Winter Care For Elephant Ear Plants

Care for giant elephant ears in winter. Cut back dead foliage and stalks as they die 2 to 4 inches from the soil line. When watering water until the water is draining freely from the drainage holes.

Elephant ear like the soil to beconstantly moistgranted that you should water yourplant when the top inch of soil is dry.

Winter care for elephant ear plants. In usda zones 10 through 11 elephant ear plants will grow year round remaining green. How to care for giant elephant ears in winter mild climates need little care. Soil for elephant ear plants the soil for elephant ear should be moist rich in organic matter with 55 70 ph. In ideal growing conditions the mammoth elephant ear plant can grow up to 8 feet tall with an equal spread.

The care and effort it takes to overwinter elephant ears colocasia spp the soil can dry out completely during the dormant period but natural rainfall will likely keep the soil moist. Amend the soil with manure compost ground bark or other organic material. Therefore in areas with harsh cold winters like those in northernmost regions the plants must be dug up and stored indoors. Elephant ears grow in usda zones 8 through 11.

Outside of these zones the mammoth elephant ear plant can be grown as an annual. You can cut out dead leaves any time of year. While elephant ear plants survive winters in frost prone areas specifically. Frosty areas require some protection.

Mammoth elephant ear plants grow best in usda plant hardiness zones 9 through 11 where the average annual minimum temperature is at least 20 degrees f. The foliage will die off during the winter but you can protect the tuber from cold temperatures so growth will resume during the following spring. Elephant ears cannot survive winter outdoors. Freezing temperatures kill foliage and damage tubers.

Fertilize your elephant ear plant with a liquid fertilizer every 2 3 weeks.