Earlier rain, as attested to by the size of this Sauromatum guttatum leaf.
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Thursday, 4 September 2025
How grows my garden. It all depends on the weather. And our recent weather has been dry, as in no rain for 14 days. The seasonal brook is more like seasonal puddles.
Sauromatum guttatum, which earlier on produced delightfully huge leaves now flopped over and yellowed. It is early for dormancy but what shall I do? Spritz with the hose but . . . Dig them out of the tire planters and put in the garage until next spring? Water more enthusiastically and hope for another flush of growth? Rain is forecast for maybe Thursday night, 60% chance of a 1/10th to 1/25 of an inch. Frost not likely until possibly late October.
Earlier rain, as attested to by the size of this Sauromatum guttatum leaf.
But they (the leaves) have now begun to decline, turning yellow, collapsing to the soil.
A gentle tug easily separates each leaf stalk (petiole sheath?) from the sauromatum tuber
still planted in the earth. Clearly they are done growing, at least for this year.
Looking up sauromatum whilst trying to find a name for the petiole sheath - some call them a corm while others say tuber. It has no distinct basal plate. I don't believe the underground structure is consumed and replaced in each season's growth. That would seem to eliminate corm. Tubers - apparently - are expected to produce shoots at the top and roots at the bottom. Sauromatum have both shoots and roots at the top. Is there a "hybrid" tuber-corm?
There are several offsets at the top of the generous tuber, amongst the roots surrounding
the single bud for next year's single stalk and leaf. Left dry for week, offsets detach..
Some time soon I will unearth the tubers, pack in peat moss in a garbage bag placed in a similar-to-milk-crate container, keep in garage over the winter.
If you have any comments or questions, you can e-mail me: jgglatt@gmail.com
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