Author Topic: Taro's....don't want to throw them away (Read 2714 times)

mascot · « **on:** May 08, 2009, 10:09:37 AM »

Hi-
Haven't shipped any plants before, but I have a Taro (Violet Stem, I think) that has lots of kids and I was going to see who was interested in them.

I would like to find someone who has Water Lettuce, or Anacharis or Parrots Feather to trade.

First things first though...someone will have to tell me what I need to do to ship these things, if you don't mind.

Thanks...will post some pics later this afternoon of the taro babies, but here's what it started as.

The first picture is when planted, the second was 4 months later...they LOVE running water so it's best to put them in a waterfall in the rocks and they'll grow like crazy!

newbieincaliprincess · « **Reply #1 on:** May 08, 2009, 10:31:05 AM »

WOW

It is beautiful! GL with your trading!

mascot · « **Reply #2 on:** May 08, 2009, 11:37:21 AM »

yeah, they're awesome and I've tried them in the pond and they barely grew, but 4 feet in 4 months is some serious growing!

Here's what I have now:

cawaterlilies · « **Reply #3 on:** May 08, 2009, 11:44:10 AM »

hey there =)
I'm definetly interested in a trade with you. if you still have some babies- i do have parrots feather, and some baby water lettus...

mascot · « **Reply #4 on:** May 08, 2009, 12:25:47 PM »

kewl....where are you located? I'm in So Cal...near Temecula. If you want to PM me your address I'll send a couple of these to you and you can send back some of what you have (I'd like both if you can spare it). Right now it's first come first served...I have about 6-8 I'm immediately going to pull out this weekend, so I can send you however many you want. They send out runners quite often, so you'll have babies in a matter of weeks, I'm sure.

Those pics I just took today, two weeks ago they were barely sprouting leaves....now they're abundant!

thanks,
-Michael

To PM me send it to Mascot because my screen name doesn't work.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2009, 02:20:03 PM »

I forgot where exactly you lived...I was in Temecula last weekend!! Wine tasting for fun!

mascot · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2009, 03:23:56 PM »

I'm in Sun City...just up the 215 about 10 miles from Temecula. you could have taken a couple home with you!

I've been here 5 years and still haven't been to any of the wineries....but I'm not much of a wine person.

livetogarden · « **Reply #7 on:** May 08, 2009, 04:54:39 PM »

I would like 1 or 2. I have anacharis that someone just gave me bunch of that I can trade you. I lost most of my pond plants during the winter so I don't have anything else right now. I do have lots of land plants if you're interested in any of those.
Let me know if you still need info about mailing.
Thanks,
Cath
I'll PM my address

livetogarden · « **Reply #8 on:** May 08, 2009, 04:59:36 PM »

I keep getting 'Blind 'too can not be found' when trying to send you a PM
Could you e-mail me so we can trade mailing info please?
gardener@cox.net

tinkster · « **Reply #9 on:** May 08, 2009, 07:57:28 PM »

me me me.. what do you want that i have hehehe

Timgod · « **Reply #10 on:** May 08, 2009, 08:43:32 PM »

Michael,
I send them as extras a lot. I pull them right before shipping.
Wrap the entire root system in paper towels securely.
Dunk the paper towels section in water.
Squeeze the paper towels to get rid of excess water.
Keep them very damp. This keeps even the delicate roots moist and gives the plant a fighting chance for up to 5 days in most cases.
Secure in a trash bag or large ziploc so that they to not get bent or broken.
I usually put wadded up newspaper in the bottom and the top of the box so that as I turn the box, the plants have no way to rattle about and get damaged.
If you are only shipping taro's, you could actually tape the sealed trash bag to the side of the box.
That is how we ship Victoria's. If the emerging leaf is damaged on a vic it is certain death to the plant so we tape the root mass to the box so it cannot jostle about.

Tim

mascot · « **Reply #11 on:** May 10, 2009, 07:55:03 PM »

Quote from: tinkster on May 08, 2009, 07:57:28 PM

me me me.. what do you want that i have hehehe

I need your address! I have three (maybe four fi Mary still wants some??) boxes ready to go, each has about 4 or 5 taro's in them, so you should be able to get at least a couple good starts from these. They all have nice long roots, they were wrapped in paper towels, towels were soaked, excess drained out, wrapped in grocery bags and then put in glad trash bags...hey I spared no expense! I even bought new boxes!

