THANKS

[Susan Cox]

Adam and Brianwilliams,

>This method sounds very plausible to me, especially the note on running or
replacement water<

Yes, thanks for support on the idea.  Julius is a great teacher!  I have
been intending to transplant my cabbages into this type of planting for a
try.  I just haven't gotten to it yet, and look Brian, Adam is in zone 5a
and skunk cabbage survives even colder climates!  I know you can grow them
where you are weather wise.  I am in zone 9.  Also, because of where they
usually grow, by late fall they have been covered with deciduous tree and
brush leaf litter so if you are afraid for the roots in winter, you might
cover them with a foot or so of fresh fallen leaves.  L. symplocarpus are
not strangers to fir, pine, ewe or redwood needles either, so don't be
afraid to use those litters.  I know you don't have Redwoods, but similar
acidic litters should be fine.

I just thought of something concerning S. cabbages, winter and frozen
ground.  I doubt the water source used by cabbages ever freezes.  Here, I
know this to be a fact, but what about in zone 5a?  Did the area of your
cabbage planting freeze solid?  Maybe this is a no no when it comes to skunk
cabbage roots?  If this is the case, you could not allow the pots they are
planted in to freeze.  Something to think about with this method.

Susan Cox