I have dim memories of one of these trailing down from a window sill.I cut a long one lengthwise, put one end up in water-this has grown shoots of 7cm. The other half is flat onto sawdust and has 21cm shoots.I don't want plants and they are of no great nature interest to grandies. Both have great root systems but tops very upright. Thought I would put in the toilet room to hang down.Whatdo I do with them now! Potting mix, water or sawdust! I would be very interested to hear from someone who knows about this.
fleur59,
Nov 29, 6:40am
I am sure we just had them in a small amount of waterand they grew .
nabbed,
Nov 29, 6:52am
we had them just in water growing in one of those wine bottles in the little basket thingies hanging on the wall
punkinthefirst,
Nov 30, 12:31am
We used to just grow them suspended over water.with toothpicks stuck in the side to keep the tuber out of the water. I suppose it depends on how lush you want the plant to look. It's quite an attractive plant, with heart-shaped leaves, so it's nice to grow somewhere you can have it trailing
shabbychic8,
Nov 30, 2:31am
do you actually get kumara from this though!!!!
marywea,
Nov 30, 3:55am
Thank-you people. I suppose gravity will cause foliage to droop.Sadly our summer is not long enough or hot enough to get practical with the shoots!
anne1955,
Nov 30, 4:09am
We use to grow them in our flats in Dunedin put a toothpick in each side and hung it just touching water use to grow like nothing else I ever saw.Another thing we use to do.when I was young :) We had those plants called I think mother of millions and also spider plants.put a "pill" yes the "pill" into the potting mix.only did it about ever 6mths or so they use to grow crazy.the hormones in them.use to find mates that didn't want them any longer or ones that where out of date still worked well.Please don't report me to the SPCA for plants ;) or what ever there might be.Works a treat as does washing milk bottles to water roses and tomatoes plants or putting a 1/4 tsp of milk powder into the hole in ground before planting Tomatoes, it to works and even with very old milk powder that one thought they tossed out years ago and didn't.
budgel,
Nov 30, 8:14pm
The shoots have to be planted properly to get kumaras.
mokaumoi,
Nov 30, 8:50pm
In my younger and poorer days kumara were always my houseplants! Any of the methods people have mentioned work, you just have to remember to water them.I simply placed mine in a jar and filled with water leaving about 1/3rd out of the water. The shoots eventually flop by themselves when they are too long and heavy to stay upright. You then put it up higher and enjoy its trailing greenness.And when they finally get spindly and the leaves dry and start dropping off, you start another to replace it when you have to biff it.
cas82,
Dec 8, 6:10pm
Hi there, can someone please tell me, how long will it take to start to shoot once it is in the water. And will it matter what end is in the water. Thankyou.
marywea,
Dec 8, 7:24pm
I don't think it matters which end, put the one with least "eyes" in. The "eyes" are the little indentations in the skin.Thank-you to the people who gave me hints. I put the 2 cut sides together, found a glass vase and the neckholds them withonly the roots in the water-didn't need toothpicks but a good idea. Not growing downwards yet but heading that way I am sure. They took a few weeks to form shoots. Good luck cas.
mber2,
Dec 11, 7:48am
No not unless its grown in dirt
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