Refrigerator time

[Ellen Hornig]

I think Paul Christian needs to spend some time in a *real* winter....
Paul, as you observe, many arisaemas "turn to mush" if they freeze.
Well, here in Banana Belt North (upstate NY), our 120" average annual
snowfall often keeps the ground from freezing very deep, so thus far
(i.e. last winter - don't know yet about this) I've overwintered my
A. candidissimum and A. franchetianum successfully by planting them
c. 1' deep; and this year I'm subjecting a number of others to hardiness
experiments (tortuosum, nepenthoides, ringens, as I remember).  Sikokianums
seem pretty hardy - I think they're only 8" deep or so.

However - without all that snow to keep us warm, the ground would freeze
a good deal deeper than it does.  I think we'd then be restricted to
arisaemas which actually tolerate freezing, unless we could get them
18" down (or more).

Do I understand (looking out here over a glistening expanse of ice-glazed
snow, sparkling in the sunlight) that it's spring in England?

Ellen