Calathea allouia / Topi tambo / Cu lun / Leren / Guinea Arrow Root. Live plants WITHOUT LEAVES (plants dormant in the winter).

Grows naturally on the island of Trinidad and Vietnam where the roots are famous for a Christmas dish (boiled or steamed). Its leaves can also be used to wrap food and its young white flowers can also be cooked.

Leren plants have leaves, at least 12” tall grown in a 5.5” pot with organic soil, wrapped in compostable bag to retain moisture during shipment. When you receive this plant, simply remove the plastic and check moisture in the soil. Water the rhizome 1-2 times per day. Plants have also been fertilized for the season. Add a topdressing yearly of organic compost, vermicompost or other natural amendments & fertilizers.

Images of rhizomes are to show harvest potential for live plants once established or concluding a growing season.

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Grown Naturally without the use of inorganic or synthetic chemicals or soil amendments. We hand select for each order from our stock of premium quality plants grown & raised at A Natural Farm in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. Quality in plant propagation is of upmost importance when seeking nutrition & medicinal value from edible plants!

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*Planting Instructions*

Whether indoors or on a patio, Topi tambo thrive in containers (zones 5-11). In zones outside its native range for in ground planting (zones 8-11), they can be brought indoors for the winter, where it will spend the cold months dormant without leaves until the spring.

Topi tambo should be planted in shaded areas of the garden for natural growth and avoiding burnt leaf tips. To establish the plant, initial watering schedule can include 2-3 times weekly, with reduced needs in subsequent weeks. Water needs are minimal once established. Rhizomes grown near other plants in loose soil with supplemental watering is best practice for higher nutrition and flavor quality.

Mulch heavily with loose organic bedding materials to protect over cooler months while plant is dormant and retain moisture in the warm months.

Expect to harvest roots after their first season in 8-10 months. Allow to overwinter without harvesting to allow rhizomes to spread. Arrange Gingers in block plantings or small gardens of their own for higher yields of the rhizome. Interplant in blocks alongside other garden vegetables to stack the functions of Turmeric’s disease & pest balancing properties.

Gophers & voles are only pests for Topi tambo that we have encountered. This is eliminated in plants grown in a container. Growing Topi tamboin the ground will accumulate soil-born elements that aid in repelling disease & pests. Consuming turmeric in tea will do the same for the human body, assisting in healing and soothing of various ailments.

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USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11 (in ground), 5-11 (in containers)

Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous

Plant Type: Perennial