Elephant Ears

Other plants we have or landscape elements like ponds.

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CJ_IS_HERE
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RE: Elephant Ears

Post by CJ_IS_HERE »

So those giants will return if they die back? Do I need to cut them off to the ground or just let them grow and then clean up the earlier seasons mess later?
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Roy
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Re: RE: Elephant Ears

Post by Roy »

Flashburn wrote:Man, I must be losing my noodles. I would have sworn he was in Florida.
That's alright. He's a good man. Well will adopt him. Just got to get him to Florida. He's been having too many hurricanes come his way. :D
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marcat
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RE: Elephant Ears

Post by marcat »

Boonut do they get bigger every year even with winter die back? THe regular ones eventually get as big as the ones in the pot but that is about it. Heck they are weeds around here all over the Guadalupe river. And they get anoyed if you do not water them enough. Had some at my last place that popped up 60' from where I planted them on the other side of a 30' slab to enjoy my neibour's over running septic tank.made a nice big clump on top of it.
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PS no you stay in Texas got to have some one show up them Floridians.
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RE: Elephant Ears

Post by boonut »

They do seem to get larger each year. They only died back to the ground one year since I planted them. The one I have is supposed to be one of the largest. It should really get large this year.

I will post pics later in the year.
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Re: RE: Elephant Ears

Post by boonut »

Roy wrote:
Flashburn wrote:Man, I must be losing my noodles. I would have sworn he was in Florida.
That's alright. He's a good man. Well will adopt him. Just got to get him to Florida. He's been having too many hurricanes come his way. :D
I am really in Deeeeeeep South Texas. We are about the same latitude as Naples, Florida. Here is a link to a map showing where I am...

http://www.boonut.info/zones/zonemaps.html

No one ever passes through for a visit... unless they were going to Mexico.

8) :lol:
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RE: Elephant Ears

Post by shuboo »

The 'Borneo Giant' has the second largest leaves of all plants coming in second only to another alocasia. Alocasias and colocasias all do well until the low 40's to 30's. They will die back but will also reemerge in the spring to do it all over again. I have recently been bitten by the aroid bug as they compliment bamboo really well. Check out the colocasia 'black magic' too. Looks really great next to B. text. 'mutab'. Boonut, your plants look great!! I have 32 varieties but they are all much smaller than your borneo. Can't wait to get to that size. Thanks for the link too.
-shu
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RE: Elephant Ears

Post by boonut »

My Borneo is just about 4 feet this year. It didn't die back, but the leaves got smaller in the winter. I put it in the ground this past year, so I am excited to see how large it will grow in the ground.

I am waiting also to see just how large it will get. I looked up the colocasia "black magic". Looks very interesting. I may have had one a few years ago... it was black and fairly good size. I don't remember what happened to it. I give away a lot of plants... so you never know.
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Re: Elephant Ears

Post by Alan_L »

So for those of us in colder climates, when do we dig up the Colocasia bulbs? We just barely got below freezing 3 or 4 weeks ago and that curled most of the leaves, but since then it's been above freezing. There are a couple of leaves left on each plant, and the one plant even looks like it's trying to put out a new leaf. Do I wait until all of the green is gone (leafs and stems)?

Assuming I figure out the right time to dig them, do I then let them dry out a bit before storing? What about separating any "pups" -- what's the right way and when's the right time to do that?

These are all in pots, and leaving them in the pots all winter (in the garage) is probably not an option.
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Re: Elephant Ears

Post by JWH »

I'm giving Elephant ears a try here for the first time. Mostly Colocasias, but also a few Alocasias. I'm planning on growing them in pots on the deck over the summer, and overwintering in a mostly unheated greenhouse. It usually stays above freezing in there except during the few arctic blasts we usually get, then I run a small electric heater to keep it just above freezing. I might bring the alocasias indoors for winter and grow as houseplants.
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Re: Elephant Ears

Post by canadianplant »

I keep mine in pots all year and bring them in as houseplants. They grow inside all winter quite well in a bright room. My alocasia seem to be getting "trunks" and do the best inside, colocasia seem to stall indoors a bit but still do well IMO. I dont always have a decent growing season, so this makes it so that I have a huge headstart!

Why wouldnt you grow them in the ground there? Some faster draining soil and some protection of the corms should make it survive ok.
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Re: Elephant Ears

Post by JWH »

canadianplant wrote:Why wouldnt you grow them in the ground there? Some faster draining soil and some protection of the corms should make it survive ok.
I'll probably try some in-ground around the bananas, I got a big bag of baseball sized tubers from Lowes to experiment with :P The rest are small TC'd plants from a mail order nursery.

I dont have much luck overwintering other tropical tubers like cannas, and callas in-ground. I suspect its the heavy autumn and winter rain along with the cold soil that ends up rotting them. The soil is glacial till around here (sand, gravel, cobble, and massive boulders.) Excellent drainage! So I dont think its just a drainage issue. This year i'll try mulch & plastic sheeting to keep all the rain off.
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Re: Elephant Ears

Post by Alan_L »

I've found most Colocasias to be extremely easy to overwinter as bare tubers in the garage. I have so many now it's crazy.
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Re: Elephant Ears

Post by pokenei »

I have one Bac Ha plant growing, but it seems to be a dwarf version and doesn't seem to enjoy the sun too much.

I knew there must be a different variety that can grow big because they sell those giant stems in Asian supermarkets.

Anyway, I just found this clip on Youtube where they farm Bah Ha plants in Hawaii. They are quite impressive looking. Anyone has this plant?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju3SEaIXXK8
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Re: Elephant Ears

Post by johnw »

"I dont have much luck overwintering other tropical tubers like ..........callas in-ground."

JWH - Try the Calla called 'Crowborough', I saw it growing out of a compost heap in St. John's, Newfoundland so it must tolerate winter wet, and cold too. Said to be the hardiest one back in good old cold days.

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Re: Elephant Ears

Post by needmore »

My big Thai giant I think it is appears to be about to flower, does that usually mean die off on these guys or do they just flower and continue to grow leaves normally?
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