I see by surfing that others have successfully overwintered their elephant ears in Ohio, Missouri, etc. But I couldn't find much detail (please have patience, I'll learn to "search" better in time!) What suggestions do you have? Mine are just babies right now... what size of pots should I put them in? Obviously large but not whiskey barrel size, right? (If I have to move them in winter!) Would clay pots work better than plastic? Should they be in direct sun? Is south side really appropriate? I do have a very sunny spot that receives lots of moisture throughout the summer but it wasn't where I was planning on placing them. Should I use this as an excuse to make a pond? hee hee My DH would love that!! (He keeps asking me why I'm digging up "his" yard!) If I did make a pond, can the pots just be placed in it? Sunny pond or shady pond? They were originally growing in a shady patio in Sacramento so I thought a shaded bed would work...
Obviously, I'm in the early learning stages! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
I did ask this in another forum and received from Kathleen (from NY) the suggestion to pop over here and ask. I hope it's okay to cut and paste what Kathleen told me so she doesn't have to type it in again and if anybody else has the same question, they can benefit as well:
"Mine was on the floor below a south window in a 3 gallon sized pot all winter and did very well."
Elephant Ear, zone 5: hints for care & feeding?
Mommydi,
If by Elephant Ears you mean Colocasia esculenta then it's far easier to over-winter as a 'bulb in a bag'.
Pull them out and let dry.
Cut off dried foliage, brush off dirt and then store in a paper bag.
For culture, the bigger the pot the better.
A 15-20 gallon pot would not be out of place.
I have done them one to a half barrel, but those were grapefruit sized tubers.
I use 1/2 composted manure and 1/2 topsoil.
Full sun and PLENTY of water.
The leaves routinely get 36-42" point to shoulder.
If you're talking another type EE which species and cultivar?
Ric
Great advice Ric!
I also overwinter by digging up myEE's for a few months. I kept 2 real tiny EE's going under fluorescent lamps, as they had no real bulb or root yet. They did fine, just grew slowly. It made a nice houseplant! I use clay pots to prevent any overwatering problem. They seem to love peat moss added to the soil. I ordered my first black EE this year... should be here any day now! Just a great plant, & I would not be without them ever.
I am an EEaddict,I would not be without them either.
henryr10, here is what the babies look like... is this what you were refering to? I like the idea of bagging them up over the winter. I could handle that!
I put four to a pot while I was trying to figure out what to do with them. Now they are each in their own pot (same size as one in picture... I'll expose my ignorance... what size is this pot!? Isn't that a stupid question!)
Right now I have them sitting in full sun. As for water, JRush, we live in high desert so they will get little water except for our irrigation system (every two weeks) and what we do by hand so overwatering (i.e. continuous rain isn't an issue ). Do you think plastic would be better than clay in this case? That was why I was wondering if I make a pond and sat the plastic pots in it, if that would be a problem?
I have wanted to put some type of "water feature" in my yard anyway for several reasons. One, because I think it will look cool. Two, because I've always wanted a gold fish pond. Three, because we now have a big dog and the idea of setting up the big plastic inflatable pool seems pretty risky! I thought if I could combine the wading pool/fountain/gold fish pond (fish maybe later when kids are older?), it would be fun. And if I needed it for the EEs, then that would make a difference as to where I put it. (I'll hop over to the Ponds thread for more ideas, info when it gets time for me to actually put the plan into work.)
I look forward to hearing more... I thought these plants were SO awesome when I saw them at my cousin's in Sacramento and I would love to see if I can get them to grow for me here!
In the pond, I use plastic pots. They are looking good, there.
Plastic pots for sure in your environment! You could even plug the drain holes to hold the water. I don't know if the EE would like to be soaking in the pond... This may be too much for them & they may rot. Perhaps on the edge of the pond. I also use the peat moss as it helps it hold water in the soil. A nice feature for these big drinkers! Friends of mine have trouble with hawks & raccoons getting their Koi fish, so now they just have plants in their pond. I think the prettiest ponds have the floating lilies & papyrus type plants in them. I have seen ponds next to swimming pools for decoration... I especially like the stone ponds. The stone makes it look so lush & natural! I take it your dog likes to swim with everyone! :)
Don't plug up the drainage hole. EE's do very well in a pond as long as they are not covered with water at top of the pot.
mommydi,
That doesn't look like a Colocasia esculenta or common EE to me, too upright and shiny.
I'd say a Xanth or Alocasia.
Do you have a shot of your cousins mature plants or remember the height, color, shape, etc...?
Many of the Colocasia form bulbs or tubers that can easily to stored.
Xanths, Alocasia and rhizome forming Colocasia have a whole different growing and storage culture.
I'm not very good at young Aroid ID.
They can change drastically as they get older.
If nobody comes along w/ a positive ID try the Aroid Forum.
Ric
The largest leaf shown looks like an EE. They are sure cute, though! It may look different because it is indoors, also. The reduced sunlight makes the leaves stunt a tad. Let's see another photo first to be sure! My EE's do well in both shade & sun. You have to ease them into sun if they have been indoors, as the leaves burn. It takes a couple of weeks to get them from indoor environment to outdoors, especially full sun. I cut off any burnt leaves, & the new ones are adjusted to the increased sunlight. My EE's preferred partial shade. The ones I placed on my South side did not grow as large. Do other EE owners have the same experience?
I have my reg. EE's planted on the east side of house. Morning sun. They get huge leaves and over 5 ft. tall.
I have found that they can take more sun when in a pond environment because of the wet feet, esp. Black Magic and Illustris.
Try misting it with a spray bottle,if the water sticks and the leaf stays wet, Alocasia,if the water rolls off it like a ducks back,Colocasia.;0)
A good trick!
I like it root!
Ric
Ole Root,is good for some things,LOL,and it is not a hard and fast rule,just an observation I have made.
Oh gosh! Thank you Mommydi for asking this question! Here its semi-arid, and I was so unsure how to take care of them. You would think that would stop me from buying them.. NOOO all I can say is thank goodness for DG and all the wonderful people who help! Doing rootys method, I have 3 colocasias, and one alocasia. (thats a GOOD thing, I cant imagine bringing in MORE pots for the winter)
I have mine sitting in a kiddy pool (shhh lol I know) but the tops are above water. They are in 5 gallon pots, and get 60-70% full sun a day. When the wind dies down and I can get some good pics, would yall mind helping me ID them?
And I have some funky musa I have not heard of, and cant find any info on. Rojo Musa. The leaves have red varigation to them.
Anyway, thank you ALL for this priceless info!!
How about this Shelly: http://www.magnoliagardensnursery.com/productdescrip/musarojo.html
lolol umm yup thats it Chele! Thank you!! Geez!
Well now that I know its Zebrina I did some quick searching here on DG.. that makes sense. For some reason I never put them together, or just did not pay any attention. LOL I dont want it! To the compost it goes.
Compost? ACK!
I'm sure there are plenty of gardeners near you that would kill for a Zebrina.
I got it this past winter, and babied it along, I dont have too long of a growing season, and if its going to be picky (and small like it still is), I dont want it. :o)