A Little Voodoo Plant Magic

Last year I told the tale of a peculiar new plant in my post Under the Spell of the Voodoo Plant. If you are unfamiliar with Amorphophallus konjac, you may want to read that post first. This post is to provide an update on what has been happening with the plant since then.

The voodoo lily settled into the new talavera pot I provided and grew well through last summer. Eventually, as fall progressed toward winter, the leaves turned yellow and died, just as I expected. I had to decide whether to leave the bulbs buried in the dirt or whether to dig them up. I didn't want to leave the talavera pot out through the frosts, and I probably could have left the bulbs in the pot when I brought it inside. 

But I decided to dig the bulbs because I wanted to see what they looked like. I was shocked. I had seen photos of mature bulbs, giant globes nearly a foot across. I knew my plant was young, but I had no idea how tiny the bulbs would be. One was little larger than an almond, the other one even smaller.

I brushed loose dirt off the bulbs and placed them in a small paper sack, labeled  so I wouldn't forget them. I put the sack on a shelf in my pantry and left them there through the winter. As spring approached I occasionally took a peek at them. They looked dead. I had read that voodoo bulbs don't need soil or even water to flower and will begin growth in spring, even if stored inside. Since my bulbs are so small, I don't expect them to flower for several years yet, but I was looking for some signs of life before planting them again.

Finally, in April I found a small bump on the largest one. Life! Soon the smaller one had signs of growth, too. I replanted them in the talavera pot and put them in a shady spot in the front garden. 

Nothing happened. By late May I was worried my voodoo lily was dead, after all. Then I remembered that this plant flowers first, then, after the efflorescence dies, sends up a stalk with leaves on top. Because mine wasn't flowering yet, I guessed it was just waiting for the appropriate time to start growing. 

At last in June I saw shoots poking through the earth. I kept them watered well and applied a tomato fertilizer every other week. Here are the results:Each stalk is topped with one large, divided leaf. They remind me of tomato plants.Here's another view. Note the snakeskin pattern to the stalks.

Wait! Take a closer look at that last photo. There is now a third shoot! I read that each bulb produces only one stalk. Could it be one of my tiny bulbs is producing two stalks, or that somehow I now have three bulbs?  I think my plant has performed a little voodoo magic!

And even more importantly, to me and my neighbors and possibly the police, does this mean I will have THREE flowers when they bloom? How lucky could I be? 

You may also enjoy A Southern Garden Party, which is where it all began.

How Not to Kill a Dwarf Alberta Spruce

I feel like an impostor. Me? Offering commentary on Picea glauca 'Conica', AKA dwarf Alberta spruce tree? Isn't that a bit like a Canadian giving expert advice on the Southern Magnolia?

Nevertheless, I am a gardener in subtropical Alabama, heartiness zone 7b, and I grow three Alberta spruces, two of them for about a dozen years, and I haven't killed them yet. Actually, dwarf Alberta spruces can survive in zone 8, a little farther south of me, but it's iffy.

These lovely dwarfs grow best in zones 3-6. Shaped like perfect little Christmas trees, they are good accent plants that need minimal pruning and are low maintenance if given the right conditions. They grow only two to four inches a year. I grow mine in pots. The two older ones are twenty seven inches tall with a trunk diameter of two inches. Even in the ground and in more suitable climates they can take thirty years or more to grow to twelve feet. 

I did almost kill the two oldest. Once upon a Christmas season I purchased them as decoration for my fireplace mantel. They were so pretty there that I kept them in the house too long, and the middle section of each turned brown. I ended up making topiaries of them. You can read about it in my previous post, A Topiary Tale. The third is several years younger and also is in a pot, but I have maintained its traditional shape.

So, for what it's worth, here is what I have learned about dwarf Alberta spruces and how not to kill them:

1. Plant them in well drained soil. Did I mention that long ago I planted two of them in my native soil, which is red clay? This stuff becomes like sticky plastic when wet and drains poorly. When it dries out, it becomes like concrete. Those two plants were doomed and died the first season. This is why I grow my current ones in pots, in good soil, with a layer of gravel in the bottom.

2. Give them acid soil. I bought potting soil and added peat moss and shredded pine bark mulch to it, which also helps with #1. I also mulch around them with shredded bark.

3. Keep them well watered. This is particularly true in warmer climates and extremely true if grown in pots. I water my pots daily during the hot summer, except when it rains. This is why all three are located on the patio, only a few feet from a water source. Under my conditions they will die if they dry out. Period. But remember #1, they don't like soggy soil!

4. Plant them in full sun to high shade. 

5. Give them an eastern or northern exposure. Avoid planting where harsh winter winds or hot afternoon sun can burn them. Mine are on the north side of the house. 

6. Don't crowd them against other plants or against buildings. They need good air circulation. Their needles will turn brown on the crowded side, and once brown, they will stay that way. If this happens, trim the brown areas, move to a better location and hope for new growth. Crowded conditions also promote spider mites. See #8, below.

7. Use natural fertilizer recommended for evergreens. Apply in spring and again in late summer. Many chemical fertilizers contain the nitrate form of nitrogen, which can harm the plant's roots. I use fish emulsion. I also apply a tablespoon of magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) around the base and water in well.

8.  Browning of needles can be due to spider mites. If you shake a branch over a white piece of paper you may see the tiny moving bugs. DO NOT use horticultural oils or chemical insecticides. Dwarf Alberta spruces are sensitive to oils and many pesticides. You may treat a small infestation by spraying with water, and this is good to do a couple times a week as a prevention. You can also use an insecticidal soap solutiion, once a week for several weeks.  

9. It probably doesn't hurt to sing or talk to them on a regular basis, but avoid petting or handling the foliage, as your plant may respond with brown tips.

10. Minimal pruning should be done with clean, sharp pruners. Once a year is probably enough. I prune mine in spring after new growth has started. 

That's it. If I can keep a dwarf Alberta spruce alive, you can too if you provide the right environment and care. Good luck!