Winterize elephant ear
I have a question about how to winterize Elephant Ears growing in my yard. What needs to be done and how.
Elephant ear, Alocasia are a semi-tropical tuberous bulbs that are hardy in zone 8-11 and will die in freezing temepratures.
If you live in a cooler climate zone 7 or lower, there are several methods you can use to winterize your elephant ear plant.
Option 1:
When the foliage starts to die back (turn brown) reduce watering. If/when a frost blackens the foliage, cut the stem down to 6″, dig up the tuber and remove excess soil. Try not to bruise or cut the tuberous bulb as that can cause infection and rot during storage.
To “cure” the tubers, air dry, out of direct sunlight at 60F for three weeks or dry them in the sun for a couple of days and then remove the excess soil.
Once dry, store the cured bulb in peat moss, vermiculite or sawdust around 40-60 degrees in a dry, ventilated location such as a basement or cellar. During the winter, check the bulb for shrinkage and rot (discolored soft spots). If the bulbs appear shriveled, moisten the medium a bit. Replant next spring.
Store in container
You can also store the bulb as is in the pot in a heated garage. Insulate/wrap the container for added protection. After the leaves yellow and die back, cut off the dried foliage and add 2-3″ of mulch on top of the soil.
If you don’t have a heated garage, a cool, dark place such as a basement will work. Store between 40-60F and water lightly once or every 2 months to keep the soil from totally drying out.
Option 2:
Treat your elephant ear as a houseplant. Give it a southern exposure (high light), high humidity and water enough to keep the soil from drying out. If it continues to produce leaves, feed it with a 1/2 dose of liquid fertilizer, otherwise, just keep it moist. The plant may sulk indoors during the winter but when the weather warms up in spring bring the plant back outdoors slowly re-acclimating it to brighter light exposure.
Buy here:
- Winterize Mandevilla I currently have a beautiful Mandevilla and would like to preserve it...
I live in nc. i have a 3-4 ft tall elephant ear..some leaves are starting to turn brown, but then others are very green..what do i need to do before it starts to frost? do i need to cut the plant or let it die back?
Storing caladiums
I am somewhat new to this gardening thing. Can someone please tell me when is the best time to dig up my caladiums and how to store them? And…when to replant them? Thanks.
I live in North Alabama and we are expecting our first frost within the next two weeks. I have one elephant ear plant with about 12 leaves each about 4 – 6 ft long. I dont plan on digging up the bulb, my question is, what is the best method to protect the bulb over the winter while it is still in the ground?
Thanks Barry
I LIVE IN PENNA. LAST YEAR I PURCHASED 2 BULBS. I DUG THEM UP TOWARD THE END OF THE SEASON AND REPLANTED THEM THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR THE BULBS LOOKED THE SAME AS WHEN I BOUGHT THEM. THIS YEAR, THE LEAVES WERE SO BIG AND BEAUTIFUL.WHEN I DUG THEM UP,
I HAD A FEW TUBULAR GROWTHS, AND THE BULBS WERE AT THE END OF THE STALK. I HAD A WHOLE LOT OF ROOTS.
MY QUESTION IS: WILL THE BULBS AT THE END OF THE STALKS GROW NEXT YEAR?
My question is not for winterizing but for spring planting. I live on Vancouver Island zone 8. I have planted a large Alocasia bulb in a pot and have it inside until it warms up. The top of the bulb was green and now it is turning brown. Is this the norm…help..please
Good morning. I have a 19′ by 18′ solarium. I planted my first Elephant Ear Plant in a container and it seems to be doing well. I notice on the back of all the leaves are these tiny olive color objects about the size of a pen point. They don’t move and when you touch them they smear. Ants seem to be attracted to them. What are they and can I lighty spray the back with an insecticide.
Thanks
How do you care for elephant ear plant in pot that is already growing? I have it in semi-shaded area on my deck but leaves turn brown and I cut them back. Should I bring it in and treat as houseplant? I live in Cincinnati, OH
Thank You
I dug up and brought in my elephant ear bulb before the first frost. I planted the bulbs in large planters indoors and they began to grow indoors all winter long. However, I began to notice small specks all over the leaves that did not appear to move. I then noticed that my rug became very hard and sticky in spots. These specks also spread to some of my house plants that were in the same room as the elephant ears. Were these aphids and have you ever heard of this happening before? I’ve since replanted my elephants outdoors and they’re doing great. But how do I get rid of these sticky pests on my houseplants? I would greatly appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!
