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Tortoise Plant Care

Dioscorea elephantipes

Tortoise Plant main
Tortoise Plant 0
Tortoise Plant 1
What is the plant

The intriguing tortoise plant is easily recognizable by its main feature, its sharp, specific flavor.

Amorphophallus paeoniifolius is a perennial plant, species of the Amorphophallus genus of the Araceae family, also widely known as Elephant foot yam (elephant’s foot) or White spot giant arum. It comes from semiarid areas in Southern Africa.

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Humidity

Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

Temperature

10°C - 12°C

Hardiness zone

Hardiness zone

min 9b

Difficulty

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

  • Water

    Water

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    You need to water not the plant itself but the soil along the edges of the pot. Before the appearance of an inflorescence or deployment of a leaf, the plant is watered moderately and then abundantly. In summer, water the plant immediately after the topsoil has dried, and at the end of August, reduce it to a minimum.

  • Pruning

    Pruning

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    Trim back the plant at any time you want.

  • Fertilizer

    Fertilizer

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    Before August begins, during the period of active vegetation, it is necessary to regularly (every 1.5-2 weeks) apply phosphorus or complex fertilizers with a predominance of phosphorus to increase the tuber's mass quickly.

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  • Sunlight

    Sunlight

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    A well-lit place is desirable so that you can place the plant even in the sun; however, the plant will feel the best with plenty of diffused light.

  • Soil

    Soil

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    Drainage should be a third of the height of the pot. Then, a layer of soil takes up to half the pot, in which you should make a hole filled with sand, immersing the tube by one-third.

  • Propagation

    Propagation

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    Reproduction of the tortoise plant is possible from offsets of the corm or by fresh seed.

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  • Temperature

    Temperature

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    During summer, the normal air temperature is 72-77 °F (22–25 °C), and during winter, it is 50-54 °F (10–12 °C).

  • Container

    Container

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    A pot should be twice the diameter of the corm or slightly larger than that.

  • Fun fact

    Fun fact

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    A. paeoniifolius has wide use_:_ the tubers are used for food, like potatoes and flour, in the Philippines - as pig feed, and in China - as a medicinal plant.

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  • Popularity

    Popularity

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    89 people already have this plant 30 people have added this plant to their wishlists

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