How to Grow Taros Canada

On this page
  1. Taro (Colocasia esculenta)
  2. Quick Facts
  3. At a Glance
  4. Diseases
  5. Pests
  6. Growth Stages
  7. Harvest & Storage
  8. Plan your Taros planting
  9. Growing Taro in another region
  10. Sources
  11. Frequently Asked Questions

Taro is grown from corm and cormel divisions called "hulis," not seed, planted 3-4in (8-10cm) deep in warm, consistently moist-to-wet soil — unlike most root crops, upland taro tolerates prolonged waterlogging. It's a genuinely tropical plant with essentially no frost tolerance, needing minimum temperatures of around 10-15°C to survive.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta)

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) heart-shaped leaves in a botanical garden — “Taroblätter im botanischen Garten in München-Nymphenburg 01” by Kritzolina is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

2 sources cited · Verified

Quick Facts

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) heart-shaped leaves in a botanical garden
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) heart-shaped leaves in a botanical garden. Photo by Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Factor Value
Drainage Poorly-drained tolerated (RHS); CTAHR: deep, well-drained, friable loams, pH 5.5-6.5, moist soil at or near field capacity.
Lifecycle Tuberous, evergreen perennial. CTAHR describes upland (dryland, rainfed) and lowland (wetland, flooded) cultivation systems in its native tropical range.
Edible parts corms, leaves
Documented problems 3 diseases, 4 pests

At a Glance

A mixed colony of green and dark-leaved taro cultivars
A mixed colony of green and dark-leaved taro cultivars. Photo: “Starr-070515-7069-Colocasia esculenta-habit with dark leaves-Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden-Oahu (24593750470)” by Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us.
Colocasia esculenta Taro Taro leaf blight Phyllosticta leaf spot… Southern blight Glasshouse red spider m… Glasshouse whitefly Aphids Taro leafhopper DISEASES PESTS

Diseases

A dark-leaved taro cultivar with pale midrib
A dark-leaved taro cultivar with pale midrib. Photo: “Starr 070515-7058 Colocasia esculenta” by Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0.
Taro leaf blight
high

Phytophthora colocasiae

CTAHR: the most prevalent taro disease in Hawaii, worst during wet seasons, recognised by purplish-brown, circular, water-soaked leaf spots exuding a clear yellow liquid; diminishes in dry months.

Phyllosticta leaf spot (taro)
low

Phyllosticta colocasiophyla

Named by CTAHR; seldom serious in well-managed upland taro plantings.

Southern blight
low

Sclerotium rolfsii

CTAHR names this as "dry rot," caused by the same Sclerotium rolfsii pathogen as the existing Southern blight entry; seldom serious in well-managed plantings.

Pests

Taro foliage with reddish-brown colouring in a garden setting
Taro foliage with reddish-brown colouring in a garden setting. Photo: “Starr 070515-7056 Colocasia esculenta” by Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0.
Two-spotted red spider mite with silk threads, magnified — Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)
low

Tetranychus urticae

Named by RHS for UK glasshouse/container growing.

Glasshouse whitefly adult on a leaf — Sanja565658, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sanja565658, CC BY-SA 3.0
Glasshouse whitefly
low

Trialeurodes vaporariorum

Named by RHS for UK glasshouse/container growing.

low

Aphididae (various spp.)

Named by both RHS (UK glasshouse) and CTAHR (upland Hawaii growing), damaging by sap-sucking on petioles and leaves, rarely serious unless in large numbers.

Taro leafhopper
moderate

Tarophagus proserpina

Named by CTAHR as one of the two most common upland Hawaii pests, recognisable by brown-to-black staining on petioles from sap oozing at puncture holes.

Growth Stages

Taro plants with reddish petioles and stems
Taro plants with reddish petioles and stems. Photo: “Starr 070515-7070 Colocasia esculenta” by Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0.
Stage BBCH Notes
Planting 0 CTAHR: plant "hulis" (the upper 1/4-1/2in of the corm or cormel plus 8-10in of petiole) or small cormels 3-4in deep, spaced 18-24in apart in rows 18-24in apart. RHS: plant tubers in a large pot of humus-rich compost in warm conditions in early spring.
Canopy establishment 1 CTAHR: taro is very susceptible to weed competition for the first 3-4 months while the leaf canopy forms -- hand-pull or hoe weeds during this window; once the canopy closes, lush foliage shades out further weed growth on its own.
Vegetative growth and feeding 3 CTAHR: apply fertiliser before planting, then side-dress at two, four and six months after planting; upland taro tolerates prolonged waterlogging, but dasheen types should not be left waterlogged for long. RHS: water freely once in growth, with a weekly high-nitrogen feed.
Corm maturation and harvest 8 CTAHR: upland taro matures 8-10 months after planting, signalled by yellowing leaves and shortened petioles; dasheen is ready once cormels go dormant and leaves dry. For home use, taro can be harvested as needed over several weeks.

Harvest & Storage

Close-up of a taro leaf blade and central vein with dew drops
Close-up of a taro leaf blade and central vein with dew drops. Photo: “Starr 060329-6828 Colocasia esculenta” by Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0.

When to pick: CTAHR: upland taro ready for harvest 8-10 months after planting, when leaves turn yellowish and petioles shorten to under 2ft with corms visibly protruding from the ground.

Storage

SAFETY: corms and leaves are harmful eaten raw (RHS) -- always cook thoroughly (boiled, steamed, baked, or fried) before eating. Dasheen corms store well cleaned, washed, drained and refrigerated; poi taro does not keep for long (CTAHR).

Plan your Taros planting

When to sow and plant Taros depends on your own frost dates. Check the Canada vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Taro in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Royal Horticultural Society, University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), Cooperative Extension Service) is in the references of our UK guide to taro; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What problems affect taro?

Our data links 3 diseases and 4 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Short-season growing is arithmetic before it is technique: days to maturity against frost-free days decides what will finish at all. The Canada Garden Planner does that subtraction for your region before you sow.

Get the Canada Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for Canadian growing conditions

SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against Canadian hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with provincial agriculture and university extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides Canada

Last verified 2026-09-04

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