Taro does NOT overwinter in Iowa on its own. The only thing I have tried is to grow
it indoors until the next spring.
I do all of mine “wetland”, but it
could probably survive in a pot.
My basement has a reasonably sunny window, and
I have 2 halogen bulbs above the plants. (Not showing, but I hang chicken wire down from the lamps to keep the leaves from
growing into them and burning.)
The only new problem you get from being in a dry
indoor garden is spider mites. I keep a spritzer bottle nearby, and mist the plants with a little water / dilute soap every
time I think of it.
When I am ready to move the plants outside in the
spring, I cut off every leaf to prevent taking a bunch of mites outside. (I have tender young apple trees right next to my
taro. Otherwise it is probably not a worry.)
Winter
harvesting can be significant. The plants shown in the picture are just a week after transplanting. I harvest about 5 times,
mostly in the early winter. By April the plants are just barely creaking along.
