Planting jumbo elephant ear bulbs are simple! Have you have seen the pictures online of massive elephant ears in beautiful gardens? You probably think you have to be a master gardener to grow something that massive, pretty, and healthy. It couldn’t be further from the truth!
Giving your garden depth and height creates great visual appeal. Elephant ears look good planted amongst other plants or simply alone. Give your garden a tropical flair by following the steps to getting your bulbs in the ground and on their way.
This post is all about jumbo elephant ear bulbs and the steps you need to plant them in your garden.
The biggest obstacle to planting elephant ears is finding the right bulb. It’s a whole lot easier than you think.
1. Finding a Bulb for Sale
Where do you go to find a jumbo elephant ear bulb? You can search for some beautiful varieties online if you are looking for something specific. You can also go to your local big-box retailer. An elephant ear is a summer bulb so it typically shows up on shelves in late winter – early spring.
Start keeping an eye out for bulbs in late February. Get the bulbs when you first see them so they are fresh. You don’t want them to end up molded or damaged. You want to buy a bulb that is labeled “jumbo” or “mammoth” or any word that highlights it has bigger foilage than a regular elephant ear plant. Generally, most jumbo bulbs will be sold separately and resemble the size of a baseball.
2. Colocasia vs. Alocasia
Most elephant ear plants you have seen are likely Colocasia. Colocasia has ears that point downward like…an elephant ear. Whereas, Alocasia ears tend to point upward. You can figure out which one is more aesthetically pleasing to you. You will likely see more Colocasia bulbs for sale in big-box stores in the United States.
3. Planting Your Bulb
You can plant your jumbo elephant ear bulbs directly in the ground or in a container. If you buy your bulb in early spring, you will likely still have to wait until after the last frost to plant it in the ground. You don’t want to plant your bulbs before the last frost because your plant will die if temperatures are still falling or there is a threat of frost. If you want to get your plant a head start and plant your bulb indoors in a container, that is perfectly fine! If you start growing indoors, your bulb will have started to sprout by the time you put it in the ground.
Get a container with drainage holes, fill it with dirt, and leave about 2 inches of space at the top. You can add slow-release fertilizer to the soil to give it a good foundation and feed your plant over time. Take your elephant ear bulb and bury it with the blunt side down and the bullseye pointing upward. If it is not obvious which end has the bullseye, leave your plant in the pot for about 3-4 weeks. Remove it from the dirt to see which side is sprouting, and make sure you turn the sprouted end up and put it back in the pot.
Once your bulb is in position with the stem facing upward, cover the entire bulb with one inch of soil. If you are planting your elephant ear bulb outdoors after the last frost, you would follow the same steps without the container.
4. Transferring Your Container Outdoors
If you started your plant indoors, you want to transfer your plant outside once you start having consistent 70 degree days. If you are keeping it in a container, be sure the container is big enough to support the type of growth you want. The growth of your plant will be determined by the container size. You want to plant/place your elephant ear in a partially shaded area. Elephant ears do survive in full sun, but they love water and you will have to drench it with water on a daily basis. Partial shade mimics the tropical environment it thrives in and will reward you greatly with expansive foliage if planted in these conditions.
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5. Maintenance and Care
Did I already say that elephant ears love water! Water your plant daily or every other day with lots of water. You can fertilize your plant once a month with fish emulsion or a general liquid fertilizer. Be sure to read the instructions to ensure that you do not over-fertilize your plant. When the plant stops growing, you will want to adjust your watering and fertilizing schedules as well.
In the winter, you can dig up your bulbs and place them in old newspapers or a brown grocery bag until next spring. In some planting zones, when they go dormant, just let the bulb stay in the ground and it will come back on its own during Spring.
Now you have all the steps you need to grow luscious elephant ear plants! Don’t forget to share pictures!
