Jonna I'll get a shot today of where we moved it after the roots got huge.
It was actually a 'Catch Basin' or Settling Basin between the Skippy and the Tank Pond.

I am doing an experiment with some of my alocasia. They sorta got nipped by a late frost after I put them out, and the leaves were looking skanky. I just left them alone over summer, but when I brought them into the g'house last week I took the hedge trimmers and viciously chopped everything off. So, did I do a bad thing? They were SO ratty, I figured it wouldn't make things any worse unless I killed them, and I know I didn't do that.

I usually am more brutal Anna.
I yank them out of the soil and let them dry hanging from the ceiling.
once the leaves are gone I just lightly spray the stems when I see them shriveling.
Course that's the one's w/ stems 2-3" or more in diameter.

I have so many I don't want to start exhuming them out of the pots. LOL

Ah but w/ that huge GH you don't need to eh?

Nope. At least not for the most part,anyway.

I'm wondering how 'Coffee Cups' compares to 'Big Dipper'.

It's actually "Tea Cups", it originated in Thailand from a single plant, so all the plants today have come vegetatively from that one. Mine flower regularly but I've never noticed any seed forming. I don't have Big Dipper but from what I've read and photos I've seen it's the larger of the two but otherwise fairly similar.

I've seen 'Tea Cups' mentioned as well. So they're synonyms. That's one down. If you look at Ric's 'Coffee Cups', above, it appears more "cupped" than some I've seen (PDN and Brian's Bots).
Unfortunately my season isn't long enough for bloom usually. Love looking at all your bloom photos though.

My 'Big Dipper' and all of them are from Brian's stock as the story goes.
I've had it for many many years.
I picked it up from a Louisville tropical dealer selling at a garden tour here in Cincy.
Not Brian, but I gathered from the way the guy talked that's where He picked it up.
It pups and runs more than any EE I've ever seen, well except for 'Jack's Giant' which is a machine!
BD also goes and returns from dormancy very well.
Plus BD is hardy unsupported here in Cincy and supposedly to lower mid (Dayton etc) Ohio w/ help.
I have given away hundreds of pups in the years I've grown it.
Probably have 200 pups in the GH currently.
I'll be selling them thru a broker come Spring.

Tea or Coffee around here is a VERY tight cup when young.
Dipper more relaxed and more platter like.
Tea Cups I've found not very cold hardy and tends to rot easily in cool weather.

Thanks Ric. You read my mind as to concerns,... So you're z6a in Cincy and "BD is hardy unsupported" Hmm. Might be able to mulch in. I'm borderline 5b/6a. If it overwinters easily that's good too.

Evan two years ago I planted my Tea Cup in a two gallon nursery pot and sunk it into a large container. Last year I yanked the two gallon pot and stored it in my basement. At first I watered it thinking I was going to keep it alive through the winter but soon all the leaves withered and died off. In June I put it into the big container outdoors at that point it just looked like a container of potting medium(I use a soilless bark based potting medium). Well it didn't look like it was going to come back but it didn't cost me anything to give it a try. I think it's key in zones where it is overwintered not to give up too soon. Most people I know would have pitched it. In July when air and soil temps got hot, hot, hot up came my tea cup.

07-08-11

You guys always make life interesting. Thanks for all the great overwintering information and great photo of a very happy TC Susan. With all these EEars and other tropicals, the sun, the water, the fertilizer, the soil, these are the easy things for us cold weather folk. For me it always comes down to how difficult is it to OW. I think I have good spots for both. I definitely want to get 'Diamond Head', and either A. portadora and/or A. 'Sarian'.

Is anyone growing Caladium bicolor? http://www.briansbotanicals.ne...

'Cups' didn't winter well for me.
As I said rotted in the pot. And it was dry.
Several I have are VERY late to break dormancy.
Lime Zinger in particular.

Evan contact me in the late Spring.
I have all 3 EE's you are looking for though 'Sarian' rarely pups.
I keep it going all winter in the Living Room....lol!

I just cannot seem to overwinter Polly. Oh, well..............and I had a really nice one I got last spring, thinking I would try again. *sigh*

eclayne said: You guys always make life interesting. Thanks for all the great overwintering information and great photo of a very happy TC Susan. With all these EEars and other tropicals, the sun, the water, the fertilizer, the soil, these are the easy things for us cold weather folk. For me it always comes down to how difficult is it to OW. I think I have good spots for both. I definitely want to get 'Diamond Head', and either A. portadora and/or A. 'Sarian'.

Is anyone growing Caladium bicolor? http://www.briansbotanicals.ne...

I grew Caladium 'Florida Beauty' http://www.briansbotanicals.ne... and really love it. I am attempting to over winter this year.
Here is mine at the bottom of the picture seems to thrive in our hot humid summers.

Rick, that's very kind of you, thanks. Sarian in the living room, must be a sight. I have a dwarf Cavendish and Z. aethiopica 'White Giant' but Sarian must be a whole 'nother level of space hog.
I'm hoping this year or next the WG, as well as Mojito and Thai Giant will be big enough to o/w as dry corms. I noticed the Xanths I picked up at the Spanish market were 2 to 4 weeks later than the Colo in breaking dormancy. Plus 1/4 of them rotted in the ground. I'm guessing starting mid-June would work better? Maybe use a mostly soil-less medium or toss in a bunch of crushed branches?
FB is a real B Susan. Are you over wintering as dry tubers? The whole idea of super foliage color with ease of o/w is exiting.

Anna, what's Polly?

Oh, gosh, I don't have a pic..............leaves are narrower, and are veined in white. Is that a good description, Ric??? LOL

I think the market corms have a growth inhibitor sprayed on them, like potatoes.
They, like caladium, need a LOT of bottom heat to get going.

After a light watering, maybe down to a depth of 2" tops, in the Spring I don't water again until I see good growth.
This assuming the corm is near the surface.
Treat them like tuberous begonias.

Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated.