  that provides the healthiest corms.The conditions I
am reviewing are for corms that start their second growth season in the
garden,not under lights where quite possibly the results would be better.####
Does this information help?????
Craig