Porch Pots

Our porch faces southwest and gets unbearably hot in the afternoon and early evening. I asked a local landscaper if she thought elephant ears would take the heat and she said yes, so here is my first attempt. I failed to know that they LOVE water, and filled about the bottom third of the pots with packing peanuts so they wouldn't be so heavy. Now, having to water almost daily, I regret that move, and next year (if the bulbs live through the winter in my garage), I'll plant the pots all the way with soil.

Entlie

Absolutely beautiful! To help with the watering for now, you might consider poking a stick into the soil to make a hole and filling it with those moisture control beads. I would not do that with any pots that hold soil in the winter, they would stay too damp, but you can always lift the bulbs and store them in peat moss for the winter. Tony Avant says to keep EE's happy just give them lots of water and compost during the growing season.

Thanks, Ardesia. I also have the terra cotta wine bottle waterers and I use the big bottles to help. I have some mushroom compost and I'll mix that in!
Entlie

Awesome I leave mine in pots year round and they are loving the out door weather this year.
Rain rain rain rain

They do look wonderful!

I avoid watering every day by placing my plants in a smaller plastic pot with holes then placing them in a larger pot with no holes and filled with water, I have 12 different alocasia and colocasia poted this way,saves watering every day,love my elephant ears.

Hoitider, what an interesting idea!

Lavina, do you have to garage or greenhouse your pots over the winter? Assume you cut down the stalks.

Entlie

LOL I have a green house but usually put things in Back bedroom and single wide next door
My greenhouse needs to be redone as it was built by someone who did not know what he was doing.

Lavina

Do you cut down the leaves in the fall?

No I just wait for them to die
If I take them inside they do fine and sometimes stay thru the winter

Thanks Lavina - I'll try that.