I have several Elephant Ears in pots, they are second year bulbs. One of them has a yellow flower it is a long yellow flower not opened yet, is this normal?
In the Fall of 2006, a friend gave me a number of Elephant Ear bulbs. I placed them in an unused(not plugged in) freezer in our basement. I forgot about them until today.(09/29/07) The bulbs are very firm and each has about a one-half inch of growth which is pinkish green in color and also nice and firm. Can I wait to plant these in the Spring of 2008, or is there something else I should do?
Ed Binch
This web site is a wonderful fist full of information for those of us that Grow this huge Creatures in our Yards. I have two of them and they are so cool and the compliments you get from people on how big they are are Great……..
But now since I found this web site I now know how to maintain them thru out the Winter, So wish me luck on continuing the growth of this huge Creatures…..
I live in Atlanta Ga and we have already had our first frost. The leaves on my Elephant Ears (planted outdoors) are now brown. My question is: Do I cut the leaves and stalks down to the ground? I’ve read in several different places that the bulbs don’t have to be dug up in the region that I live in??
Any advice would be appreciated!!!
Tom
This past spring, I planted an elephant ear bulb and enjoyed a summer of hugh and beautiful leaves in a space about 2-3 feet square (from one bulb). I have just dug into this grouping after one night of about 32 degreee temps and have not found any bulbs – just thick stems with many curly white roots about 6 inches long coming out of the stems. What happened to my bulb and what should I do with the white stem and roots now?? I have presently stored them in my basement covered with soil and dry leaves. Help!!
I have 6 beautiful elephant ears around my pool in australia and we get 40+ deg Celsius here in summer.
My plants are well watered and fed they are also protected from full sun getting 90% heat and 25% UV. They have flowered well (about 4 per pot) I would like to know what to do with the flowers? Should I trim the stalks back or leave them to wilt as they are healthy stems and look like the plant is using a lot of energy to keep them solid and upright.
I just checked on my winterized elephant ear bulbs and tubers. The tubers are in good shape but the top of the bulb, not the bulb itself where the roots come out, is shriveled. Should I do something to fix it? How do I tell if the bulbs are viable? Thanks!
Hi, after reading some of the comments on the Elephant Ear plant, I wouild like to add. We live in Southern New Jersey and while this was our first time caring for this plant in the winter and having no knowledge other than knowing it would not take our winters, we brought it in and replanted in a larger container. It has doubled in size, kept mainly dry and not sure what part of our room, southerly, northerly, whatever side the plant is on but seriously, it is gigantic. We had given it general plant food along with the other plants we had to bring in maybe once or twice this winter but no special treatment. Now, we have to get another larger planter for the base. Sometimes a little too much care and fuss really doesn’t matter.
You’re absolutely right! Thanks for the comment.
THX 4 the info. I have 2 more questions……..my nursery still has some giant bulbs 4 sale. Is it too late to plant these this year? I am having a blast w/ the 4 giants I have already springing up around my house for the 1st time. Also…….how do I mulch my bulbs for winterizing? This is the best site. I have 600 caladium bulbs rounding out my back yard.
Hi,
I have two bulbs that I planted this summer and my leaves are very big. I live in Wisconsin and the winters here can be very cold and harsh. Can I cover these plants somehow to protect them over the winter? Will they come back next year?
Thank you in advance for your advice.
Angi
I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL PLANT ON BOTH SIDES OF MY POND, WHEN DIGGING IT UP IF I DONT GET ALL OF THE ROOT WILL IT HURT IT? I WAS TOLD IN PA ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CUT IT DOWN LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS AND COVER IT WITH MULCH. IS THIS TRUE, OR WILL I HAVE TO DIG IT UP?
Hello, i live in Michigan and i was wondering if i can keep my Caladiums in their pot and bring them indoors as a house plant instead of digging them up for the winter.
my elephant ears produced a flower . It looks like there is a bulb inside the flower , if it is a bulb can it be taken out and planted? If so what will it produce?
Hi Charlotte
It sounds like a seed pod.
I live in Central Florida and have never winterized in three years of growth but most of my elephant ears have died down and I find a good deal of rotten bulbs in the large beds. Is this from a lack of seperating or perhaps too much water. The bulbs range from golf ball size to much larger than softballs and they are squeezing each other up and out. I fear I may need to winterize but not necessarily for frost reasons.
I have a plant that had a seed pod. I took the seeds and placed them around the base of my elephant ear plant and a dozen seeds sprouted. I transplanted them into pots and then again into the ground. I have new seed pods and am wondering can I germinate from the dried seeds of the pod (no plant)…is there a prefered method? Is the seed pod a flower? Mine are red and I live in southern Florida, thanks!
