I jumped into growing ears recently when I could stand seeing everyone's on here no more. I had resisted admirably for several years. Now I am having a big problem with 2 of them. Breaks my heart. You buy something beautiful then you take it home and make it suffer.
How sad a picture is this?
I have fried several leaves on this one already. It was gorgeous when I got it. The newest leaf is now crisping. I do not remember fertilizing these . So I just can't figure out how I am burning them.
I bought 2 very special ones after seeing how great Barb's were, Alocasia 'Green Velvet Variegated' and Alocasia macrorhiza 'Seven Colors' and will just have to spank myself if I hurt them.
Any help would be very appreciated . THANKS
Kell.. looks like they are getting sunburned.. do they get any direct sun?? if so, shove them under some taller growing things or put them on the north side of the house.
Either sunburned or too dry. The Black Magic likes sun, but not if it's dry!
Don't feel bad Kell, I've killed more than my share of plants since moving south!
I agree with calalily too dry and too much hot sun.Humidity in calif is a lot lower than in the midwest or the south.Just watch the watering a little closer and put them in noonday shade. they will grow out of it.
:-)
Kell,my hubby was doing some work on the patio so moved several of my large potted ears out in the full sun for a few days and I had several burnt leaves I had to remove. Not all but a few, can't remember the names right now and too hot out to go look LOL!. One was a lovely varigated one that I had to remove two leaves from. They have now been moved back in the morning sun only spots. The only ones I can leave out in full sun so far are as mentioned, the Black Magic, but only if I keep the pot watered well. Oh and a purple stemmed one did well too. I also have one pot of Black Magic in my pond. I am new to the ears this year too and learning as I go. Sometimes the hard way :-(
Yeah, it's that lack of humidity that makes all the difference for us here, I saw huge clumps of ears growing out in the full sun at the Missouri Botanical Gardens last July and then Eclipse always posts those lovely big pots too but I lack a lot of afternoon shade spots so am frustrated. I have 3 bananas ordered coming soon and I have a feeling I may have the same problem judging by the one red leafed one I have in a big pot already.
I would move to Florida but am not fond of the oppresive heat and humidity, nothing beats this CA weather and long growing season, that's why real estate is so high here!. But it's all what one can do with what we have.
Humidity is critical......Calif has little we have a lot in Iowa..Like Brazil in most summers..
See, told you. Guess I can just throw out those garden shots I printed out of Eclipse's. It ain't ever gonna happen here. :-(
Oh well, maybe they'll just have to stay in pots around the patio and I can look into getting those mister hoses hooked up around and attach them to the gutters of the house around the patio. Create a bit of that humidity!
Kell, I think you are getting to much sun.
toodry&toomuchsun :-)
I sure hate to disagree with gardeners that have grown these much longer than I have Kell.....but I'm going to say that Clayton is a lot hotter, a lot dryer and a lot windier than where you are and I grow them in full sun. They are difficult to take pictures of because they are in bright full sun all day and the camera has to be pointed at the setting sun at this time of the evening.
They are big enough now to block a good deal of that bright setting sun and I think you can get an idea of the size of these things. Some are planted in the soil at the back of the pond, some are just hanging from the driftwood, some are in pots in the pond. I have a few really common ones that do very well here. My 'Black Magic' was only one course of many for the bi-weekly pig out of the local gopher population. :(
If the leaves grow out and unfurl while in full sun, they do fine. If it came from the nursery or another shady location......the existing leaves will burn, but subsequent leaves should be fine. They need to be constantly moist......read that WET!!
I started with a 3 gallon can a couple of years ago and even though the Koi like to play pool tag with the floating tendrils in the water, these things grow so fast that the damage isn't enough to even notice.
Coming back in to give you a couple of size references.....the 'Tropicanas' to the right are 5' tall and the Gunnera leaf to the left is probably about 6' tall.
This message was edited Jul 16, 2005 8:21 PM
Ok, there is hope for us yet Kell! Thanks Candy. The new leaves opening in sun verses the nursery makes sense. But I think I need a bigger pond LOL!
By the way, what variety is that? Love the BIG leaves.
This message was edited Jul 16, 2005 7:36 PM
Hi Sue -
Either that or just a big tub/trash can/barrel........they aren't particular as long as they have a water source. There are a few smaller clumps at the other end of the pond.......they are taking over the whole world!!
It was tagged Colocasia gigantea, but I'm not sure of the ID.
I have news for you Sue, there may be hope for you but there is none for me unless I move with my ears to Candy's house. Mine are never ever going to look like hers. LOL!
OK..THANKS ALL! I will move mine to more shade and water water water.
It is funny, I have about 6 baby EEs people have sent me. I was feeling so cocky, for even one that is 1 inch tall is thriving in my house on my seedling table under fluorescent lights. I could do no wrong with them. So I step up to the big outdoor ones and it is a disaster!
So much for being so cocky!!
Kell, I join Cala in saying that us living in hot humid areas have killed many an EE. I'd like to add that those baby seedlings have a snowball's chance of making it planted inground. I have learned to keep them in a pot for a full year before planting inground and still keep a watchfull out that next year. After that, you can relax your vigil.
