Planting Elephant Ear

toni, how beautiful! gorgeous, gorgeous fence. mine is also a 1/4 acre lot (odd shape though). thanks for that pretty inspiration!

Thanks Moonglow!

I never know how it's going to turn out. I have to admit though that last year's success was because of the great weather we had. It was a little cooler than usual and the plants really liked that. The soil stayed moist and the plants didn't fry in the sun. I sure hope we have another summer like that!

toni, i hope all is well. i was wondering how your EE is doing. i am about to dig one out to send to a fellow DGer. not as big as yours though. lol. that would need a crate.

=)

show us some LEAVES!

Chele,
I got EE's for you.
Any room left?
Here's a 3 gallon iced tea pot. lol

LOL Ric! Do I get the tea ear or a different one? I have been one busy girl around here. Ely put the wrath of ear into me. :) I am also redoing around the pond, around the greenhouse, pretty much anywhere I can squeeze in one more tropical. Phew!

Hi Moonglow!

Not much action with the EE I'm afraid. The only thing that's happened is the tip broke ground about 2-3 weeks ago and nothing since then. It's not growing or leafing out. I don't know whats going on. For something that was growing that well OUT of ground it sure hasn't done much IN-GROUND at all. Maybe I planted it too deep? The weather has just turned warm in the last week so hopefully that might jolt it.

Do you think I should try snooping on it by digging around it a bit? I'm always tempted to do this with bulbs and tubers when it seems like it's taking too long. I have no patience...my season is short and I want satisfaction NOW!

Any advice?

Toni

gardening is so NEW to me, i shouldn't offer any advice anymore. lol.

someone in the know will rescue us. i hope you are enjoying the season besides.

=)

Toni,
If the tip is still green and firm then leave it alone.
It's putting down roots.
Until the soil warms up they just like to sit there.
They same thing happens w/ Caladium and Callas.
We've had temps in the upper 80's all week and our bulbs are just now starting to crank.

We started ours in a greenhouse around the first of April but don't ground plant any tropical bulbs until Memorial Day.
It just doesn't gain us anything.

The rhizomous EE's we keep growing all year long.
All of those we grow only in pots.
Ric
Ric

Hi toni. We're having a cool spring and my EE's are behaving like yours. They refuse to move until the soil is warm enough. But, everything else is loving the cool temps, so I can't complain. My Nicotianas you sent look fantastic! I just got home from a week at the beach and they've tripled in size! I fertilized just before leaving and we had rain while I was away, so almost everything has really cranked! (including the weeds!) All of my EEs look cruddy now (above ground anyway) I think due to the cool weather and the late frost that nipped them in mid May.
How are your babies doing that I sent? Hope they will soon suprise and delight! Neal.

My common green colocasia EE is just now breaking the surface... ground has been cool. It should take off now. I hope my 'Black Magic' do the same!

Hey Neal...send some cool over here cause were frying! It's been hot and humid the last week or two. A week at the beach eh? That's the life! Hope you had a wonderful relaxing time. Glad to hear the Nics are doing well...mine are also taking off. I gave some to my next door neighbor and they're growing great! Why is it the extra plants you happen to give to your neighbors always look better and seem to grow faster and larger than your own? And they do absolutely nothing to them...no water ...no fertilizer...no nothing! I don't get it. Anyway my pathetic EE looks like half a green banana sticking out of the soil! Been like that for weeks already. By the time it leafs out it'll be time to dig it out again. Oh well nothing to do but wait I guess.

I'm happy to report that everything you sent is doing fabulous! The phlox and liatris has taken root and is growing. Both about 8-10 inches tall already. As far as the Illustris goes..WOW..I've never seen such beautiful exotic leaves before! Can I just pot this one up and leave it in the house to grow as a houseplant? I have it in a small pot right now but plan on repotting when it gets larger. I love it!
Thank you so much.

Take care my friend
Toni

I'm so glad to hear everything is taking off! The Illustris is fine for growing in a container and some people do bring them in as a houseplant for winter. Often that means battling spider mites all winter, but you can also just let it dry out in the pot and store pot and all with your other bulbs stored for winter. The first leaf showed up on one of my EEs while I was away. I think it was a good week to be gone because I'm told it was really hot and muggy here last week, so I think the cool days are over. At least the EEs and caladiums may finally start growing! Happy gardening, Neal.

