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 (hardy in zone 8-11) that will die with a winter freeze.
If you live in a cooler climate here are several options on what you can to do to winterize your elephant ear plant.
When the foliage starts to die back (turn brown) reduce watering. If a frost blackens the foliage, cut the stem down to 6″, dig up the tuber and remove excess soil. Air dry to “cure” the tubers out of direct sunlight at 60 degrees for three weeks.
Once dry, store the cured bulb in peat moss, vermiculite or sawdust in a dry, ventilated location around 40-50 degrees. Periodically, check the bulb for shrinkage and rot. If they appear shriveled, moisten the medium a bit. Replant next spring.
Store bulb in the container in a heated garage. Insulate/wrap the pot and mulch on top after the leaves all die.
Treat it as a houseplant. Give it a southern exposure, high humidity and don’t let the soil dry out. If it continues to produce leaves, fertilize with liquid fertilizer 1/2 dose.
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I have an enormous elephant ear plant. The leaves are 3 feet by 6 feet and there are 12 of them. I did the recommended winterizing proceedure last year successfully. The plant is too big to do that now. Is there any way I can winterize it in place such as, a thick layer of mulch with heat tracing, or something else? I live in south New Jersey.
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?
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.