Tropicals & Tender Perennials: When can I cut it off ?, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
Digger, I am no expert on EE's as they sort of grow wild here, and keep their leaves all winter if it's not cold. But I do know about plants with bulbs a bit. I think you risk losing the plant if you suddenly cut all the leaves while it is in full-blast summer growth. Those leaves need to direct their energy into making a new bulb before the plant goes dormant.

Here's what I'd be inclined to do - see if you can "make" it start to go dormant. You have a month before you're moving so maybe bring it indoors to the a/c or the coolest place you can find. Water it sparingly with cooler and cooler water so it thinks the ground is cooling off etc. If it gradually dries and cools, the leaves will start dying back on their own, and it won't be so shocked when you cut it all the way back before your move.

Maybe another thing to do as insurance is see if you can separate the two little pups from the mother plant and pot them up in small pots separately. Then even if you do lose Mama, you have the pups to grow next year.

My EE got blown into the pool when TS Isaac went by last week, and put on a lot of yellow leaves from a couple of hours in that cool water. Let's hope you can simulate a cool weather event for your plant and make it slow down before you have to prune it.