Caring For Elephant Ears

Caring for elephant ears

Pruning Elephant Ears Regular pruning will help to keep this large leaf plant in shape. The leaves will naturally droop as they age. Drooping leaves can be cut off with a sharp blade. Yellowing or brown leaves can be cut off at the stem.

Do elephant ear plants need sun or shade?

Sun or Shade: Elephant ears will grow in sun or shade. If you put them in a hot, sunny location, make sure they get a little shade during the middle of the day. Zone: Elephant ears are tropical plants. In zones 9-11 they can be grown outdoors year-round.

How do you take care of potted elephant ears?

Elephant ears like to stay consistently moist but not soggy. Be especially careful with watering if you use a pot without drainage holes. Always test the soil with your finger first. Humidity is also important to elephant ears, so it's a good idea to set the pot in a saucer of water elevated by pebbles.

Why are the leaves on my elephant ears turning yellow?

Too much or too little water can cause leaves to turn yellow or brown. One other factor to consider when your elephant ear plant becomes discolored is watering frequency. Both over-watering and under-watering can cause the leaves of any plant to form yellow spots, before the color takes over the whole leaf.

What do I do with my elephant ears in the winter?

Put the tubers in a grocery bag, plastic pot or bulb rate and cover with a mix of peat moss and soil. Add water to the container and store it in a cool, dark place to ensure the tuber stays dormant throughout the winter. Keep your Elephant Ears moist but not wet.

Can you leave elephant ears in the ground year round?

In USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 11, elephant ears can be left outside year-round and are treated as perennials. In colder climates, they are typically treated as annuals and discarded at the end of the growing season.

What happens if you touch an elephant ear plant?

Elephant Ears are poisonous to children. Touching the stems or leaves can cause skin irritation and possibly a rash and itching. Eating the leaves, stems, or sap can cause a burning sensation in the mouth and throat and lead to swelling.

Will elephant ears grow in pots?

If you decide you don't want to plant your elephant ear plants in the ground, container growing is perfectly acceptable for these plants. Elephant ears do well in containers so long as you provide them with the right sized container, proper soil, and adequate sunlight.

Do elephant ear plants need big pots?

Elephant ears have a secret rule regarding container or pot size, the smaller the pot, the smaller the plant. We recommend using a container no less than 10 to 12 inches in order to grow a plant approximately 36 to 60 inches (of course, this depends on the variety of elephant ear you purchase).

How long does an elephant ear plant last?

Special Note: Begonia tubers gradually get better each year for about 8 years, and then die. Replace with newly purchased tubers. Lift: Before hard frost as the leaves decline (typically October). Special Note: Storage works well for 2-3 years, after that corms will begin to decline and you will need to buy new corms.

How often should you water potted elephant ears?

Water your Elephant Ear per week, especially during the growing season. Above-average humidity is ideal for your Elephant Ear plant. Elephant Ear prefers temperatures between 65°F and 75°F.

Can I overwinter elephant ears in pots?

Potted elephant ears plants survive winter well when left in the dirt inside their containers. Move the pots to a frost-free spot where they aren't exposed to rain so the soil in the pot remains dry during dormancy.

What does an overwatered elephant ear plant look like?

Crown, leaf spot, and stem or root rot: These diseases are caused by overwatering and usually appear as dark brown or black spots on the leaves surrounded by a yellowish rim. To prevent this, avoid over-watering, keep the leaves dry, and provide it with good air circulation.

Should I cut off damaged elephant ear leaves?

Damaged growth on herbaceous or nonwoody plants such as cannas, elephant ears, birds-of-paradise, begonias, impatiens, philodendron and gingers can be pruned back to living tissue. This pruning is optional unless the damaged tissue is oozy, mushy, slimy and foul-smelling, in which case it should be removed.

Do I cut off yellow leaves?

Pulling Away Yellow or Brown Leaves Trimming or plucking away yellowing or dead leaves is an easy way to help prevent any unwelcome plant pests from settling onto your plant, which are attracted to decaying or dead leaves more than healthy ones, and they are more likely to appear on a struggling plant.

Should I cut back my elephant ears for winter?

Once the first frost has arrived you will need to cut the stems of your elephant ear plant down to 6” in height. Then gently dig the tubers from the ground. Be careful not to cause any damage as this could impact their survival rate. Damaged tubers are much more likely to rot over the winter months.

Do elephant ears come back every year?

Most elephant's ears are perennials and will come back every summer in the Lower, Coastal, and Tropical South. Some are perennials in the lower part of the Middle South. They like the soil to be relatively dry in winter.

Do elephant ear bulbs multiply?

Dividing elephant ear plants is an easy way to propagate your plant, and multiply your elephant ear plants. Elephant ear plants spread out and grow by putting out runners from the parent plant. These runners will then come to the surface and start growing as pup/offshoots of the parent plant.

What month do elephant ears bloom?

What Month Do Elephant Ears Bloom? Elephant ears should be planted in the spring, after the first frost and will begin to flower from late spring to early fall.

Where is the best place to plant elephant ears?

Elephant Ears perform best in sun or part shade. While most can be grown in partial shade, the darker colored varieties are best grown in full sun. Provide a sheltered location to protect the decorative leaves from strong winds.