I don't want to sound mean or anything. But, I'm so glad to hear other's are having the same luck with EE & caladiums not doing so hot due to the weird weather. We had warmer weather here in Jan. Feb. & March. Many of the tropicals are just now begin to show their stuff. Very cool to cold weather and wet here for this time of year. I sure hope the soil warms up soon. I wish you all better weather for our EE to grow big and strong.
Kin

They will soon start I am in zone 6 and my EE's are taking over, and my Caladiums started breaking ground about 5 days ago and they are starting to look good. I was so afraid I had planted them up side down and they would take forever to come up. Mine are all starting to grow good so yours will be starting to show progress about a week.

mine are starting to really happen now, too! i was cooking some taro the other day, and i thought i'd plant some more in the yard.

i'm going to google away and find a good recipe for taro leaves in coconut cream!

Oh, it is not just you! I started putting all mine out in my greenhouse in March. I only ran a space heater at night. Some really took off and other just sat. I bought one huge one at a food market and it is oh, football size. It sat and sat and sat. One day I saw a ring of tiny green points. I got really excited. Then nothing but the points......very anticlimatic! LOL So, about 2 weeks ago, I moved all the pots out into the sun. The huge one just sat, nothing more. I was ready to cry. This thing is HUGE I tell ya. Well, I pulled it out of the dirt and felt it and it was completely firm and had roots so I stuck it in the ground in a spot that stays moist this time of year. NOTHING! ACK! Now honestly I only paid $10 for it because it was sold as a food root and not a plant but it was huge and I knew it would pump out some big awesome plant. LOL I noticed yesterday that all those tiny green points have turned into pre-leaves. That is something!! I imagine if a normal size stalk comes from every pre-leaf, that thing might explode. ROTF Here is my one year old holding the tuber. I want to point out that she was about 25 pounds and around 2' tall when I took this pic.

I put my foot in here on purpose. I have BIG feet. LOL Look at all the baby leaves on this thing! If everyone of those gets a stalk....oh my!

wow, all those baby leaves from one taro? can't wait to see this one grow!

(and yes, keep that filipino co-worker of yours out of your yard! lol.)

Don't let her fool ya.
Those leaves are really 4" across.
She isn't kidding when she says she has BIG FEET!

Ric

Yes Annapet, that is the monster one and all those things are on one. I am a little scared! LOL Maybe I should let Apol come over and make me a nice meal.

Ric, you behave yourself or you might find my six 9.5 feet, well really compromising. :)

yeah, ask apol if he knows how to make "laing" - - - taro leaves in coconut cream! (with prawns and pork!)

gosh i am hungry.

Badseed...take it easy on Ric...you wouldn't want to lose that cute toe ring now would you?! LOL

Ah she doesn't scare me, but that Posse of her's..............................
Course there is probably enough gold in that ring to.......

OK Chele I'll behave now. :-)

I do though need to get those EE's over to you this weekend.

Ric

LOL I'll be home. I need to get some more stuff planted and get several boxes of plants out of here. Call me when you have an idea on the time. :)

LOL.. Love this thread.. Funny!

Badseed.. Big foot?? LOL He he Been wondering how many EE's you have now? LOL I only have one (lots of bulbs) and bought two more... been sitting on front patio.. need to be plant..

Hi everyone!

I'm bumping this up so I can show a pic of what's grown so far out of that giant EE bulb that started all this. It's been really hot here and Illinois is experiencing a severe drought this year. The EE has grown some but not nearly as much as I had hoped. Kept it watered too. I guess if my season was longer it would have a chance to get alot bigger but by Oct. 1. it's usually time for chopping down and pulling out around here. Guess I'll never see it's true potential!

Question: How would this do in a BIG pot? Do you think it might sprout faster than in the ground? I could keep the pot on my indoor porch and get the bulb started earlier. How should I go about this? Any ideas.....please advise.

You can keep it growing on the porch all Winter w/ enough light.
Just don't water as much.

Ric

Hi there Toni! I've had the same issues this year with my EEs. It went from a cool, dry spring that left them sitting there forever, then got warm and wet and they started growing, then hot and dry and they slowed down again. I've watered to, but it seems the EEs are such water hogs it's hard to give them enough. I had the best luck getting them reliably huge growing them in 1/2 whiskey barrells. Those are big enough to retain plenty of moisture and the soil temp in them warms up faster than the ground. In winter I just pulled them out and stored them with the rest of the summer bulbs since the barrells are too big to move around much. From what I've read, warm soil temperatures is the key to getting them going. Some recomend starting them early indoors with a heating mat underneath and waiting till the end of May or first of June to put them outside.

Yours may not be as big as you'd hoped, but it looks healthy and pretty. Are the leaves of yours glossy? Looks from the latest pic it may be an Alocasia instead of a Colocosia.

Hey Neal...how's your garden blooming?! You wouldn't believe how many Nicotiana volunteers I have sprouted throughout the yard. There everywhere! I think you'll be surprised next year.