In your case, I think the BM could make it in the sun but w/ not enough water chances are greatly diminished. that's while shade is recommended, simply more convenient for the gardener.
Happenstance, yours is a colocasia esculenta form, colocasia gigantea is more silver leafed and has a different shaped leaf.Also gets angled out leaves almost flat horizontally when large. see pic..
Gigantea has thin more papery type leaves, not rubbery like others.
:-)
Thanks Eclipse.......that's what I thought, the shape of the leaves looked wrong to me for gigantea. They are robust and certainly are multiplying this year! :-)
cut the leaf off and another one will start shooting out. dead heading is so important...atleast to me.LOL................ do you have cool nights there?
ely
and how dare you to buy ely ears.....LOL
ely
I agree....WETTER IS BETTER !!!
Yes Ely, in the 50s every night. Is that bad? You know I do not see ears in gardens at all around here. In the nurseries they have a few but they are sold in the pond area. Maybe that should have been a big hint to me. I am slow.
So what did I do last night, buy a huge chartreuse one. LOL. I sure hope fools do not die young.
Kyle is that one of your famous borders? Just gorgeous all the colors and textures. Someday I am going to have a long and ambling border to plant.
I looked at Candy's picture again. It is almost sinful how she grows her plants to perfection.
Remember that I don't "grow" them.....I just plant them and watch and wait.
Then miracle of miracles.....they grow!
That makes me feel even worse, Candy. I plant them, try to grow them and watch them die. LOL
High humidity is important to all elephant ears and not to forget ground heat. I think the lack of humidity may have something to do with it. as well with the lack of water. I have all my fontasii out in full sun, the older the leaf, the more brown It gets. but that comes with age. but the only thing that full sun does is damper there size.
indirect light I would think is the best for most of all the elephant ears. but colocasias and xanthosoma's can be grown in full sun. "few can't"...... both of those "Bm and fon" can be put in a pond if you have one. I wouldn't leave them in there over winter...
our temps at night are about 80-85 I would think and in the 90's during the day. 50 degrees is only 5 degrees away from going dormant, and if you have high temps in the day and cool and night "I think I would look funny too" but givin' your zone I don't think that you could not grow them there.
If you have a green house I would stick the alocasia back in it. it Needs the humidity more than the colocasia. and a more constant temp. you need to let the ground dry out before watering it again. but don't go by how the top soil looks stick your finger down in it. and they need just as much perlite and bark as they do soil. and water the alocasia with water out of your pond if you have one or water that has been left out 24 hrs if you have city or well water. ?chloren? and alkaline will kill some of them and some faster than others.
ely
Kell, Black magic loves lots of water so does the one in the first photo. Make sure you keep any of the variegated one in partial shade or filtered light.
If you put Black Magic in the shade, it will not get that beautiful black-full sun but tons of water.
Having trouble with my Alocasia 'Green Velvet Variegated' -watered it to much. It is barely holding it's own.Hopefully, I caught it in time.
I keep my Black Magic potted and then sit the pot in a large saucer of water. When the saucer gets low, I just add another gallon of water.
Kell--I'm in North Texas, and when mine look like yours, it's because they're getting too cooked.
Like Happenstance said too, the more water they get, the better they'll do..........I have a colocasia "Yellow Splash" that's variegated much like your third one. Even though it's almost in full shade, its leaves crumpled up when I didn't keep up the twice a day SOAKS.
I'd say more water and less direct sun.
JMHO,
No greenhouse Ely. So sad and too bad. for me. So these will have to change their evil ways!! LOL. I can do that saucer of water though. I will put in mosquito dunks, they have discovered West Niles near here.
We have also had a heat wave lately. Ick!!
Oh Barb, you must be sick over that plant. How is it doing now? How terrible if you lose it. And remember, if I kill mine you are in big trouble. LOL
Thanks all, I will follow all your advice and let you know how I do!
I'm bumping this up to find out where all of you purchase your variegated ee's. None of the local nurseries here carry them.
I have been reading this will alot of interest, since I too have recently started collecting EE's. So far I have all mine planted in partial shade and they are doing well, but I would sure love to be able to put some out in full sun. I guess I will have to bite the bullet and try one.
Oh NO Patricia, the EE bug bit you too?? I am in such big trouble. Did you go to Navlets and buy them out? Any other place around here sell them?
Natural Exotics sends big plants. See if they have any variegated, Sylvia. Or even eBay has them.
I have gotten mine mostly at a local nursery. Except for one, that is amazing. This I ordered from Asiatica. But it was so small. But so beautiful. Barb instigated this by.
OMG, I have got to quit looking! That one is really nice Kell. Is it the variegated Frydek?
Isn't it amazing? The only problem I am having is that each time I get a new leaf, the oldest leaf slowly dies off. So I only have 2 leaves usually. LOL
The colors are just like that too. Vivd and like velvet.
Alocasia 'Green Velvet Variegated"
Kell, I've had the the same problem in the past too and it seemed to take quite a while for the Alocasia (this happened with 4 different kinds) to put out more leaves than dropped. One ended up going dormant for 4 months, but others kept on going until this summer when they put out more leaves.
