Quick Elephant Ear Question!

Hi everyone. I spent a lot of time outside yesterday doing up odds and ends that needed doing. One thing I have left is my elephant ears. I have cut most everything off them, but now I do not know what to do with them. Do they need to come out of the soil, or can they stay as long as they are inside?? What about all the little elephant ears that are growing at the base? Do I pull them away and make a new one out of each outcroppoing?This was my first year with these, and I got some beautiful large leaves to cast and was very pleased with them. HOpefully it will do the same next year, and maybe I will even find a place to put them in the ground, out of the way of the deer!
Thanks fo ryour help?

Here's the second picture. If I'm lucky, I will still get one more leaf from this plant.

This is what I do, I cut the stalk off about 2-3 inches from the "bulb". I use the hose and wash off the bulb, I lay them out to dry in the green house, then I put them into old panty hose and hang them in the garage. all the new little bulbets can be gently taken off and start new plants with.I started with one plant about 4 years ago and now have dug up about 15-20 this year.I have also stored them in a box with some dry peat moss and other bulbs and tubers, and kept them in the garage.There likely are other ways to deal with them, but this has worked well for me. They just seem to keep coming back bigger and better, the leaves are so great for casting.
Cindy.

Thanks klinger. I will try and do that in the next few days. Will have to dry them in the house as we have no garage and no basement. One of these days I really will have to get a greenhouse!!!!
Do you just leave the bulblets on for the winter and take them off in the spring, or do it now?
I agree. The leaves are wonderful for casting. I have just finished painting a large one, and have two more LARGER ones to do. I love the way they turn out.
Thanks.

Glenda

Morning Glenda, I usually just leave them on for now and do the splitting in the spring.I have planted them in large pots and in the ground, they look so tropical . I have them mostly in the same area as bananas , brugs, cannas,castor bean, amaranthus. I tried some coleous around the flower bed as an edging but it just didn't take off the way I had wanted it to.I still have a big pot full I have to wrestle with yet this year.
Cindy

Can you leave them in the ground over the winter, like dahlias, if you mulch them well with peat moss?

I've never left them in but this is only my third winter on the island. Prior to that I lived in Winterpeg, and Calgary.I guess I like them too much to leave them out and chance it.
Cindy