Simply Gardening By Doug Green One of the most beautiful shade plants in my garden is the Jack-in-the-pulpit. I love its huge leaves for their garden appeal and the flower simply makes me smile every time I see it. I mean, how can you take a plant with a purplish, striped flower that folds over on itself like a monk's cowl seriously? Well, there's a bunch of gardeners who take this Arisaema family of plants quite seriously and I can tell you about them because I'm quite happy to be a member of this small band of merry Jack-lovers. I'm telling you about the Arisaema plant family because they're coming out of the closet; they're hitting the plant mail-order catalogues and becoming fashionable. If you decide to be fashionable, here's how to grow these beauties without killing them. There's about 150 species of Arisaema in the world, mainly concentrated in tropical and temperate Asia from Arabia over to Japan and Malaysia. Eastern North America has its representative in the Jack-in-the-pulpit (A. triphyllum). The name Arisaema comes from Aris which is Greek for Arum (another plant) and haima or blood. This name combination refers either to a close kin relationship (related to Arum) or the purplish flecks on the flower (blood like the Arum). Our native A. triphyllum is one of the hardiest of the family. Grow it in the shade, give it good moisture during the spring and it will thrive for you. Some folks think you have to grow this plant in a bog or standing water but the reality is that if you do ­ you'll likely see it rot during the winter months. I've seen them in our woods in damp areas but the most successful plants are always on little hillocks in damp areas or growing in areas that dry out in late summer and fall. The more tender varieties are just as easily grown if you take a bit of care with them. I've started a dozen varieties from seed (available from specialist seed catalogues) and you can too if you follow these simple rules. Use sterilized potting soil or artificial soil mix in a small 4 inch flowerpot and sow the seed on the surface. Cover the seed with chick grit or sterilized sand (you can use soil but the grit works better) so the seed is 3/4 inch deep. Water only with warm water and keep the pot in a warm space. Light is not necessary for germination but warmth is critical. Once the seeds start to germinate, move into the sunniest spot you have and start feeding weekly with regular houseplant food. Keep the pot damp, water thoroughly until the water pours out the bottom and then leave it alone until it is just dry to the touch. Repeat this soak and almost-dry routine all summer. Leave the seedlings in the pot all summer; do not transplant nor disturb them. In the late summer or fall, all the leaves of these tender varieties will begin to die and you'll wonder what you've done wrong. Relax. The plants are going dormant and the tubers need to rest. When the tops die, stop watering! Do not water this plant at all ­ even a little bit ­ just let the soil dry right out. You won't hurt the tuber, it's down there resting away in its dry home. Damp soil can, and will, rot the tuber. A little known fact is that the larger the tuber, the easier it is to rot with damp soils. The recommended place to store these dry tubers is the crisper of the refrigerator. Cool and dry is the condition that keeps them best from year to year. I usually grow my small seedlings for two years in the pot as they only grow to the size of a small pea the first year and a cherry-sized tuber the second. In the fall of the second year, I dig the tubers out of the pot (they'll all be at the bottom) and store them in a paper bag in the crisper to keep them cool and dry. Now, having said all that, hardy tubers or those that are marginal in your garden area can simply be given a covering of mulch and allowed to overwinter right in the garden. I don't dig up my native A. triphyllum at all. The closest thing I can compare these to is gladiola. If you overwinter them exactly the same as glads, you'll have good success. Most Arisaema love a good woodland soil ­rich with organic matter and leaf mould and if you give them this, they'll thrive for you. Shade is also a requisite for success. You can also grow the tender varieties in a deep clay pot for the summer ­ use a good potting soil and feed weekly ­ and then when they start going dormant in the fall, dig them up and store cool and dry until the following spring. These pots can either be grown on a patio or they can be plunged into the soil to the rim and allowed to become part of the shady garden. I have a growing collection of potted tender Japanese and Asian varieties that grace my summer shade garden. These are show stoppers when visitors come calling and the clay pots add a certain fashionable air to the summer garden. (I need all the help I can get to be fashionable.) I love exotic-looking plants that are easy to grow and Arisaema fit that description nicely. Try a few this summer. To find some, go to your favorite Internet search engine and type Arisaema in the search box. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you find. Look for Simply Gardening in the news stand edition of McKenzie River Reflections

Weekly Weather	Sports
Sheriff's Report	State Police Report
Fire Report	Bulletin Board
Gardening	School Menus
Classifieds	Rapids
To subscribe	Home