This is my tip for to get large elephant ears. You can get the rhizomes (large seed). The mammoth rhizomes are approximately 3 to 5 inches round. They must be kept dry and at room temp. until ready to plant. The time to plant is late spring. Because this plant can grow in some areas to between 6 and 12 feet, plant in a hole 10 to 12 inches deep and the same distance apart. I chose a very sunny area with a combo of soil and sand, which is typical in my area, South Carolina. To help with the growth, mulch is added around the the base of the elephant ears to help with moisture retention after watering/rain. This helps with the up keep of such large plants that at this point of the summer (July) have reached the height of 6 feet.
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I've got some elephant ear tubers and it's almost spring. I've never grown these before and I need some advice. I live in zone 7 and I've seen videos on people putting them in containers before planting them and I've read about people just putting them straight into the ground.
Please can someone help? I am confused.Plant after April 15, blunt end down.
It is easy to get confused when planting something "new" but Internet instructions are intended for people all of the country and not just in zone 7.
When doing your research always add zone 7 and you will come up with more tailored instructions.
Here are some excerpts from a site for planting in zone 7.
You can read the full article for compete instructions.
"Elephant ears should be planted in the spring after the last frost if they are to be grown as outdoor plants.
In zone 7, the last frost may be as late as May depending on region.
Give the outdoor plants a head-start by starting seeds or bulbs/tubers indoors six weeks before the date you will expect the ground to warm, and transplanting them when temperatures are consistently above freezing.
Elephant ear plants that will be grown as houseplants can be cultivated any time of year and in any part of the country. Plant them in well-drained medium such as peat or sand and keep them in a warm room.
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My elephant ears and patio peach tree are the same size. It looks unusual looking down from the stairs and seeing those giant elephant ears.
This is a page about saving elephant ears bulbs. Elephant ears are not cold hardy, so in colder climates you will want to dig them and store them over the winter.
This is a page about wintering an elephant ear plant. There are a couple of easy ways to overwinter your elephant ear plant.