So this concludes the taros:
Michelle - have your address
Cathy - have your address
Tink - don't have your address
***Mary - don't have your address (sorry I forgot about your request...hectic weekend for me!)***

These will go out tomorrow at lunch time, and I'll expedite packages for Cathy and Tink so they'll get there in a couple days. I forgot to put my address inside the box, but it will be on the outside so whatever you feel is fair to send me I would appreciate it!

thanks!
-Michael

Rad Michelle · « **Reply #12 on:** May 10, 2009, 08:00:46 PM »

Hey michael thanks so much! very excited and can't wait- ps. love the cockatoo with the sunglasses, my family owned an exotic bird store... they are some loud ones

.

mascot · « **Reply #13 on:** May 10, 2009, 08:12:48 PM »

Quote from: Rad Michelle on May 10, 2009, 08:00:46 PM

Hey michael thanks so much! very excited and can't wait- ps. love the cockatoo with the sunglasses, my family owned an exotic bird store... they are some loud ones .

haha...not this cockatoo! He's very quiet, very affectionate and very docile. He's also blind these days (blind 'too) but he's adapted extremely well.

Here's a video of him in the morning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df-Ww3bJrYo

That's pretty much him most of the day. There are other videos of him and my pond if you care to check them out...

thanks,
-Michael

Rad Michelle · « **Reply #14 on:** May 10, 2009, 08:40:31 PM »

oh. my. GOSH!!! rocky is sooooooo freaking!! cute! i'm in love!!
i love that laugh that absolutly rocked!
aww howd he go blind?

i used to have one named taytay who hated men. she loved me though, and insisted on crawling under the covers with me when i was laying on the bed and she was on her perch

.

your pond set up is gorgous! youll have to give me a tour sometime if im in the area! =)

mascot · « **Reply #15 on:** May 10, 2009, 10:26:23 PM »

of course...any time you're in the area my home is open for a visit. I'm pretty happy with the pond, it was my first and I did the work myself. I learned a lot of things that I NEED to do if I ever build another pond, but it's been pretty nice and enjoyable!

Rocky injured his eye somehow a couple years ago and the trauma caused cataracts in that eye. Then the trauma continued and he developed cataracts in the other eye, so the vet tells me. I thought for sure it would be a problem and I worried that I'd have to find him a new home, but he's done so well with it. The vet says he's very healthy and very content, so he told me to not worry about it...getting it corrected is a huge risk without guarantees, so as long as Rocky is content, I'm not going to risk the added stress on him (or losing him altogether).

Rocky never liked being under the covers before and now he loves it. I call it "your blanket" and he goes right under and just clicks his tongue the whole time! If you love him now, you'll be inseparable when you see him. he's awesome....

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #16 on:** May 11, 2009, 01:42:22 PM »

Quote

I'm in Sun City...just up the 215 about 10 miles from Temecula. you could have taken a couple home with you! Smiley

I've been here 5 years and still haven't been to any of the wineries....but I'm not much of a wine person.

You're very generous Michael. I still have all the plants we trades last year. The red stem taros are divine! Your tip to have water flow over them has given me huge leaves! Right back at you...Any time you're in my neighborhood drop on by.

mascot · « **Reply #17 on:** May 11, 2009, 02:22:18 PM »

Kewl! glad they're working out for you. Isn't that a great plant? It just LOVES the rushing water! I still can't believe mine grew about a foot a month! You can almost watch them grow!

I definitely have to come by sometime...wish I didn't get caught in traffic last time I tried to stop by.

Rad Michelle · « **Reply #18 on:** May 13, 2009, 02:22:47 PM »

wahoo! yowza! i got my taros today and they are exxcellent!!

THANK YOU SOO MUCH!
I will have your shipped out tomorrow and i'm leavin ya some feedback =D so i planted them in my water fall and they are just anchored by rocks... do i need to stockpile rocks around them.. the roots are just floating in the running water... when they get bigger if they arent super anchored will they fall over?

mascot · « **Reply #19 on:** May 13, 2009, 03:42:02 PM »

kewl...glad you like them. I just put some rocks on top of the roots to hold them in place and sort of anchored them, with some room for the stem to expand. If you don't put rocks on the roots it will just pull the plant away. As they grow they'll begin to support themselves, so don't suffocate them with rocks, just enough to hold it upright.

As they get bigger they'll probably redirect some water flow, so be careful where you put them, I have to be sure that water doesn't get trapped and spill out. They should do real well for you!

livetogarden · « **Reply #20 on:** May 13, 2009, 05:39:47 PM »

Got my Taros today. You were very generous and the plants are gorgeous. Thanks!!!! It rained most of the day so I wasn't able to put them out yet but tomorrow is supposed to be dry. I left you good feedback. BTW....you packaged them superbly!!
Cath

mascot · « **Reply #21 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:27:10 PM »

Great! Glad they got there okay. Not bad plant packing for a rookie, eh? LOL Hope they grow as well for you as they did for me!

thanks!

livetogarden · « **Reply #22 on:** May 13, 2009, 10:40:29 PM »

That's exactly what I thought when I opened the box......what a great job of packing, especially for never sending plants before. I was impressed.

Cath