I live in North Alabama and we don’t do anything to ours.In fact we run the lawnmower over it the last time we cut the grass for the year. We have been growing it for about 15 years now.
Moje Uszy słonia zakwitły – hurra!!!!
Congratulations!
I just opened my elephant ear bulbs for repotting for this year’s plants. The bulbs look like figure eights — like they produced another bulb on top of the one I potted up last spring. Both sections are firm. They don’t come apart. Well, I suppose I could force them apart or cut them or break them. My question is . . . with each bulb produce a plant or just the top one?? The root structure is very thick. Appreciate advise. Been garding many years, but I’ve never seen this before.
Why does the elephant ear info say hardy to zone 8, yet everything i read says to bring it indoors in the winter in zone 8? It is either cold hardy or it isn’t. I live in zone 8 in the Seattle area. It freezes in zone 8. I don’t understand why online nurseries are pushing the alocasia gigantea and calodora as cold hardy if they are not. Something that dies in the winter and “might” grow back is not cold hardy. Mediterean and windmill palms are cold hardy. They don’t die!!!
I have had my elephant ears for years in north mississippi. I never taken them up for the winter. They come back strong and bigger every year. I just cut them down and mulch over them. My question is, what is the white stuff inside them that I find when I pull the leaves and debris off of them in the spring?
my elephant ear that I stored over the winter (zone 5) seems soft in spots and has a little bit of mold on it. Will this work itself out when I plant it for spring or if it has started to get soft is it no longer any good.
Thanks
I, too, like Sharon above, just unwrapped my giant elephant ears and have figure eight looking bulbs. I split them, and planted them in simi-shade here in my garden in Kansas. Also, pulled off a couple of tubers and planted them seperately. Hope I didn’t goof. We’ve enjoyed these giants for several years, and everyone comments on their size. Love having this little piece of the tropics in Ks. Thanks for your response.
i have an elephant ear (up right) that i move from one spot to another same location but about five feet from where it was planted at first,now one of the leaves are turning yellow.can someone tell what could be causing this.did i shock the plant by moving it.
Can you tell me for sure if elephant ears cn be split to produce more plants? I have been researching this and cannot seem to find a definite answer. My sister is wanting a start from mine and I don’t want to kill my plant when (or if) I try to get her one. If this is possible, can you please tell me the proper way to do it? Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!
Renee
CAN SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO STORE MY ELEPHANT EAR BULBS. I ORDER THEM ABOUT A WEEK AGO AND THEY CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY.THEY WERE WRAP IN NEWSPAPER AND THEY ARE THE SIZE OF A SOFTBALL. I DON’T WANT TO PLANT THEM THIS YEAR,SO WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STORE THEM OVER THE WINTER.
I live in Indiana so I realize that my elephant ears won’t be safe outside during the winter. I have read that you can bring them in as house plants for the winter but I am confused about the dormant stage that I understand that they need to go through. So I am to understand if I plant them in a container as a house plant are they going to go dormant or how does that work? Do I continue to water? Please explain the steps I need to take to care for it as a house plant. I want to continue to plant it again in the spring outdoors. What kind of cycle am I to do. Thanks so much.
Winter dormancy
okay, I might be confused about what it means to go dormant. I am going to try to bring my elephant ears in throughout the winter this year instead of digging them up and drying the bulbs. If I do this, what will my elephant ear look like, will it still continue to have leaves or will they all die out? Dormant just means that they will not grow through a growing stage right? Thanks for your help.
Winterize Elephant ear
I live in NYC in a small apartment, I grow my elephant ears in large pots at my camping resort in upstate New York. Here’s the problem, the campground closes in early October and I think the plants might still be going strong by then. Can I just cut the still vibrant stems back and proceed with the normal storage methods and bring them back home? There’s no room for these giants in my apartment.
i also am growing elephant ears in pot and i was wondering how can i winterize them while leaving them in pots . i want to let them go through the dormant stage. i don’t have a basement and my garage is not attached to my house.so i wanted to know if after frost hit them and they start to die back could i the fill pots up with so hardwood much and cover them with a black plastic bag would they be okay.
Bryan, where do you plan on storing the pot?
i have ears and cannas growing.the ears are growing in pots and in the ground.the last couple of days i have notice them starting to drop.and today they are completly on the ground.;the leaves are not turning colors,they are just falling to the ground.help please!!!!!!!!!!
