How to Germinate Colocasia Bulbs

Colocasia is grown largely as an ornamental plant called "elephant ear" in the continental United States, but it is a major food crop in tropical areas and Asia. The plant is grown commercially in Hawaii to produce a food staple called "poi." The edible bulbs, called corms, are easily sprouted and multiply rapidly. Colocasia grows well in moist locations and has become invasive in parts of Florida. Corms purchased in grocery stores or garden centers can be easily germinated to produce plants.

Compost or composted manure
Turning fork or tiller
Garden rake
Trowel or bulb planter
Mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Harvest the corms in the fall after the foliage has died back. Store them in a cool, dry place at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit until spring. Corms may be damaged below 70 F. Alternatively, purchase corms for planting in early spring. Place the corms in a dark place until they begin to sprout, showing green growth in bumps around or on top of the corm.
- 2
  Choose a planting spot in partial shade. Prepare the soil by mixing 6 inches of compost or composted manure into the first 12 inches of the soil with a turning fork or tiller. Smooth the soil with a garden rake.
- 3
  Dig 6-inch-deep holes with a bulb planter or trowel 18 to 24 inches apart. Place one sprouted corm in each hole and cover with soil. Water the site well.
- 4
  Water daily until sprouts break through the soil. Continue to water weekly if there is not an inch of rain. Mulch the plants with 3 inches of organic mulch when the plants are 6 inches tall.

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