Our Employees
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Rich, organic soil will help your elephant ears grow. Generally, space the bulbs apart to match the expected height; for example, a 6' tall elephant ear usually has a 6' wide spread. for pots, 3 gal or more is best. |
Sun to partial sun works best
Tropical elephant ears thrive on sunlight and tend to grow slower and smaller heavy shade areas.
Keep moist - frequent applications of fertilizer
Most elephant ears are fast growers and can be 6' tall or more - which simply means they get hungry and thirsty to sustain
that growth. One can go crazy choosing a specific fertilizer blend, we use a generic 20-20-20 blend and it works fine. The tip on watering is to
keep the roots moist - elephant ears are stressed when they dry out.
When should I plant my bulbs?
Bulbs should be planted in the landscape in the spring after
the last frost. The USDA temperature
zone chart provides guidelines for your zone, however
temperatures can vary in specific locales and from year to
year therefore nothing substitutes for local knowledge.
Generally, plant your bulbs with the soil temperatures warm
to 65°F-70°F. If you are planting in northern
climes, you can start the bulbs earlier in a warm, moist
(not soggy) place inside and give them a head start. Elephant ears do go dormant.
Bulb size
 |
Expect some pretty big bulbs, we sell most of our exotic elephant ear bulbs in the 7" to 9" size, these bulbs can weigh in a 2" each! |
End of season - bulbs go dormant
When the
temps go below 60° and stay there (say the onset of
fall/winter), harvest the bulbs & leaves in all but zones 8-10. Elephant ear bulbs are surprisingly cold hardy, but a frost can damage them severely.
Elephant Ears bulbs
go dormant in the winter - they like to take a nap.
In the South (or zones 8-10) usually heavy mulching (3”-6”) will allow the bulbs to survive the winter.
In the
North (zones 3-7) dig up the bulbs and
leaves, let ‘em dry for a week or so, trim off the tops and
store the bulbs in a warm (60°F+) ventilated area for
planting next spring.
Height and Color
Individual conditions vary greatly in the US. Elephant Ears
tend to vary according to
sunlight, feed and watering.
|
|
Potting elephant ears in assorted containers works very well -inside of your home or office, on the patio or front porch - use your imagination (send us some pictures)! « Hilo Beauty |