As far as the EE goes I would say the leaves are semi-glossy. How's that for flip-flopping! What's the diff between Alocasia and Colocosia. I know I could look it up but it's too darn early and I'm an insomniac! I just woke up after a whole 3 hours sleep.

I like the idea of starting the EE indoors in a pot. I think that's gonna be my strategy for next summer.

Toni

THAT is beautiful! I start mine indoors around February or March because they seem to take a good month to sprout. I put them in a pot just bigger than the tuber and keep them somewhere warm. Once they sprout, they need nice bright light. My basement is usually full of ice cream bowls, hi-C containers, milk jugs, 2 litre bottle etc by March. LOL

Thanks Badseed! I was thinking of doing the same thing because it takes just way too long for it to sprout outside. If I can get an earlier start maybe it'll grow bigger. Do you feed your EE's? All I use in the garden is composted manure and Espoma All Purpose Organic Fertilizer mixed into the soil before I plant everything. Should I be feeding this guy extras?

Toni, I don't know how I missed your thread. That is one huge EE! It sure is different than mine. I think I like yours better....lol. Here is a picture of mine growing in a pot. I can't believe how tall your nicotine is! Does it normally grow that high?
:) Donna

Hi Donna!

Do you overwinter your EE or do you dig it out and then replant in the spring? It sure has alot of growth.

The Nicotiana grows anywhere from 5 to 7 ft. This is my second year growing it and I used seeds from last years plants. They're just as tall. I took a pic last night and I know it looks identical to last years garden but I'm a creature of habit and tend to stick with what I know will make it here. I need to change up my design though.

Nope, I have to dig them up and than replant in the Spring. I still can't get over the size of your Nicotiana. Maybe I can do a trade with you for some. I really do luv the ripples on your EE. I'm definitely going to have to find one of those.
:) Donna

Donna...do you start seeds indoors? I can send you some seed (I have tons). They sprout real easy and grow fast. Let me know.

Toni

Yes, I have been starting seeds indoors. You got to....lol. I would luv some! What can I send you?
:) Donna

Donna...Dmail me.

Toni

Toni, Everything is blooming exceptionally well and I'm loving the tobacco! So do the big moths. Your garden is even more beautiful this year! Maybe you don't need to change your design, but just add more gardens. That's what I do! Not going to have a need for a mower for much longer though.

As for the difference between Colocosia and Alocasia, I don't really know. They're all called Elephant Ears in the catalogs. From what I've seen the Colocosias have mat leaves that turn down(like Perennialgirl's) and include the green Colocosia esculenta and it's hybrids like 'Black Magic', 'Illustris', and 'Nancy's Revenge'. The Alocasias seem much broader. Some are the upright, glossy or somewhat shiny leaved green elephant ears and some have leaves that turn down, are glossy, and have contrasting colored veins(like Alocasia amazonica). Brent and Becky's offered a lot of them in their spring catalog that you can look at on line.

Many Alocasia 'point' downward.
In fact most do.
Macro is an Upright EE.
No Colocasia do that I know of...
The actual gross difference is in their reproductive equipment and how the leaf attaches to the stem.
Also if I remember right Colocasia have milky sap.
Alocasia and Xanthe don't.

In general though if it has a shiny leaf it's an Alocasia.
Dull leaf is a Colocasia.

Ric

OH! I'm SOOOooooo glad I found this thread! Thanks for bumping it up!

Toni...It's good to meet someone from the Chicago area who is trying the same things at the same time I'm trying them. (DH was born in Berwyn -I'm an 'Okie' - We lived in the LaGrange and Hinsdale areas in the '60's)

I just had to 'horn in' on this thread. Your EE's are gorgeous! I bought several of those Wally world bulbs in late winter this year, plunked them into big black nursery pots sometime in late Feb, they sprouted in my basement (took about 4-6 weeks), and when the weather *finally* turned from that weird couple of weeks of nasty freeze, I lined up the pots against the south side of my house where they more than amazed me with their willingness to grow!

I have mine growing nicely now in my shaded (bright light) north-side garden...and I'm hooked! Next year there's going to be at least 1/2 a dozen BIG pots (and maybe I'll try those whickey barrels out) to be used as a background for that bed.

Your picture of the combo of cannas and Nicotiana sylvestris *really* caught my attention. I grew N.S. from seed this spring...again, mainly for a background in my shady garden but I also put some transplants in an area close to my cannas. Every single plant is doing well...no matter whether it gets full sun, part or nearly full shade. So putting them in right along side the cannas is a GREAT idea I'll have to remember for next year.

Thank you (and all the other 'posters'!) for the super ideas...and for ALL the info I've learned while reading this thread. Let us know when you're about to do the digging and drying of the EE's...I'd like to see the full cycle of your plants.

~julie~