elephant ears

I planted elephant ears for the first time this year and love them but i heard they need to be dug up in the winter is this true?

You betcha. You're in Zone 6 like me, so they'll need to come out of the ground as soon as possible.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=elephant+ear&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=colocasia&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=esculenta&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

I have an elephant ear LIKE bulb that I took out the other day. It stayed small, I don't think it was in ideal conditions. I don't know how to take care of it because I lost the plant info. Anyway, It has darkish leaves with light green veins and a little spotting of light green, but is not that striking contrasted one that you see everywhere that I think is a tropical. Any help? I love it and hope to over winter the bulb. Should I just put it in a paper bag in the garage (not heated, but warmer than outside). I already knocked off the dirt.

Thanks!

Can you post a picture of the foliage? Maybe someone with more knowledge than I can identify it and suggest what to do.

For 6 or 7 years I have had elephant ear bulbs in a 20" pot on my patio. They were, until recently, pretty much exposed to the surface & yet they have survived all this time with one encounter of 11 F which killed my dwarf bamboo to the ground (pot actually). At that point in time the bulbs were properly covered with soil but over the years the bulbs have grown huge. Toward the back of this 20" pot are some of the more exotic elephant ears and they have faired less well. I think those exotic ones are a different species.

My problem really is just the opposite - my patio gets very hot in the summer (105+) and I have had my cannas literally burn up. Many things will not grow but roses, caladiums, some iris and daffodils, bamboo and coleus seem to thrive. I gave up on tomatoes - I'd have pretty, lush, green, tall plants and they would never bloom or set fruit. I even used varieties specifically designed for heat, without
success of any kind. Marigolds seem to get a fungus or possibly powdery mildew - similar to what my 7 rose bushes have now.

Anyway - that is my 2 cents on the Elephant ears. Have a safe, productive and happy garden :-)