I LIVE IN LOUISVILLE,KY THE WEATHER HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD. 80′S. THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS MY EARS,CANNAS AND CASTOR BEAN PLANTS ALL HAVE FALLEN TO THE GROUND.I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S WRONG.NOT OVER WATERING.THEY JUST WON’T STAND UP ANYMORE.
i chopped down my plants today and dug up the bulbs and washed them off.gonna let them dry out and store them for the winter,is there anything special i need to do.and by the way i found out what happen to my plants,the maintenance crew that cuts our grass sprayed them with some kind of chemical which cause them to lose the ability to stand up.will this chemical kill the bulbs.they said they will give me a gift card to pay for my plants.
more bad news,my bananas are starting to fall and the shoots are breaking off one by one.that was some strong stuff.
they said it must have been from the chemical drift.some of the plants are still producing leafs,and one of them looks like it was about to flower.didn’t know that ears would produce a flower.if they continue to produce leaves then maybe the bulbs are still good.i talked to the guy and he said the chemical on kills what come in contact with.he also said the name of stuff they sprayed was called 3 way.
premium 3 way herbicide
What time of the year does walmart,lowes and home depot start selling elephant ear and canna bulbs.
Hi guys….Ok I live in Rock Hill Sc and I brought back some Giant Elephant Ears back from South Florida…I noticed they dont have bulbs…its like roots growing off the bottome of the elephant ear…they also produce and grow off a big root connected to the bigger one…now I know they probably wont survive here during our winters so I took the babies and planted them in pots and also dug one of the Big ones up…it stands about 5 ft or more…i also planted it in a huge pot..My questions is will it grow indoors under grow lights and a regular humidifer…if not how am i supposed to pull them up and winterize them without a bulb??
i have elephant ear bulb the size of a softball and i was letting in sit out to dry,and i notice today that it has soft spots and where the shovel hit it when i was digging it up looks like it’s starting to have mold on it.is there anyway to save this bulb are should i just get rid of it and count it as a loss.
Dividing offsets
i have dug up my ears kinda confused cause it has several new babies do i break the babies off and it now becomes it own bulbs ? when do i cut the roots off ?
Store elephant ear
Can I store my elephant ear bulbs in a shed that is outside in the yard?
what about it being soft.how does that effect the bulb.will a soft bulb still produce. i am running out of time.
Is any part of the elephant ear edible? Seems a shame that so much energy goes to waste!!!
Thanks so much for all the useful tips for over-wintering the bulbs of this beautiful plant.
I live in St. Louis, MO where we have a moderate climate but it does freeze in the winter. Should I dig up the elephant ear bulbs and store them?
my elepahnt ears have had a frost on them and the leaves have turned brown. I cut them off but still have a few new leaves coming out. Would it be okay to cut them all off to about 6 inches then dig them up to winterize?
HI, I just dug up my elephant ears from their pots and the root growth is huge. The plants have grown extra stocks as well. Can I cut back the white roots and also split the plant into two?
I planted a few elephant ears last year in my yard, I live in north Georgia. The biggest one kept a few of its leaves after it got cold. Instead of browning, they filled with water and started to turn yellow. When that happened I cut them down. But the large bulb suffered with white soggy stuff and died. The sprouts off of it were fine and rebloomed this year. All of the other bulbs I planted were fine too. I never dug them up.
I want to prevent this from happening this year. Should I just cut down the leaves when I know it is getting too cold, even if they are still green? Will this hurt the plant?
Thanks
I live in Long Island NY. Is it possible to leave the elephant ears bulbs in the ground , cover them with mulch and let them overwinter in the ground? If yes then how should I prepare them, ie water, cut back stems, etc?
Thanks for you help
We live in Raleigh, NC. Three years ago we moved to a new house, and I brought some of my elephant ears bulbs from the old house to the new one. They were small, pitiful little bulbs, about the size of walnuts. I figured what the heck, and I planted them in a long bed on the east side of the new house. The first year, I was amazed to see them all come up and produce a lovely stand of 4+ feet high leaves. I had never dug them up over the winters at the old house, so I just left them in the ground at the new house. This year I have an even larger stand of 6+ feet leaves with enormous bulbs (?) bulging out of the ground. A few of the plants have flowered. I didn’t mulch last winter, although the large bulbous parts of the plants were above ground. I just cut back the leaves after the frost hit them. Can I continue leaving them in the ground, or are they becoming more vulnerable as they push themselves upward? Any suggestions?