Which End Of Elephant Ear Bulb To Plant

A glance at an elephant ear plant colocasia esculenta is all you need to see where this tropical looking plant got its name.

Which end of elephant ear bulb to plant. In cooler areas zones 3 8 the bulbs are planted in the spring and usually grown as annuals. Growing elephant ear plants in pots. Elephant ears are tropical plants. To find your usda hardiness zone check the map here.

Elephant ears cannot survive winter outdoors. To grow elephant ear plants plant the bulbs in the spring during april or may in an area that receives indirect sunlight and has moist soil with good drainage. If you d rather not deal with the bulbs another option is to grow elephant ears as a potted plant. Dig a hole that is around 1 2 inches deep place the bulb with the flat side down and cover it completely with soil.

You can save money simply by storing elephant ear bulbs or plants for the winter. Elephant ear plants come in various colors which range from green to black and purple. Perhaps one of the most confusing bulbs to know which direction to plant is the elephant ear as those of you who have previously planted one know an elephant ear bulb is very round and has no definite points however most of these bulbs will have a smooth side as well as a side that contains more bumps and maybe even a few root hairs from the previous growing season. Freezing temperatures kill foliage and damage tubers.

The large flat leaves. If you re ever in doubt about which end is up plant a bulb on its side and it ll send the green up and the roots down. How to start elephant ear plants from bulbs. Elephant ear bulbs will spend about three weeks growing roots before you ll notice any activity above ground.

As fall approaches move your potted elephant ear plant to a shady cool location outdoors. Select a location in full sun or part sun with a good rich moist organic soil. How to plant elephant ear tubers. Elephant ear plants are a fun and dramatic feature to add to your garden but just because these beautiful plants are not cold hardy does not mean you can t keep elephant ear bulbs from year to year.

In zones 9 11 they can be grown outdoors year round. Cut the foliage back to about a couple of inches after the first frost in your area and then carefully dig up the plants. The end with the concentric circles is the top. The elephant ear plant also known as colocasia or alocasia is known for its huge leaves this plant is great for layered landscape settings due to these heavy dark and sometimes patterned leaves.

Prepare the bed for elephant ears by turning the soil. Plant elephant ear bulbs outside after all danger of frost has passed and daytime temperatures remain above 70 degrees elephant ears are tropical plants and cannot tolerate any frost they only emerge when the soil is warm. The tubers will. Elephant ears are planted in spring after any danger of frost has passed.