Plant guide:ðŸŒŋ Colocasia (Taro / Elephant Ear)
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Corm Rot in Colocasia

Commonly affects: Colocasia esculenta (Taro / Elephant Ear)

The underground corm turns soft, discoloured, and foul-smelling, with the plant showing poor growth or sudden collapse above ground as a result.

Potential Causes

  1. 1Overly wet, poorly-aerated soil conditions promoting fungal or bacterial decay of the corm
  2. 2Storing a lifted corm in overly damp conditions over winter dormancy
  3. 3Physical damage to the corm during handling or storage, providing an entry point for pathogens

Solution Steps

  1. 1Check the corm if above-ground growth suddenly declines with no other obvious cause
  2. 2Cut away any soft, rotten tissue from the corm with a sterilised blade if caught early enough
  3. 3Store lifted corms in a cool, only slightly damp (not wet) medium like dry peat or vermiculite over winter
  4. 4Handle corms carefully during lifting and storage to avoid the wounds that invite rot

Prevention Tip

A dormant, lifted Colocasia corm needs to be kept only slightly damp in storage, not wet — overly moist winter storage is a common cause of corm rot.

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